THE 1688 REVOLUTION

I.

Answer the following questions briefly and using your own words insofar as possible.

1. What were the social, political and religious causes of the 1688 Revolution (Glorious Revolution)?

2. What was the importance of the December 1688 Bill of Rights?

3. Did people at the time accept William the Orange, who did not have royal blood, as King?

4. What was the new role of the Parliament after the Bill of Rights Declaration?

5. Who succeeded Queen Anne when she died? Why?

1-To begin with, The Glorious Revolution was a bloodless event. The revolution settlement established the supremacy of parliament over the crown, setting Britain on the path towards constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. Related with political, the Glorious Revolutions allowed Parliament gain powers over taxation, over the royal succession, over appointments and over the right of the crown to wage war independently, concessions that William thought were a price worth paying in return for parliaments financial support for his war against France. In Ireland and Scotland, the revolution was militarily contested and its settlements extremely politically and religiously divisive. Socially, the revolution also fostered the growth of slavery by ending the Royal African Companys monopoly on the trade in 1698. For the non-white inhabitants of the British Atlantic Empire, the Glorious Revolution represented not the broadening of freedom but the expansion of servitude. In relation with religious aspect and to understand why James IIs most powerful subjects eventually rose up in revolt against him we need to understand the deep-seated fear of 'popery' in Stuart England. 'Popery' meant more than just a fear or hatred of Catholics and the Catholic Church. It reflected a widely-held belief in an elaborate conspiracy theory, that Catholics were actively plotting the overthrow of church and state. In their place would be established a Catholic tyranny, with England becoming merely a satellite state, under the control of an all-powerful Catholic monarch, (in the era of the Glorious Revolution, identified with Louis XIV of France). This conspiracy theory was given credibility by the existence of some genuine catholic subterfuge; most notably the Gunpowder Plot of 1605.The king and his family had to belong to the Anglican religion. New political arrangements were made with Scotland. 2- The 1689 Bill of Rights does not constitute what is generally understood as a modern bill of rights, if by that term one means a document which defines and guarantees the basic human rights of individual citizens. The most important points were: A declaration by the Commons and the Lords commencing with a list of the misdeeds of James II 13 articles defining the limitations of the Crown and confirming the rights of Parliament and the individual

 A lengthy passage confirming the accession of William and Mary to the Throne and providing for the succession on their decease A short section on non-obstante dispensations 3)-Yes, they did. Although William the Orange did not have royal blood, people needed changes in the Monarchy because James was out of control. He was denounced for abusing his power. The abuses charged to James included the suspension of the Test Acts, the prosecution of the Seven Bishops for merely petitioning the crown, the establishment of a standing army, and the imposition of cruel punishments. The Bill also declared that henceforth, no Roman Catholic was permitted to ascend to the English throne, nor could any English monarch marry a Roman Catholic. For that reason, people wanted William The Orange, because he was protestant also The Commons made William accept a Bill of Rights. This was a high step in Human rights in order to have a better life. 4)- After the Bill of Rights Declaration, the parliament controlled the power of kings and queens. It was an era for a more tolerant royal prerogative. The king couldn`t suspend any law without consent of parliament. Also the money could be managed by the parliament. Related directly with parliament, it was established in law the freedom of election of members, moreover the freedom of speech and debates in the parliament. 5) - Mary died in 1694 and on Williams death in 1702 Anne succeeded to the throne as Queen Anne. She was shy and stubborn and very different from her outgoing sister Mary. Towards the end of her life, Anne suffered from gout and she could hardly walk. On her death in 1714 her body had swollen so large that she was buried in an almost square coffin. On the question of succession, Anne's family loyalty had convinced her that this should fall to her father's son by his second wife (Mary of Modena), James Edward Stuart, known as the Old Pretender. However, the Act of Settlement in 1701 ensured Protestant succession to the throne, and Anne was succeeded by George I, greatgrandson of James I.