Charles II part 2 Flashcards
Starting with the Cabal
Cabal period of power
1667-1674
Reasons for the Cabal’s power
Fall of Clarendon which allowed for the rise of a new group of advisors
Cabal members - Thomas Clifford
- Pro - French and Anti - Dutch
- Helped negotiate the secret treaty of Dover
- Lord Treasurer in 1672
- Resigned in 1673 as he opposed the Test act - He was a Catholic
Cabal members - Ashley Cooper
- Was Royalist until 1644 before changing sides
- Part of delegation which invited Charles II to England in 1660
- Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1661
- Made Lord Chancellor in 1672
- Free thinker in terms of religion
Cabal members - George Villiers
- Duke of Buckingham
- Closest to Charles II
- Appointed to Privy Council in 1662 and main opponent of Clarendon
- Commons pressured Charles into dismissing him in 1674
- Free thinker in terms of religion
Cabal members - Earl of Arlington
- Advisor to Charles II during exile
- Supported Dutch war
- Constructed triple alliance with Dutch republic and Sweden in 1668
- Main force in Treaty of Dover
- Lost influence with the rise of the earl of Danby
- Potentially a Catholic
Cabal members - Duke of Lauderdale
- Scottish Presbyterian who supported Covenant rebellion against Charles I after 1638
- Promoted the Engagement where the Scots invaded England
- Supported Charles II after the regicide
- Resigned 1680 from secretary of state for Scotland
Relations between Crown and parliament under the Cabal - Finance by 1670
- Royal income fell from £820,000 in 1665 to £647,000 by 1666
- Parliament used finance to restrict religious freedom that Charles wanted - refused to give Charles II £300,000 until he created a stricter conventicle act in 1670
Relations between Crown and parliament under the Cabal - The treaty of Dover
- France now greatest power in Europe
- England and France agreed to attack the Dutch with the land being split between them
- Secret Catholic cause stated Charles would declare himself a Catholic when possible to do so in return for £225,000 annually
Relations between Crown and parliament under the Cabal - Anglo-French attack on the Dutch 1672
- Required Finance = Charles proclaimed the ‘stop of the Exchequer’ on 20thh Jan 1670 which suspended the payment of any more loans - Now couldn’t secure future loan’s
- Parliament also gave him £1.2 million for the war
- Third Dutch war ended in Feb 1674 with the treaty of Westminster which was signed as Charles II had run out of money
Relations between Crown and parliament under the Cabal - Royal declaration of Indulgence 1672
- Dispensing power = power to do away with the law - if used by Charles it looks like absolutism
- Charles suspended penal laws to extend religious liberty - To get money from parliament Charles was forced to issue the test act
Relations between Crown and parliament under the Cabal - Duke of York revealed as a Catholic
- Dutch began a propaganda war aimed at driving a wedge between the King’s policy and public opinion - most effective published in 1673
- Duke of York refused to take communion according to Anglican rites in 1673
Relations between Crown and parliament under the Cabal - Parliaments list of complaints
- 1674
- New test act proposed to exclude Catholics from both houses of parliament
- King’s children must be educated as protestants to prevent a catholic succession
What did Danby’s emergence symbolise
- Shift to Anglican policies - Charles didn’t like Danby but recognised his political talent
- Danby initially strengthened crown and parliament relations as he stood for policies which the majority of MPs liked
What happened after Danby’s new test bill was defeated by Arlington and Shaftsbury
Attempted to impeach Danby who was seen as pursuing a move away from broadening the church
How did Danby improve the financial position
- Withdrawal from the 3rd Dutch war and boom on trade
- 1674-1677 royal income was £1.4 million annually
What issued remained under Danby
Couldn’t control Charles’s spending with the crown’s debt increasing by £750,000 between 1674 and 1679
What happened to Shaftesbury and Buckingham in 1677
Placed in the tower of London for 5 months as they claimed that parliament had not met for 15 months and therefore a new parliament should be held
What did parliament become fearful of
Frances growing power - Gave £600,000 to help develop a stronger British navy - his angers Charles
Anglo - Dutch treaty
- agreed in Dec 1677
- agreed to impose peace terms on Louise, by force if needed
- Led to parliament raising n army of 300,000 and £1 million in Jan 1678
How did Danby get opposition
- Creating a court party which encouraged the formation of the country party
How did Charles II protect Danby
- Dismissed him in 1679 but supressed his trial by pardoning him
Court party
- Wanted to strengthen ties with Catholic France
- Manipulated Parliament via the crown patronage system
Country party
- Anti-Catholic and close to the CofE
- Hostile to Dissenters, Catholics and France
- Anti-absolutist and wanted to defend the rights of parliament against the crowns prerogative
