Impact of Empire 1688-1730 Flashcards

1
Q

Describe what happened in the Glorious Revolution and outline the events that led up to it.

A

On September 3rd 1658, Oliver Cromwell died. His son Richard was not strong enough to, and did not want to be, Lord Protector. So, in May 1659 he was forced out of the job.
In 1660, Charles II became King (Charles I’s son) so England had a monarchy again. The Church of England was brought back, and all laws between 1641 and 1660 were declared illegal.
In 1685, Charles II died, and on his death-bed he openly declared himself as a Catholic.
He was succeeded by his brother James, who was openly a Catholic. This was a threat to Parliament, who did not want a Catholic ruler because they wanted England to remain Protestant.
In 1685. in the Monmouth Rebellion, protestants tried to overthrow James. The rebels failed and were punished harshly, and James II used this as an excuse to build up a large army.
In 1687, James allowed all Catholics and Protestants to worship as they wished. He did not ask Parliament’s permission to do this.
In June 1688, James II had a son, and could now make sure that he would be followed by a Catholic King - there was a real chance Catholicism could be brought back.
In June 1688, powerful protestants in England asked James daughter and son-in-law, William and Mary of Orange, to come to England as king and queen.
In November 1688 William landed at Torbay and began to move on London. James’ army began to desert.
On December 11th James lost his nerve and left London, boarding a boat for France, but failed and was returned to London through a misunderstanding. All the while, William was moving closer to London. He ordered that James should be allowed to escape.
On December 19th, James fled to France (exactly what William had hoped he would do).

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2
Q

How significant was the Glorious Revolution and the succession of William III and Mary II on England?

A

Point 1:
There was a power shift from the Monarch to Parliament, allowing greater democracy.
Bill of Rights 1689 - Laws should not be removed without the consent of Parliament. No taxes should be imposed without the authority of parliament. People should have the right to petition the monarch without fear of punishment. (Basically people were allowed to rebel) No standing army may be maintained during peacetime without the consent of Parliament. Bail and fines should not be too expensive. Cruel and unusual punishment should not be allowed. Parliaments should be held frequently.
Essentially, the glorious revolution marked the end of absolute rule by Kings and Queens - therefore could be seen as glorious.
Also, secured Protestant rule - no loose ends of Catholic rulers - this could be seen as glorious.

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3
Q

What were some of the causes of the war in Ireland 1689-1691?

A

In 1169, Henry II invaded Ireland and started an English colony around Dublin - called The Pale. This really started the tensions between England and Ireland, as people beyond the Pale were stereotyped as wild, uneducated and savage.
Ireland had also remained Catholic when England turned Protestant in the mid 16th century.
Irish parliament was protestant-dominated, despite being a mainly catholic country. Only wealthy protestant had a role, not the poor catholics.

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4
Q

Who supported who in the Jacobite/Williamite war?

A

People who supported James: French, Scottish, Irish Catholic
People who supported William: English, Irish protestant, Dutch and the Pope.

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5
Q

Outline the events of the Jacobite/Williamite War in 1689-1691

A

1689, March - James arrives in Ireland with 6,000 French troops. He passed a law in Dublin, giving confiscated land back to former Catholic owners.
1689, April - jacobite forces swept the North, taking land from Protestant plantation owners, and surrounded protestants in Derry. William sent warships and troops.
1689, 28th July - William’s ships broke the siege and freed the inhabitants.
1689, winter - 1/3 William’s army killed from disease.
1690, July 1st - The Battle of the Boyne. James left Ireland and many soldiers deserted. William entered Dublin in triumph.
1691, 12 July - Battle of Aughrim. Seven thousand men were killed on both sides. William won.
3rd October, 1691 - Treaty of Limerick marked the end of the war.

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6
Q

What were the consequences of the Jacobite/Williamite war?

