Stuart Britain section 3 chapter 17

Charles II (1660-1685)

was pragmatic in resolving problems but failed initiate reforms needed and only found short-term solutions

what was the declaration of Breda

with monks promoting
Charles II appealed to those who wanted stability
it outlined that if he was restored Charles would:
- rule as a traditional monarch through Parliament,
- would give the army its pay in arrears,
-would pardon all subjects except a few individuals,
-would give religious freedoms

when was the declaration of Breda

4 April 1660

what did the restoration do

return Charles II (stuart) to the throne

what did free elections produce

the convention parliament that assembled on 25 April 1660

when did the convention parliament assemble

25 April 12660

when did the convention p declare Charles stuart as King Charles II

8 MAY 1660

who was convention made up of

half was parliamentarians different political and religious views - mostly moderate and presbyterians -aimed to restrict kings power
-royalists

what was the convention meant to restore

to restore order and constitutional monarchy

issues convention had to address

indemnity
finance
religion
land settlement
disbanding army
constitution militia

indemnity issues did the convention have to address

- Indemnity -
-Charles promised in declaration of Breda pardon for those who sided with parliament during civil war
-parliament helped decide who would be executed
-in indemnity debates, royalist called for vengeance
-in the end 30 executed
-indemnity act passed 29th august 1660 - pragmatic necessity for Charles as needed : army to disband, money from city London, support from political elite
-persecution of anyone seen as threat to reimposition of monarchy

when was indemnity act passed and why

29th august 1660 - pragmatic necessity for Charles as needed : army to disband, money from city London, support from political elite

finance issues the convention had to address

Finance -
-Charles II was granted tonnage and poundage for life
-customs granted to king
-Charles II granted £1.2 million a year for gov costs in peacetime - this would come from customs and excise. Appeared generous but in practise only around £400,000 could be raised. In 1662 a hearth tax was introduced to bridge tax - this proved insufficient - Charles finance went under pressure because of dutch wars
-limit crown finances
-became dependant on parliament funds - had to call every year between 1660-1681

religious issues convention had to address

Religion -
-question in p- what kind of church should be restored
-tolerance
-700 out of 900 ministers were removed as church of England restored but not to encompass nonconformists, moderate presbyterians, radical quakers

militia issues that had to be addressed by convention

Militia -
-convention parliament didn't pass any militia bills in 1660
-didn't challenge Charles control of the militia
-20th nov dissolution on parliament announced by Charles - in annoyance at their lack of legislation and religious settlement
-retrained prerogative right of control of armed forces

land settlement issues the convention had to address

-lands of bishops,catjolics and crown were sold off in 1649 rev
Charles didn't want to upset people so left it to parliament to look into changes of land purchases

When was the Cavalier Parliament?

1661-79

when was cavalier p elected and why

-elected in may 1661
-a royalist backlash to how country was governed saw a cavalier parliament

what were cavalier country squire concerned with

no desire to be in gov
MP's at the time were concerned with local issues
MP's wanted a return to normal practices - where they stood as MP's to protect local interests
didn't want king to be absolute - example religious settlement

Paul seawood spoke against conservatism

- it prevented them from building p's civil war achievements and suspicious attempts to strengthen the monarchy

what did the The act for the safety and preservation of his majesty's person and gov do

cancelled all ordinances( acts of parliament) that hadn't received the royal assent

what did the The act for the safety and preservation of his majesty's person and gov mean

Meant some legislations sought to limit crowns power Charles agreed to :
-abolition of star chamber
-abolition of high commission
-abolition of ship money
-the triennial act
-exclusion of bishops from lords (reapealed)

remodelled triennial act

1664

what did the removed triennial act do

removed the requirement to call parliament every 3 years

how did cavalier parliament strengthen Charles II position ?

-Censorship formalised by 1662 licensing act

-petitioning - an act was passed to prevent petitioning

- armed forces - in 1661 and 1662 two militia acts gave Charles sole control of all armed forces. Latter act gave Charles the power to raise up to £70,000 a year for 3 years through militia rate to support the forces raised

-popery - act for safety and preservation of his majesty's person and gov made it punishable to accuse king of trying to bring in popery or incite hatred on the monarchy

Parliament - this body couldn't legislate without monarch

problem of Charles II

failures of the restoration settlement

who was Charles II dominated by

Edward hyde, earl of Clarendon

who was Edward hyde

was lord chancellor and Charles principal advisor from 1660 to 1667

Edward Hydes personality and consequences

-high capacity of work
-willingness to considered everything in detail
-personality - business-like approach and were made him seem arrogant and dismissive to others
-traitts stopped him building up political network
-alianated the king
-privy council - didn't fully get them on his side
-parliament - didn't manage relationship with parliament proactively, thus allowed opposition to develop
-his real weakness was with the king
-forced to resign in august 1667

Why did p grow increasingly suspicious of the kings policies?

