Glorious Revolution

James reissued the Declaration of Indulgence in…?

1688, giving toleration to all religious groups, both Protestant and Catholic (tension for Catholic toleration).

Opponents of the Declaration 1688 objected to the fact that James was attempting to..?

Overrule parliament by going against their wishes (fearing absolutism)

Political change resulted from James doing what? Why was this necessary for the Revolution to take place?

• Voluntarily abdicating the throne

• Although it was likely that the Commons would secure a majority against James, the Lords would have probably rejected any proposal

Why would there have been a strong chance that James could have kept his crown even if he had not resigned it voluntarily?

Many within political/religious establishment were generally in favour of divine right and hereditary monarchy as it prevented the return of unstable governments experienced during the Interregnum

What was the Whig argument at the time for the deposal of James II?

He had broken a solemn contract with his people

A key motive for those who prompted the overthrow of the king was ______?

Religious conviction. Many Whig members of parliament (MPs) shared the view that enforcing religious uniformity would lead to social disorder, and that imposing a single ‘true religion’ is impossible as humans are not capable of judging which religious standpoints are most legitimate.

John Locke suggested that the Revolution was an opportunity for what?

The Rev was an opportunity for those who represented the people in Parliament to alter the Constitution.

Locke rejected the view that the crown should have unquestionable authority and suggested that the monarch did not have the divine right to rule.

When William arrived in London, terms for a political settlement were unclear. What governing body was hastily elected?

26 DEC 1688: William arranged for a meeting of sympathetic peers and MPs in order to plan the future of the monarchy and country. A CONVENTION PARLIAMENT was hastily elected, first meeting in JAN 1689

How did William and Mary become king and queen?

Radical Whigs wanted to declare William king immediately, but many others favoured a role for his wife, Mary, by hereditary right. So Crown was offered to both.

It was clear that both William and Mary had been placed on the throne based on…?

Terms put forward by the elected representatives of the people.

At the end of 1689, the Declaration was modified as…?

The Bill of Rights

Give 4 clauses in the Bill of Rights

• Execution of laws by regal authority without consent of Parliament is illegal

• Keeping a standing army within the kingdom during a time of peace is illegal

• Parliaments have to be held frequently to solve issues

• Free and regular elections

Explain the importance of the Bill of Rights

Most of the clauses referred to specific abuses of the royal prerogative under Charles II and James II. - The cause calling for free/regular elections reflected the resentment among MPs at attempts by the Crown to intimidate them and tamper with elections.

• Made certain legal position of army which had been vague prior. Clause stating no standing army during time of peace without parliament consent was targeted at the reaction to the forces created by Charles II, which could have been used to enforce absolutism

A number of ______ Acts were passed from 1689. Why?

Mutiny Acts were passed ensuring the king could not court martial (send a member of armed forces to trial in military court) at will without consent of parliament. However mutiny during war was not a crime before this, so this Act allowed William to freely punish those who were disloyal to him, meanwhile Parliament could set limits on the extent of this prerogative choice.

As each Act was only valid for a year, king had no choice but to call parliament regularly for approval.

In what ways was the Bill of Rights not so revolutionary?

• Vague and references to, for instance, holding frequent parliaments could still allow for absolutism

• Bill made no provision for ensuring that elections were regular or free, made no definition of what ‘free’ actually meant

• Was a statute law that could be revoked by any future parliament

• Did not create a procedure by which arbitrary monarchs could be removed

• Monarch still free to decide on issues surrounding war, peace and foreign policy, William still able to choose own advisers

When was the Act of Settlement and what did it provide?

1701:

• Provided a smooth succession as it re-established a Stuart bloodline

• No foreign-born man was allowed to join the Privy Council, sit in either House of Parliament, have a military command, or be granted lands or titles

• Fear of absolutism and a desire to rein in the king was clear: no future foreign monarch was allowed to enter England into war in order to defend their home country without parliamentary consent (obvious response to William as a potential threat - Nine Years’ War)

• All matters regarding the governing of Britain had to be discussed with the full Privy Council, not decided by monarch alone

After the Bill of Rights, it was no longer possible for…

Monarchs to claim their power came from God, as their authority was approved was by the people through their representative in parliament.

CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY

What had not changed in the republic, showing that the Revolution was not revolutionary?

• Parliament was still only an advisory body

• Parliament still represented only the richest percentage of the population

• Electorate was still notably small

What was the Toleration Act and its terms?

Passed in 1689 by reluctant Tories. William favoured toleration and was originally suspicious of the Anglican Church. This Act made it easier for dissenters to worship freely.

Terms:

• Dissenters were exempted from punishment if they swore an oath of allegiance to the Crown and accepted the 1678 test act, which meant they could not enter public employment without swearing loyalty to the Anglican Church

• Dissenters were not expected to attend an Anglican Church, but meetings were closely monitored and doors of meeting places could not be locked

• Special dispensations for certain dissenting groups eg Quakers who refused to take an oath were allowed to declare that they denied the pope’s authority

The Toleration Act made it easier for dissenters to worship more freely. How many dissenters were there in England by 1714?

400,000

How was the Toleration Act influenced by John Locke

He published ‘A Letter Concerning Toleration’ in 1689, which he has been preparing years before

How had the Toleration Act humiliated Anglicans in parliament?