A

Treaty of Limerick 03/10/1691: Irish men that fought for James had 3 choices:
1. Join William’s army
2. return home
3. continue following James in the French Army
14000 soldiers chose to leave for France in what became known as “the flight of the Wild Geese”
catholic guerrilla fighters had inflicted damage, so by sending most committed fighters to France, they removed the risk of continued fight
Jacobite landowners were told they could keep their land if they swore their allegiance to William and Mary (like the penal laws, starting in 1695)
Irish Catholics had lost their army, land and political power - afterwards they were totally excluded from government for nearly 200 yrs.
Ireland was now a British colony.

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7
Q

How did British control affect Ireland?

A
  1. The Penal Laws
    This affected Ireland politically, socially, religiously and economically. Essentially, the penal laws were designed to suppress Irish Catholics by treating them like a 2nd class citizen and tried to take any land ownership from them.
    - Catholics could not hold seats in the Irish Parliament (1692), hold public office, vote (1727) or practice law.
    - Cases against Catholics were tried without juries, and bounties were given to informers against them.
    - The hierarchy of the Catholic Church was banished/suppressed.
    - A catholic could not inherit property if there was any protestant heir.
    - Catholic property was inherited equally among the sons unless one was a Protestant, in which case he received it all.
    - Persons of property could not enter into mixed marriages.
    - Catholics could neither teach their children nor send them abroad.
    - A Catholic could not possess arms or a horse worth more the £5.
    - Catholics could not hold leases for more than 31 years, and they could not make a profit greater than a third of their rent.
  2. Economically suppress the Irish
    - English Woollen Act 1699 - illegal for Irish to export woollen cloth beyond the British Isles.
    - The Declaratory Act 1720 - The Irish house of Lords no longer had the right to be a final court of appeal, and the British Parliament had the right to make laws for Ireland in all cases whatsoever.
    - 1722-1725 - The British Government gave the right to manufacture Irish halfpennies to an English entrepreneur, William Wood.
  3. Tensions between Ascendancy and England
    The ascendancy was the wealthy Protestant class that ruled Ireland under England. They belonged to Church of Ireland, an offshoot of Church of England.
    There was always tension between a division of faith (Protestant and Catholic) and a division of class (between Protestant Ascendancy and poor Catholics and protestants)
    England viewed the Ascendancy as beneath them, and Ireland was a colony that was used to benefit England.
    All Irish, even protestants were treated as 2nd class citizens.
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8
Q

How did the Glorious Revolution lead to tensions in Scotland?

A

There was conflict in Scotland because of the different Williamite and Jacobite supporters.

Support for Williamites:
- He was protestant, like most Scots, and James’ attempts to increase rights for Catholics had been unpopular in Scotland
- He was ruling with his wife Mary, who was James’ daughter and therefore also a Stuart from the Scottish Royal family

Support for Jacobites:
- he was a Stuart, from the ancient Scottish royal family
- he was still legally King according to Scottish law
- Scotland had not been consulted about the invitation to become King from members of Parliament to William of Orange
- Many highlanders supported James due to their fear and hatred of the Lowlanders.

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9
Q

Why did the ‘Glorious Revolution’ lead to murder in the Scottish mountains?

A
  1. 1689 - Claim of Right:
    Scottish parliament backed William in a Claim of Right, that blamed James for the troubles and said that no Catholic could ever be King.
  2. Battle of Killiecrankie & Dunkeld
    Jacobites rose up in anger and government troops fought them at this battle. Jacobites won the battle but lost their leader and 1/3 of their army.
    One month later, rebellion collapsed at the Battle of Dunkeld
  3. 1691 - William announces that the clans who had supported James would be pardoned if they came to swear allegiance to him at Fort William before 1st January 1692.
  4. The Chief of Glencoe Alasdair MacLain arrived just in time of 31st December at Fort William, but was told he had to make journey of more than 100km to Inveraray. He arrive there a day late and took the oath on 2nd Jan, but was promised that his people, the McDonalds, would be safe.
  5. The King wanted to make an example of one of the Highland clans and Maclain’s delayed signature to the oath gave them their excuse.
  6. The Massacre of Glencoe
    Under Scottish law the Massacre of Glencoe was “murder by trust” which meant that the killers had accepted their victims’ hospitality before committing the crime. The Scottish parliament condemned the action and the London government tried to cover up who was responsible. William was forced to order an enquiry, but no one was ever punished.
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10
Q

What were the consequences of the Massacre of Glencoe?

