James I Foreign Policy and Relation with Parliament

Question 1

Why did James not want to get involved in war

Answer 1

After 1604 he couldn’t afford to go to war - wanted to act as a peacemaker in Europe as he could then appear to both Catholics and Protestants

Question 2

How did he try to improve foreign relations

Answer 2

Married his daughter off to a German Protestant Prince and Sought a Spanish Catholic wife for his son Charles

Question 3

The Thirty years war

Answer 3

• Began in 1618 as a German prince, the elector of Palatine was invited to take the throne of protestant Bohemia
• Escalated after the elect was driven out of Bohemia by Ferdinand who then tried to seize land in palatine

Question 4

How was the Thirty years war viewed in England

Answer 4

seen as a struggle against catholic tyranny

Question 5

When did the 30yrs war end

Answer 5

1618-1648

Question 6

How did parliament anger the king

Answer 6

• 1621 James summoned a parliament to ask for funds to finance his intervention in Europe
• MPs were protestant and instead petitioned for the king to go to war against the Habsburgs
• James believed a debate over war overstepped parliamentary privilege - dissolved the parliament

Question 7

The Commons Protestation

Answer 7

asserted the rights of the parliament - ‘are the ancient and undoubted birth right and inheritance of the subjects of England

Question 8

Legacy of the 1621 parliament

Answer 8

• Commons are able to bring government office holders to account using impeachment
• Quarrels over privileges cause fear - also fear over James improving relations with Catholic Spain

Question 9

Charles’s attempted Spanish marriage

Answer 9

• Charles and Buckingham went to Spain to try and secure the marriage
  The Spanish stalled the marriage
• James summoned parliament to request money to finance a war with Spain but this was declined by the parliament
• Charles and Buckingham agreed to the naval battle favoured by the MPs - was a disaster and angered parliament when they reassembled in 1625

Question 10

First Parliament - 1st session - Main issues discussed

Answer 10

• 19th March - 7th July 1604
• Buckinghamshire election - Goodwin elected MP for Buckinghamshire - late allowed to sit as an MP which angered James
• Shirley’s case - arrested for debt - upset MPs to the point that parliament sent the governor of fleet debtors prison to the tower of London

Question 11

First Parliament - 1st session - Good relations between James and Parliament

Answer 11

Commons produced a statement of their position which was ‘the form of apology and satisfaction,’ however this was not presented to the king

Question 12

First Parliament - 1st session - Poor relations between James and Parliament

Answer 12

• Commons disliked the Scots and therefore delayed all of James’s requests
• refused to change the country’s name to Great Britain however James still took the title of ‘King of Great Britain’
• Commons worried about James being absolute

Question 13

First Parliament - 2nd session - Main issues discussed

Answer 13

• Jan - May 1606
• Gunpowder plot which was the reason the session had been postponed

Question 14

First Parliament - 2nd session - Good relations between James and Parliament

Answer 14

• James given £400,000 after the gunpowder plot which was the largest peacetime supply ever grated

Question 15

First Parliament - 2nd session - Poor relations between James and Parliament

Answer 15

• MPs were irritated as James refused to allow the commons to introduce Ecclesiastical reforms (reforms in the church)
• Also dispute over Wardship and Purveyance - led to form of apology and satisfaction

Question 16

First Parliament - 3rd session - Main issues discussed

Answer 16

• 18th Nov 1606 - 4th July 1607
• Union of England and Scotland

Question 17

First Parliament - 3rd session - Poor relations between James and Parliament

Answer 17

• Worries the unification would lead to the abolition of English laws - James would set new laws which would ‘give him more scope to exercise absolute monarchy’

Question 18

First Parliament - 4th Session - Main issues discussed

Answer 18

• 9th Feb - 23rd July 1610
• The great contract

Question 19

First Parliament - 3rd session - Poor relations between James and Parliament

Answer 19

• James believed he was only accountable to by god
• lack of information meant MPs were ready to suspect the crown of sinister intentions

Question 20

The end of the first parliament

Answer 20

• unhelpful that the commons wrote in their apology of 1604 that their privileges had been ‘more universally and dangerously impugned than ever before’
• Similarly it was bad for James to make a 2 hour speech claiming ‘Kings are justly called gods’

Question 21

The Second Addled Parliament - Main issues discussed

Answer 21

• 1614
• Impositions
• Factional conflict’s
• Managing parliament

Question 22

The Second Addled Parliament - Poor relations between James and Parliament

Answer 22

• New political groups forming such as the Howard faction - caused political dysfunction
• Financial issues from 1606 remained a key source of tension

Question 23

The Parliament of 1621 - Main issues raised

Answer 23

• 30th Jan - 4th June 1621
• Subsidies granted
• Monopolies
• Impeachment
• Foreign policy

Question 24

The Parliament of 1621 - Good relations between James and Parliament

Answer 24

• James and the Commons agreed monopolies were harmful

Question 25

The Parliament of 1621 - Poor relations between James and Parliament

Answer 25

- Bill restricting monopolies failed as the Lords rejected it

Question 26

Critique of James I relations with parliament

Answer 26

- Elizabeth seen as perfect monarch - James allowed opposition to develop in the commons as the crown failed to control the 'house' - Commons developed a committee system to avoid control by the speaker which helped them gain power

Question 27

How successful was James I as king of England - Personality, court and favourites

Answer 27

Pros: - Great propogandist with coins depicting the union of England and Scotland - 'I will make them one people' written on the coins Cons - Known to have many favourites whom he gave thousands in pensions etc to angered parliament

Question 28

How successful was James I as king of England - Finance

Answer 28

Pros - Cranfield more than halved the kings spending Cons - His extravagances made the court dislike him greatly and attempt to pass a law which would limit the amount of subsidies he would receive

Question 29

How successful was James I as king of England - Religion

Answer 29

Pros - Front of bible states James was king of Great Britain - England is largest protestant power in Europe Cons - Gunpowder plot led to the reintroduction of persecution of Catholics

Question 30

How successful was James I as king of England - Foreign policy

Answer 30

Pros - Union flag first raised in 1606

Question 31

How successful was James I as king of England - Relations with parliament

Answer 31

Pros - The first opening of parliament in 1604 was fairly successful Cons - allowed opposition to develop in the commons