Stuart Britain Points Test 7 - The Latter Stuart Reign, 1674-1688

Question 1

What particular event were Catholics blamed for in 1666?

Answer 1

Great fire of London.

Question 2

What was paradoxical about the growth of anti-papist sentiment towards the end of the 17th century?

Answer 2

There were less Catholics in England-closest estimate 1% of the population, based on ecclesiastical census.

Question 3

Papal reluctance about the marriage of Mary of Modena to which individual revealed the incompetency of catholic policy with regards to England, and undermined the notion that there was sophisticated plotting of Catholics in England?

Answer 3

James II.

Question 4

What did many Catholics refuse to take in 1606 that made them deeply suspicious in the eyes of the Protestant population?

Answer 4

Oath of Allegiance to James I.

Question 5

Who pressured Charles II to give more toleration and favour to Catholics?

Answer 5

His mother, Henrietta Maria.

Question 6

Which members of Charles II’s court catholic, which worried many protestants? Give 4 names!

Answer 6

Earl of Bristol
Lord Arundell of Wardour
Clifford
Arlington

Question 7

The threat of Catholicism increased with the rise of Louis XIV and France in Europe-the revocation of what led to the fleeing of many Huguenot to England, exaggerating anti-Catholic hysteria?

Answer 7

Edit of Nantes.

Question 8

The joining of Shaftesbury and Buckingham in opposition was caused by what event?

Answer 8

James II announcing his conversion to Catholicism.

Question 9

What disastrous Financial policy did Danby seek to alleviate?

Answer 9

The Stop of the Exchequer.

Question 10

What policies did Danby seek to pursue, partly as he believed in them and partly to restore good relations between crown and parliament? Give three points.

Answer 10

Unqualified support for COE, persecution of protestant/catholic dissenters and hostility to France.

Question 11

Why was Danby arguably given an impossible task in attempting to restore Stuart Fortunes?

Answer 11

Heir now a catholic, Charles pursued a Catholic alliance (and after Treaty of Dover, had to, given Louis XIV could reveal the ‘catholic clause’ at any time).

Question 12

What role did Danby take in 1673?

Answer 12

Lord Treasurer.

Question 13

What important source of government revenue began to develop with England’s greater commercial activity from the late 17th century onwards?

Answer 13

Customs revenue (from commerce).

Question 14

Why was Danby’s ability to increase royal revenue unable to strengthen crown finances?

Answer 14

Because as revenue went up, so too did expenditure/Charles broke all promises of financial restraint and good behaviour.

Question 15

What did Danby become much more adept at, that Clarendon and Clifford had failed at, in terms of managing the relationships between king and parliament?

Answer 15

Co-ordination of government policy in commons/lords.

Question 16

Why was Danby’s attempts to create a court ‘party’ limited?

Answer 16

Not nearly enough resources, bribes not always effective in 17th century, and in fact Danby’s attempts to create more organisation were resented fiercely-helped opponents portray him as conspiratorial.

Question 17

What, according to Coward, was Danby’s greatest political strength?

Answer 17

Knew and agreed with mood of mass of country MPS.

Question 18

In secret treaties with France, August 1675 and February 1676, what did Louis promise Charles II?

Answer 18

Subsidy of £112,000.

Question 19

As the French took Flanders in 1677, what did most MPs want that Charles did not make, making Danby’s position difficult?

Answer 19

An alliance with the Dutch.

Question 20

In the 1678 parliament, what great fear was there amongst many MPs concerning the continuance of a 30,000 strong army and current royal policy, flames fanned by Marvell’s ‘An account of the growth of popery and arbitrary government’?

Answer 20

The imposition of a catholic, absolutist monarchy.

Question 21

Who were the two individuals most responsible for the creation/promotion of the Popish Plot?

Answer 21

Titus Oates and Israel Tongue.

Question 22

As well as plans to shoot the king while walking, who had supposedly been assigned to poison him in the Popish Plot?

Answer 22

Sir George Walkeman, the Queen’s physician.

Question 23

Why was criticism of the Popish Plot so dangerous?

Answer 23

To criticise it was to cast suspicion on yourself.

Question 24

Why was Oates such a convincing witness during the Popish Plot? Give two points.

Answer 24

Appeared to remember ‘facts’ well and consistently, performed well to commons under examination, in front of privy council.

