5. Personal Rule and the collapse of royal power Flashcards
What steps did Charles do to strengthen his position after national agitation died down?
. The Whig leader, Shaftesbury, fled abroad after being charged with treason.
. Charles changed borough charters where Whigs tended to dominate.
. The 1683 Rye House Plot occurred, it was a conspiracy by Cromwellian officers to murder the King. The plot failed but Charles used the opportunity to arrest leading Whigs.
. In 1684 Charles defied the Triennial Act by failing to summon Parliament.
When did Charles die and who ascended to the throne?
Charles II died in February 1685 and he was succeeded by his brother James. Despite being openly Catholic, James had the support of the Tories and the Anglican Church.
What did James do which displayed his lack of political judgement?
James openly supported Catholicism.
. He appointed Catholics to a number of offices, including the Privy Council, the Army and he replaced the fellows of Magdalen College, Oxford with Catholics.
. Over 200 Catholics replaced Protestants as JPs.
. Issued the 1687 Declaration of Indulgence.
What two important events transformed the political scene?
The political class were prepared to support these policies because James was in his mid-50s and so they hoped his reign would be short. They believed that his Protestant heir Mary would reverse his Catholic policies. However, in April 1688, 7 Anglican Bishops refused to allow the Declaration of Indulgence to be read in their Churches and were put on trial, charged with sedition. All were acquitted which led to mass public celebrations. In June, Mary gave birth to a son which threatened the permanent establishment of English Catholicism.
What did leading Whig and Tory politicians do after these events?
They invited William of Orange, Mary’s Dutch Protestant husband, to intervene to protect the English Church and to ensure the election of a free Parliament. When William landed, James fled to France. In December, William and Mary were jointly offered the Crown.