-dangerous interaction between foreign policy, religious policy and the crowns relations with p
- attempts by the king to extend greater religious toleration to protestants and catholics;
- a secretive and potential dangerous foreign policy centred on the power of the king of france

when was the cabal government

1667-74

what was the cabal gov

Charles relied on a group of 5 advisers
word cabal was an acronym for their names

C - Clifford, sir Thomas: treasurer of the household
A - Ashley, baron: chancellor of the exchequer
B - buckingham, the duke of
A - Arlington, lord : secretary of state
L - Lauderdale, earl and duke of :Charles' commissioner in scotland

aims of the cabal

-extend religious tolerance to catholics and dissenters
-an alliance with france

what did the influence of the cabal lead to

development of viewpoints known as 'court' and 'country'

the country

to defend parliamentary rights against crowns prerogative powers
defend Protestantism
basically opposed catholicism and absolutism

court

defend catholicism and monarchy

what caused the 'country' and 'court' parties

-anglo-french attack on dutch
- royal dec of indulgance - c attempt to give liberty to non-protestants by suspending penal laws
-duke of York being catholic

when was an attack on the dutch planned for

spring 1672

how much funds did p give grown for the 3rd dutch war

£1.2 million

What was the Stop of the Exchequer?

Charles stoped repayment of loans for the dutch war need of finance

when did Charles II stop exchequer

20 jan 1672

when did Charles introduce the declaration of indulgence

1672

what was the declaration of indulgence

Charles' attempt to extend religious liberty to Protestant non-conformists and Catholics by suspending penal laws that punished people who didn't go to CofE services

what happened on 4th feb 1673

p met
discussed Charles dec of indulgence
by commons vote declared it could only suspend penal laws
became constitutional issue
c response - said he had no desire to suspend laws
in reaction commons declared king had 'no such power' to suspend laws

what did Charles II have to do to get money from p for dutch war

had to withdraw declaration of indulgence and issue test act of 1673

When was the Test Act?

1673

What was the Test Act?

passed by Parliament, only anglicans can hold military and civil office

when did Charles adjourn parliament

29 march 1673

why was Charles forced to end third dutch war and treaty of Westminster and when

feb 1674
because p refused to vote for money

end of cabal when and consequence

1674
failure to broaden toleration

when did the art of Danby emerge

1673

what did the earl of Danby symbolise

the shift to anglican policies and support of crown and church

why did Danby strengthen position of crown in p

stood for policies intone with most MP's
such as : - a rigid Church of England
- an anti-french, pro dutch foreign policy

when was the test bill introduced

1675

how did Danby establish royalist court group in commons

crown patronage
power of monarch to bestow jobs

what was the test bill

MPs had to swear that taking up arms was unlawful and they shouldn't seek to alter gov or church

who defeated test bill and why and when

April 1675
shaftesbury and Arlington
saw it as an attempt to impose absolute gov

consequences of the bill for Danby

attempt to impeach him
he was seen as moving away from broadening church through bill

what did p vote in nov 1675

only £300,000 for navy and all revenues were to support navy rather than crown expenses

what was Danby

lord treasurer

how did Danby improve Charles II finance

-withdrawl from dutch war - increased trade - profit
-in 1674-77 royal income was £1.4 million a year - half cAME FROM CUSTOM REVENUES

how much did crown debt increase and when

1674-79
crown debt increased by £750,000

when did the cavalier p reassemble

feb 1677

who was placed in the tower, for how long and why

Shaftesbury, and buckingham
5 months
claimed that as p had not met for 15 months there shouldn't be elections held for a new p

how much did parliament vote to give navy and why

£600,000
p became fearful of Frances growing power as they had success against dutch

what was the anglo treaty and when

dec 1677
Charles agreed to impose peace terms on Louis by force if needed

consequence of the anglo-dutch treaty

jan 1678
p voted to raise army of 30,000 men and £1 million
only 300,000 was raised

what did Montague do to Danby and when

1678
in p he presented evidence of danbys knowledge of Charles continued relations with Louis xvi despite pro dutch policy to get money from Louis xvi

consequence of montages attempt of impeachment on Danby

charlres prorogued p in dec in 1678
and dissolved cavalier p on 24 jan 1679

when was Danby dismissed

march 1679

why was Danby dismissed

so Charles could avoid trial showing clearly his attempts to strengthen relationship with france

what happened to Danby after his dismissal

commons pursued him through bill of attainder
as the attainder was near completion, Danby surrendered to the lords and was committed to the tower - spent 5 years there