A

Created a climate of fear and anger in the Highlands
Deepened the division between Highlanders and both English and Scottish governments
For many, it strengthened their attachment to the Jacobite cause while making it clear that the monarchy in London and its parliamentary backers were ready to used ruthless means to assert control.

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11
Q

Why was the Scottish economy poor?

A

In 1690s, there were poor harvests that led to famine in Scotland, with 1/3 of the population dying.
Political:
The Scottish parliament was independent but its ministers were appointed by the English in London, who did not care.
Scotland was neglected by the Kings in England and were dragged into wars they didn’t want to.
Trade:
The EIC and RAC had monopoly over trade, which meant that Scotland didn’t have access to trade.
The Navigation act prevented Scottish ships from being involved in trade.
English enemies didn’t want to trade with Scotland due to foreign wars - SPAIN.

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12
Q

What was the Darien Scheme? How would it help the Scottish economy?

A

The Edinburgh government were desperate to find ways to improve the Scottish economy.
In 1695, William Patterson had an idea - he helped set up the Bank of Scotland and proposed the idea of going to this strip of land in Panama called the Isthmus of Darien.
A lot of investment was put into the Darien Scheme - they sailed off to Darien with 25% of Scotland’s wealth, and there was no backup.
Potential advantages were that Scotland would be able to control trade between North and South America, and the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean - making trades much quicker, giving a lot of money.

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13
Q

Why did the Darien Scheme fail?

A

Mistakes by settlers:
they had poor equipment, bad farming skills (that didn’t suit the land), they had opposition from the Spanish who viewed Panama as their own, and they had failed negotiations with the local Tule people.

Conditions:
It was hot, humid and swampy marshland. Disease spread quickly, there was a lot of malnutrition, difficult terrain and lots of rain.

Opposition from English:
The English and EIC did not help the Scottish at all, and there was a withdrawal of support from English Directors. King William also forbid any ships from trading with the settlers.

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14
Q

What were the reasons for and against the Act of Union in 1707?

A

For:
English Alien Act 1705 - England threatened to ban exports to England if the Scots didn’t accept Hanoverian rule.
The English bribed Scottish politicians with high positions in London if they agreed to the union.
Guaranteed protection from enemies.
Guaranteed protestant rule.
Freer trade and improved economy - something Scotland desperately needed after Darien Scheme failure

Against:
Most Scots were against the Act of Union because:
there was a loss of Scottish identity and independence
They would be ruled by foreigners (who didn’t really care about them)
Increased taxation

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15
Q

What was the impact of the Act of Union 1707?

A

Military impacts:
Positive - 1708 Cruiser and Convoy Act meant that Scottish people had protection by Royal Navy from any threats, Jacobites, French or Spanish etc.; from 1725 onwards, a military road network was built throughout the Highlands in case of any trouble - they were so well built that they are still in use today.
Negatives - ruthless troops were imposed in Scotland by the military, especially for the Highlanders in case there was any trouble. There were severe punishments for the highlanders after the Jacobite rebellion in 1715.

Political impacts:
Positives - There were new career opportunities for Scottish politicians and other wealthy people. The Scottish also got involved in all parts of the British empire.
Negative - Scottish politicians were often implicated in cases of bribery and corruption. As there was no Scottish parliament, the government was even more distant from Scotland, and people didn’t like it, especially the Highlanders who felt like they were under colonial rule.

Economic impacts:
Positives - Scottish people could now make full advantage of the freer trade and British expansion - many merchants benefitted from this. Freer trade also meant that Glasgow became a very important port, and especially benefitted from the imports of tobacco from North America. Those who lost money in the Darien Scheme got it back with added interest, and many invested this in the Bank of Scotland.
Negatives - economic prosperity was not immediate and many industries still struggled. In 1710, tax was heavily increased, and many people suffered. A lot of Scotland’s wealth was moved to London, because ultimately Scottish industry could not keep up with England’s. Because of the high taxes, smuggling was very common.

