Chapter 1: The Political Nation and the social basis of power

Question 1

Stuart Age

Answer 1

A term for the period 1603-1714, during which the Stuarts were monarchs of England, Scotland and Ireland.

Question 2

The Political Nation

Answer 2

Refers to the people in early modern Britain who had economic, political and social influence.

Question 3

What was the root of the Political Nation’s influence?

Answer 3

Economic standing, predominantly based on landownership. Wealth gave people political and social power.

Question 4

James I (1603-25)

Answer 4

Became the first Stuart monarch in 1603 following the death of Elizabeth I. James was a pragmatic leader and realised the need to work with Parliament, however he did dissolve it several times during his reign due to frustration.

Question 5

Charles (1625-49)

Answer 5

Became heir to the throne following the death of his older brother, Henry. Charles was temperamentally unsuited to kingship and was unprepared for the role. He did not get along well with Parliament.

Question 6

Charles II (1660-85)

Answer 6

After the defeat and execution of his father, Charles I, he spent most of his formative years in exile. Due to the collapse of the post-Cromwell regimes, Charles was restored to the throne in 1660. Like James, he had a sociable nature and was a pragmatic king.

Question 7

James II (1685-88)

Answer 7

James was Charles II’s younger brother and, like his father Charles I, was principle and stubborn. This underpinned his political failings. It was his Catholicism, however, and determination to establish his religious values as a dominant political force that sparked a revolution against him.

Question 8

William III (1689-1701) and Mary II (1689-94)

Answer 8

William of Orange was a Dutch protestant whose claim to the throne was through his wife, Mary, who was James II’s eldest daughter. The Political Nation invited William and Mary to take over from James II to protect Protestantism and the strength of its influence.

Question 9

Prerogative

Answer 9

The power of the Crown, derived from the idea that the divine right to rule is given by God to monarchs.

Question 10

What did the monarch’s prerogative give them power over?

Answer 10

• Foreign diplomacy, as Head of State.
• Declaration of war, as commander-in-chief of the military.
• Legislation through the right to call and dissolve Parliament.
• Religion, as the Supreme Governor (head) of the Church of England.

Question 11

Absolute monarchy

Answer 11

A form of monarchy in which the monarch holds supreme authority and can rule freely, with unrestricted political power.

Question 12

What prevented the monarchy from becoming truly absolutist?

Answer 12

The limit of the monarch’s income meant that it was necessary to raise additional funds to cover their expenses through parliamentary subsidies. Also, the Crown lacked sufficient force to impose its will independently, so relied on the Political Nation to ensure that government could function.

Question 13

Subsidy

Answer 13

A form of economic support for a particular undertaking; in this case, a sum of money to promote or aid Crown polices, such as warfare. The Crown subsidy came in the form of parliamentary taxation, with a tax on land and other forms of property.

Question 14

Why was Parliament often reluctant to vote for subsidies?

Answer 14

Money for subsidies was raised by taxing the Political Nation. As most MPs were selected by the wealthy, they aimed to avoid granting subsidies in order to prevent any financial burden on their supporters.

Question 15

What were the main forms of Crown income?

Answer 15

• Crown lands
• Custom duties
• Feudal dues
• Parliamentary subsidies

Question 16

Crown lands

Answer 16

The crown had sold much land or rented it out on long leases at a fixed rent, thus their income was reduced because they couldn’t update rents in line with inflation.

Question 17

Custom duties

Answer 17

Taxes from goods imported into the country. The crown could also temporarily sell the right to collect such taxes to raise funds quickly.

Question 18

Feudal dues

Answer 18

The crown had the right to control an estate that was inherited, by ancient right, by an heir under the age of 21.

Question 19

Why did prerogative income concern Parliament?

Answer 19

If a monarch became financially self-sufficient they could establish themselves as absolute and rule without Parliament. Thus, finance was at the centre of most tensions between the Crown and Parliament across the Stuart Age.

Question 20

What was the Political Nation responsible for?

Answer 20

• Collecting taxes
• Training the militia
• Enforcing law
• Conducting trials

Question 21

Which social groups were included in the Political Nation?

Answer 21

• The aristocracy
• The lesser gentry, whose status was based on land ownership
• Newer groups, including lawyers and merchants, whose wealth was based on income not derived from land ownership. This group is sometimes referred to as the pseudo-gentry due to the nature of their wealth

Question 22

What was the minimum requirement for being part of the Political Nation?

Answer 22

An annual income of 40 shillings, as this was needed to qualify to vote for one’s local MP. The vast majority of the population did not belong in the Political Nation - it constituted only about 1 in 200 of the adult male population.

Question 23

Patriarchal

Answer 23

A society controlled by men. The concept is related to patriarchalism, a popular 17th century belief that God gave power to fathers and that male monarchs could be seen as fathers of their people. This concept was used to reinforce obedience to the king.

Question 24

How the Political Nation maintain authority?

Answer 24

Although the 17th century Political Nation had no police force or real army to impose control, its dominance was generally accepted by those beneath them in the social hierarchy.

Question 25

What were the consequences of the increase in population between 1500 and 1650?

Answer 25

• Price inflation
• Food shortage
• Land shortage
• Unemployment
• Greater reliance on the state for poor relief

Question 26

How did the increase in population strain the hierarchal society?

Answer 26

The consequences of population growth led to the development of a subclass of the poorest individuals in society, who suffered from famine during harvest failures in the 1620s. However, it benefitted the wealthy as the increased demand for land meant that landowners could charge higher prices.

Question 27

The Great Chain of Being

Answer 27

A contemporary phrase for the idea of an ordered society set in place by God; the idea held that everyone was linked to each other and must accept their place society, regardless of rank.

Question 28

Paternalist

Answer 28

The idea that it is a fatherly duty of those above others in society to look after the interests of those beneath them, especially in times of hardship.

Question 29

How did people respond to this unequal society?

Answer 29

There were riots, particularly during times of hardship, to demand the enforcement of laws to protect their positions. However, riots did not call for an overturning of the established order and were generally only minor disturbances. Those in authority treater rioters relatively leniently in recognition of the economic pressures they were under.

Question 30

What were the main sources of wealth?

Answer 30

• Land was central to power and wealth as the economy was predominantly agrarian, and it was in high demand.
• Professionals within the Church, medicine, music, surveying architecture or the visual arts could buy land and become members of the landed gentry.
• Members of the pseudo-gentry, such as merchants, could have higher annual incomes than those of the aristocracy.