Question 25

What papers, written by a former secretary to James of York, appeared to substantiate the plot?

Answer 25

The Coleman papers.

Question 26

Who was murdered on 12th October 1678, which fuelled the fire of the plot?

Answer 26

Sir Edmund Berry Godfrey.

Question 27

How many people were executed overall due to the plot?

Answer 27

35.

Question 28

Who did William Bedloe, another supposed conspirator, attempt to implicate in the Popish Plot, putting her in danger of her life?

Answer 28

Charles’ wife the Queen Catherine of Braganza.

Question 29

By what margin did Charles II manage to get James excluded from the Test Act?

Answer 29

2 (158-156)

Question 30

How did Ralph Montagu’s revelations bring Danby down?

Answer 30

Revealed letters concerned with secret subsidies given to Charles by Louis-dramatically produced letters in commons-attempt to impeach Danby 2 days later.

Question 31

Where was Danby put, despite the failure of a bill of attainder against him?

Answer 31

Tower (for 5 years).

Question 32

What crisis, fed by the Popish Plot, began in earnest in May 1679?

Answer 32

Exclusion Crisis.

Question 33

Why does Coward argue the Exclusion ‘Crisis’ was not nearly as grim for the Stuarts as in 1641?

Answer 33

King stronger, opposition weaker.

Question 34

What group did Shaftesbury lead, with increasing organisation and sophistication?

Answer 34

The Whigs

Question 35

Give four examples of how the Whigs effectively rallied popular support for their push for exclusion.

Answer 35

Petitions (e.g. 90,000 signatures in 2 petitions given to Charles II in Jan 1680).
Political clubs/coffeehouses used to mobilise support/ensure unity on messages, e.g. actions of MPs in parliament.
Use of press to disseminate literature.
Monster Rallies.

Question 36

However, what weaknesses did supporters of exclusion have in terms of their position? Give three points.

Answer 36

No one alternative for replacing James-Monmouth? Mary?
Many MPs wanted limitations on catholic monarch, but thought exclusion too extreme.
Tory supporters played on fears exclusion could lead to civil war and undermine the structure of political society/introduce anarchy and republic.

Question 37

Give four examples of how Charles’ own actions helped him triumph in the exclusion crisis.

Answer 37

Prorogued parliament at strategically important points, depriving Whigs of Oxygen.
Remained firm on brother’s rights, but made well-timed concessions.
Promoted rivals to privy council-e.g. Shaftesbury himself, won over moderate Halifax.
November 1680, defeated 2nd exclusion bill-was there himself to face it down.

Question 38

Why did Ireland, Scotland and London not undermine Charles II’s position in 1680s?
Scotland/Ireland under control (James in crushing Scottish rebels).

Answer 38

London trained bands stayed loyal to king, Shaftesbury never controlled city/judiciary behind the king.

Question 39

What did new treasury commissioners, including the Earl of Rochester, finally convince Charles to do, which likewise decreased parliament’s power over Charles?

Answer 39

Curb expenditure.

Question 40

Who was imprisoned in July 1681, only narrowly escaped execution, and died in the Netherlands in exile?

Answer 40

Shaftesbury.

Question 41

What fabricated Whig Plot lead to the death of other leading Whigs and crushed the movement?

Answer 41

Rye House Plot.

Question 42

From June 1683, what did the king now control that gave him huge power over local government and towns, with huge support from country gentry?

Answer 42

Decided on charters for towns, and his approval required for all office-holders such as lord mayors, sheriffs and all others.

Question 43

What was the annual revenue of crown by 1685?

Answer 43

£1.37 million and rising.

Question 44

What increased in terms of religious policy, which reassured the Anglican majority and won the monarchy support?

Answer 44

Persecution of dissenters.

Question 45

What events in 1684 illustrated the strength of Charles II’s position? Give three points.

Answer 45

No parliament despite triennial act, Danby released from tower, James back on privy council.

Question 46

In what battle of 5th July 1685 was Monmouth defeated by the crown’s forces, leading to his execution?

Answer 46

Sedgemoor.

Question 47

What did James seek to repeal in his first parliament?

Answer 47

Test and Corporations Acts.

Question 48

Who in the army made many protestants severely concerned about James’ behaviour?

Answer 48

Presence of Catholic officers.

Question 49

When was the Godden vs Hales case, which allowed James to dispense individuals from the Test Acts?

Answer 49

June 1686.