Social impacts:
Positives - there was a greater quality of living for many Lowlanders.
Negatives - However, the union was very bad for the highlanders, and eventually led to the destruction of their way of life. There were regular protests against the union, including riots, but the rebels were always punished harshly.

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16
Q

Explain how English expansion between 1688 and 1730 affected Scotland and Ireland.

A

Political:
Act of Union in 1707 meant that Scotland and England were governed by one parliament, in London - some Scottish people felt that the distance from Scotland was even greater, and the England had greater control over Scotland.
Scottish politicians held higher power, and quality of life for Lowlanders improved.
The Ascendancy were infuriated that England treated Ireland like a colony, and any Irish person, even the protestants were treated like 2nd class citizens.
After the Jacobite/Williamite War in 1689-91, the penal laws were introduced which essentially discriminated against Irish Catholics as much as possible.
The Irish parliament was mainly protestant, appointed by parliament in London, and Ireland was ruled by the Ascendancy (wealthy protestants) despite the number of Catholics living there.

Economical:
Act of Union in 1707 meant freer trade for the Scottish, as they could now exploit the success of the British empire as much as possible, and Glasgow became a leading trading port, especially for exports of tobacco coming from the Americas.
However, Act of Union also meant heavily increased taxes for the Scots.
English Woollen Act 1699 made it illegal for Irish to export wool - leaving many economically destitute.

Social:
The penal laws suppressed the very life of Irish Catholics, as they were not allowed to teach their kids about Catholicism, and if there was any protestant in the family, they would receive all the inheritance.
The failed Jacobite rebellions in 1715 and 1745 essentially destroyed the Highlanders’ way of life.
Quality of life for lowlanders improved greatly.

17
Q

Why did people emigrate to the Americas 1688-1730?

A

They were forced to (push factors)
The Transportation Act in 1718 meant that convicted criminals were shipped off to the Americas to work on plantations. Plus, any political group that England wanted to remove, they would ship them off to the Americas.
Some people were banished as well, for example some Scottish rebels were banished to the Americas after the Jacobite rebellion in 1715.

Wanted a better quality of life (pull factors):
Many people sought a better life in the Americas, and skilled workers believed they had something to offer, so they agreed to work for 7-8 years as indentured workers in the Americas (to pay off their journey), in hopes that after those years they would be freed and have a better quality of life. Although conditions were very harsh and the people were treated very poorly, the few that did survive were able to become relatively successful in building a life such as craftsmen.

18
Q

What was the impact of the Transatlantic slave trade on British business?

A

Improved British economy massively and established Britain as a global superpower. As they were trading in slaves, they were able to make huge profits due to the enslavement. They also improved their economy by seizing African resources like gold, ivory, spices, and hardwood.

Also increased connections with America due to the imports and exports, and triangular trade was a very efficient way of making money, as boats are never empty, and enslaved people are not paid wages.

Social Darwinism ideas increased.

19
Q

To what extent was the accession f William III ‘glorious’ in terms of trade for British business?

A

The accession of William III was not necessarily ‘glorious’ per say, but it did massively affect British business, as power in the economy and trade moved from the monarchy to British merchants.
The RAC had a monopoly of business, and was created by the Stuarts and friends for personal gain. Because of their monopoly and direct link to the royals, the monarchy gained huge profits from the transatlantic slave trade.
There is still a legacy today - Elephant and castle is a place in London, and was the logo of the RAC. Between 1672 and 17615, RAC exported goods worth 1.5 million.
However, getting rid of the RAC monopoly in 1698 meant that there was freer trade for merchants, and the idea was that if more companies were allowed to trade, profits would boom. And well, the British economy did improve greatly.
An emerging middle class of merchants was also starting to form.

20
Q

To what extent was resistance to the slave trade significant for British business?

A

Resistance in Africa:
Some African rulers opposed human trafficking and fought against it - they attacked and destroyed European forts in Africa.
They were somewhat a challenge to the slave trade.

