AP European History
AP European History
England’s history ran a much different course than that of France. England had experienced relative success with monarchy rather early in its history. The monarchy was solidified with the establishment of the Tudor dynasty in 1485. Henry VIII strengthened the position of the monarchy in England, and his daughter, Elizabeth I, went on to become the most successful of all the Tudor monarchs. However, the Tudor dynasty ended when Elizabeth died in 1603 and her cousin ascended to the throne of England. James VI of Scotland (1566-1625, King of Scotland 1567-1625, King of England 1603-1625), who became known as James I of England, began his reign on the wrong foot with Parliament. In his first meeting with Parliament, James, in an arrogant manner, informed them that he did not want to be challenged. Although James had the power to call and dismiss Parliament, Parliament had control over the revenues of the land. This antagonistic relationship between king and Parliament would later playa major role in the historical development of England.
James’ son, Charles I (1600-1649), also ran into problems with Parliament. Parliament refused to grant Charles a lifetime of customs duties and opted, instead, to grant him only one year’s worth. Charles found money elsewhere and wasted it on a failed military expedition to Spain. To pay for his mistake, Charles required the wealthy to cover his expenses. Several members of Parliament refused to pay, and they were jailed. In 1628, Parliament forced Charles to sign the Petition of Rights, which said that the king couldn’t force a loan without Parliament’s approval. The following year, Charles I dissolved Parliament. Charles began an eleven-year period during which he ruled without Parliament. To raise revenue, Charles collected ship money – money collected from coastal towns for their defense. Charles also collected ship money from landlocked towns.
A few years later, Charles found himself in a dangerous situation with Scotland. Charles tried to impose religious changes on the Scots, and riots ensued. The Scots vowed not to change their church. For the first time in more than ten years, Charles called Parliament in an attempt to raise funds to punish the Scots. The Parliament, called the Short Parliament, refused to give Charles the money he wanted. After a failed military campaign, Charles needed more money to pay the Scots to leave northern England. Charles contacted Parliament, called the long Parliament because it was in session for twenty years, in order to get more money. Parliament dismissed two of Charles’ ministers and abolished many of the king’s rights. They presented the king with a list of 204 grievances, known as the Grand Remonstrance. After a failed attempt to arrest some of the leaders of Parliament, Charles fled London to gather his troops. This began the English Civil War (1642-1649).
Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658) and his New Model Army, composed mostly of well-trained, well-disciplined Puritans, supported Parliament and captured Charles in 1646. A dispute arose among the troops, and Charles fled. Once again, Oliver Cromwell and his army captured Charles I. All of the Presbyterians were removed from Parliament, leaving what was known as the Rump Parliament. The Rump Parliament condemned the king to death, and Charles lost his head in 1649. The Civil War was over, and the monarchy had been toppled. Cromwell replaced the monarchy with a republic, called the Commonwealth. Designated Lord Protector, Cromwell ruled the Commonwealth as a military dictator until his death.
Charles II (1630-1685, king 1660-1685) returned from exile to take the throne in England. During his reign, Parliament restored the Church of England as the official church. Charles signed a secret treaty in which he had agreed to make England Catholic. Parliament became suspicious of Charles and passed the Test Act in 1673, which said only Anglicans could hold public office. Later, Parliament tried to pass legislation that would keep Charles’ brother, James II, from ascending to the throne because he was Catholic. However, Charles dismissed Parliament. Charles died a few years later, and James II (1633-1701, king 1685-1688) took the throne. When James and his wife had a son in 1688, England faced the possibility of a Catholic dynasty being established. William of Orange (1650-1702, king 1689-1702) and his wife Mary invaded England, and James fled with his family. With virtually no bloodshed, the old monarch was overthrown and a new monarchy was established. This was called the Glorious Revolution. Parliament offered the throne to William and Mary under the condition that they would accept the Declaration of Rights, which later became the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights laid the foundation for the constitutional monarchy in England. Also, with the ascension of William and Mary to the throne, the idea of the divine right of kings had been destroyed in England.
James VI of Scotland/James I of England (1566-1625, King of Scotland 1567-1625, King of England 1603-1625) – Born in Edinburgh Castle in Scotland, James was the only son of Mary, Queen of Scots. Mary abdicated the throne in 1567, and James became king, although regents ruled for him until 1576. He was kidnapped in 1582, but he escaped the following year. In 1586, James signed the Treaty of Berwick and formed an alliance with Queen Elizabeth I of England, his cousin. In 1587, Mary. Queen of Scots, was executed, and James reduced the power of the Catholic nobility. Later, James suppressed the Protestants, too. He claimed the divine right of kings and established a strong central monarchy. In 1603, James became the first Stuart king of England when Elizabeth 1 died without children. The following year, he ended England's war with Spain but began his long struggle with Parliament. James is famous for authorizing an English translation of the Bible. During his reign, he treated the Catholics very harshly. In 1605, as a result of his harsh treatment of Catholics, a group of Catholics entered into the Gunpowder Plot. These conspirators, along with Guy Fawkes, placed thirty-six barrels of gunpowder beneath Parliament in an attempt to kill Parliament and the king. Guy Fawkes was arrested and tortured until he admit ted his guilt and revealed the names of the conspirators. The conspirators who were not killed while being arrested were hanged later with Fawkes. James considered himself a peacemaker, and in an attempt to promote religious peace in Europe, James gave his daughter in marriage to Frederick V, the Protestant German Leader. James also attempted to marry his son Charles to the daughter of the king of Spain, a Catholic. His subjects interpreted this move as pro-Catholic and anti-Anglican. These actions, along with his hesitation to support Protestant troops in the Thirty Years War, led many to question his loyalty to the Anglican Church.
Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658) – Originally from Wales, Oliver Cromwell was educated by a Puritan who wished to purify the Church of England of its remaining Catholic elements. As a member of Parliament in 1628 and 1629, Cromwell criticized the toleration of Catholic practices in the Church of England. Cromwell returned to Parliament in the crucial year 1640. After the outbreak of civil war, Cromwell used religious zeal to motivate troops to fight on the side of Parliament. After demonstrating his outstanding abilities in battle, Cromwell earned the nickname Ironsides. He opposed the king at every opportunity. Cromwell approved the removal of Presbyterians from Parliament and approved the execution of Charles I. He dismissed the Rump Parliament and became Lord Protector of the new Commonwealth; he later refused to be king. By acting as a military dictator in England, Cromwell managed to provide peace, stability, and religious toleration in England. Many people throughout history have vilified Cromwell, but his military and administrative skill is generally recognized as the best of his time.