Uprisings on slave ships:
There were uprisings on some slave ships, with captives rising against the crew and escaping to safety. Although this meant less trade and profit, it didn’t happen enough to do any major damage.

Piracy:
Piracy became very common, very popular, and very successful until the 1722 act for the suppression of Piracy was established. This was the biggest challenge to British triangular trade. Between 1720 and 1722, pirates manage to seize 100 slave ships. The pirate ships were often multi-national and multi-racial. There was democracy and freedom on the ships, which is why it was so popular. They also made a lot of profit from the stolen goods. They were eventually stopped from the 1722 Act for the suppression of Piracy, which parliament passed under a lot of pressure for merchants, and the government cultivated such a strong image of bloodthirsty pirates that we still believe it to this day - but the piracy scheme was good while it lasted.

21
Q

How did the plantations empower Britain in the 17th and 18th century?

A

In the 1620s, some islands were uninhabited when English and Dutch scouted for land to clear for farming. They also seized a lot of land from the natives. In the 1640s there was a switch from tobacco to sugar cane, so bigger plantations were created. By the 1690s, trade in enslaved Africans was opening to private businesses and plantations were thriving.
Plantocracy: societies controlled and governed by and for the planters, supported by military force and the law. Term was used to describe the Caribbean and North American colonies.
Plantations were essential in triangular trade as there was a lot of exports of tobacco and sugar going to England.
Gained huge profits as enslaved people were not paid wages.

22
Q

Explain how the war of the Spanish succession in 1702 affected the development of the British economy between 1688 and 1730.

A

In 1700, Philip of Anjou became King of Spain, but he was also a member of the French Royal family. This was seen as a big security threat to Britain, as a union of crowns would mean a power shift because France could trade with Spain but Britain couldn’t, and Spain and France would have the majority of control over international trade, and become international superpowers.
So in 1702, Britain and its allies went to war with Spain and France.
As a result of the war, the Treaty of Utrecht was made in 1713, which marked the end of the war. Britain did quite well because of it, as not only were France and Spain forbidden to unite, and England got Gibraltar and Minorca in the Mediterranean, and some islands in the Americas, but they also got the asiento - a 30 year monopoly on the slave trade with Spanish colonies in South America.
So, not only did the war exhaust Britain’s main rivals The Netherlands and France, because of this, they were no longer able to compete with Britain commercially or via the military, thus allowing Britain to become a commercial superpower and expand its empire further.

23
Q

What were the advantages of enslaved African workers over European servants on plantations?

A

Advantages of African workers:
They worked better under the climate, so had a lower death rate.
They were more productive as their agricultural skills came from an area of similar climate.
They were more resourceful, if a great number of them were needed, they were if plentiful supply.
Their skin colour made it easier to identify if they ran away.
They were faster at acquiring skills, and were more productive as they could be lashed to death if they weren’t working hard enough.
As they were owned, they and their family were the planter’s permanent property.

Disadvantages of European servants:
They had a high death rate, didn’t work as well under the climate, and their skills had come from a completely different climate.
They were dangerous and unpredictable, especially the convicts.
Many escaped along with Africans.
They were temporary.
As wages rose in England, indentured servants became more expensive.

24
Q

Explain the role of slave ports in the development of the British economy 1688-1730

A

Liverpool:
By the end of 18th Century, Liverpool had become the world’s leading slave port, and was very important for shipping between Britain, West African and North America.
Blue Coat Hospital was initially founded as a charity in 1708, providing a school for poor children - many investors often invested money that was acquired through the slave trade

Bristol:
The Natural harbour was within easy reach of the Atlantic Ocean, so it was very important for sending ships to Africa, and exports of sugar from the Caribbean.

London:
Was the main slave port throughout most of this period.
Many of major institutions owe its money to the slave trade in London.
The RAC had monopoly over slave trade until 1698, so the royal family made huge profits, and put it into things like financing state apartments like Windsor Castle in the 1670s.

Other ports:
there were many other ports dotted around the UK that sent out slave ships. Lancaster (NW England) was a key slaving port.

25
Q

Explain the significance of the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 and the South Seas Company in the British economy.

A

The South Seas company was set up in 1711, and was given trading monopoly in 1713 after the Treaty of Utrecht. In January 1720/1719, To attract investors, the company began to spread false rumours about the huge profits that the Company was making in the Americas - this attracted a lot of investment and share price increased. In June, the Bubble Act was introduced which was designed to help the company from competition. It made them even more confident, and share prices increased again. However, in July investors started to realise that the company had no real value and shares were overpriced - so they quickly started selling off their shares and the price fell rapidly, leaving some investors financially ruined.

26
Q

Explain the EIC’s role in the expansion of the British Empire and economy of Britain.

A

1600-1688: Was a private company with no direct English government involvement, whose main aim was to trade with South and Southeast India.
1688-1700 The EIC lost its monopoly and due to disagreements with the Mughal emperor, a new company was set up to replace the EIC (but it was still basically the EIC)
1702-1730 The EIC expanded and traded loads with the world - Aurangzeb died in 1707 and caused huge disruption in the Mughal empire - the EIC took advantage of this, and so by the end of the 18th century, the EIC ruled India and controlled half of the world’s trade. The EIC grew poppies for opium in NE india and exported the addictive drug opium to China - caused a widespread drug addiction, but great for British economy.

27
Q

Explain how the Bank of England helped change the British economy.

A

The Bank of England was set up in 1694, because the government needed money for its wars and for the economy t grow so the Bank of England and credit system was set up.
The new arrangement meant the creation of a new National Debt owed by the government and therefore taxpayers, not by the monarch as before.
Capitalist economics - ordinary investors cold buy shares in joint stock companies - on credit. People could borrow money from banks and buy shares in a company they thought would d well and make a profit- thousands of middle class and upper class investors bought shares, developing the economy as businesses got profits and Bank of England made money by charging interest.
Overseas trade - there was a huge expansion of overseas trade - people could get loans from banks and invest in this trade, expanding Britain’s economy.
Maintaining military - the government borrowed money to re-build the military, and especially the British Navy - wars provided expansion of territory and the navy protected trade routes. Lenders lent money to fund wars.

28
Q

How did the Empire affect lives and consumer habits in Britain?

A

enlightenment ideas change British society. During the period 1685-1815 new ideas emerged - known as Age of Reason or the Enlightenment. They questioned traditional authority and that humanity could be improved through rational change. Ides over equality between the sexes, individual freedom, religious freedom etc.

Demographic changes and urbanisation - more people were moving to cities as jobs developed due to the increase in trade and industry. Literacy rates improved.

British politics:
two new political parties emerged: the Whigs (middle class, merchants) and the Tories (landed aristocracy). Only wealthy men could vote or stand as MPs in Parliament. Increasingly, much of the wealth came from plantations in the Americas or trade with India.

Scientific racism:
Carl Linnaeus developed the System Naturae in 1735 - justifying racism through science, stating that Europeans were at the top of the hierarchy, and Africans were at the bottom of the hierarchy. Plantocracy racism reinforced these ideas of “race”. Africans were portrayed as less than human, lower and less.

Changes to the economy: influence of plantation economy and the rise of trade
The traders, merchants and planters began to have much more of an important role in the British economy.
The money made in expanding global trade meant that many British investors and owners could build lavish homes and invest in businesses and industry in Britain.

29
Q

How did consumer habits impact Britain economically and politcally?

A
30
Q

How important were coffee houses in the development of racial hierarchy and also political activism?

A

Coffee houses were sometimes political - as some were frequented mainly by the Tories and some by the Whigs.
Many financial institutions began their lives in coffee houses, for things like Bank of England, London Stock Exchange.
Great scientists, Isaac Newton and Edmond Halley were regulars at the Grecian coffee house on the strand in central London.
New enlightenment ideas of freedom of though and ideas and human rights were discussed in some coffee houses. the rights of enslaved people and working class people were discussed in some coffee houses.