The Act served to humiliate them and the Tories in the Commons —> the Whig majority in parliament who were keen to pass the Act, insisted that the clergy take an oath of allegiance to William and Mary. This disturbed them as they had already sworn their allegiance to James and believed in the concept of passive obedience to his royal authority. 400+ parish priests refused and were deprived of their livings.

This gave Whigs perfect excuse to attack Tories and High Church clergy, accusing them of being more loyal to James than to William. The clergy that were removed were replaced by a more moderate group sympathetic to Whigs cause.

Who was excluded from the Act’s provisions and why?

Excluded Catholics, non-Trinitarians and Jews. As the Test Act was not repealed, non-Anglicans could still not sit in parliament or hold public office. Those who did not swear allegiance to Anglican Church could not attend university, work in the legal profession or practise medicine. Even dissenting groups that were tolerated under Toleration Act terms were not fully equal to Anglicans, as they still had to pay tithes to a Church they did not attend or belong to.

Why had Catholics little to fear from William?

William had effectively guaranteed their safety by entering into an alliance with a number of Catholic powers against the French in 1686 (this alliance would would later fight together in the Nine Years’ War)

How was the Anglican Church and confessional state undermined?

• Catholics enjoyed a reasonable degree of freedom despite being excluded from the provisions of the Tol Act. Contemporaries reported that many Catholics were able to participate in mass without any trouble.

• William used his royal authority to influence judges and curb Church interference in the lives of Catholics and dissenting sects not covered by the Act.

• The power of Church courts (which were crucial in upholding the authority of the confessional state earlier in the century) was severely restricted by the Toleration Act

How could you still argue that the Anglican Church still had an important role?

• The statutes enforcing uniformity (Test Act + Act of Uniformity) that had been passed earlier were not repealed, meaning that public officials were duty-bound to swear allegiance to the Church

• To gain public employment or joint parliament, there was no choice but to swear allegiance to the Crown and take Anglican Communion

• Further Toleration Acts were passed in Scotland and Ireland, and these did not give dissenters the opportunity to participate in national or local government. There was a fear in royal court that the alternative to Anglican supremacy was a dangerous slide into religious radicalism + social revolution.

Who did William choose as advisers? (Parliamentary power)

Formed his own Privy Council —> appointed Lord Halifax, who had led the House of Lords and was not loyal to either the Tory or Whig parties. Appointed Earl of Danby (transcended differences of political party system) as well as a carefully selected balance of Whigs and Tories. Although, they struggled to command the respect of the Commons.

The first session of the 1690 parliament saw…? What was William’s relationship with the Whigs?

A strengthening in the position of the Privy Council over parliament + an opposition attempt to investigate government accounts, which was rejected.

Whigs (favouring progressive reform, originally calling for a Protestant succession): William initially believed they were too radical and had suspicions that a number of them were actually republicans.

How had the Williamite War (1689-91 Ireland) gone against the popular belief that the Glorious Revolution was ‘bloodless’?

Over 8,000 people died when William’s forces defended the Siege of Derry in 1689, and half of James’ soldiers were killed or captured in 1691

How had the Williamite War And Nine Years’ War caused divisions in Parliament?

The cost of the war in Ireland was a concern for parliament. The Whigs were able to establish a commission of accounts in an attempt to control expenditure. In 1691-92, divisions in William’s council over strategy led to a series defeats to the French in the 9 yrs war (1688-97)

Explain the growing influence of the Whig Junto from 1694-1699.

Group of Whig leaders who influenced the direction of policy. Favoured strong executive and supported William’s war. Attempt to push through triennial bill in order to ensure parliaments, which received approval from both Houses. However this meant William used his royal veto to deny the bill becoming law, holding onto his position of predominance within political system with difficulty.

How did the Whig Junto dominate government in 1694?

Those in the Junto gained high political positions (Montagu became Chancellor of Exchequer, Somers Lord Keeper and Russell First Lord of the Admiralty) and when the triennial bill was debated again it received royal assent in JAN 1694, meaning general elections would be held more regularly.

What did the triennial act mean for William?

Regular elections meant that it was difficult for the Crown to establish a party in the HoC, leading to William becoming more reliant on securing support from MPs.

The period from circa 1690 to 1715 has been referred to by historians as the…?

RAGE OF THE PARTY —> characterised by the instability caused by frequent elections. With more regular elections came renewed social interest in politics, a better educated electorate (comprised of only 200,000 mean) due to freer press (as the Licensing Act, which previously led to heavy censorship, lapsed)

What did Edward Vallance say on the topic of Rage of the Party?

‘feverish electioneering and deeply partisan politics […] politics was increasingly being governed by loyalty to one or other party’ (E Vallance 2006)

What did Horwitz say on the Rage of the Party?

‘The competition for place was affected, in turn, by the enhanced importance of parliament. Seats in the Commons were more and more stepping stones to office’

Due to newfound confidence from triennial bill, what did parliament set up (1694-1701)?

In 1695, a number of inquiries were set up to investigate corruption in government eg. The speaker, John Trevor, was accused of accepting a bribe of 1,000 guineas in order to assist with the passage of a bill. William was convinced he’d have to dissolve Parliament to prevent continuation of these inquiries however when this happened another election was held in OCT 1695, favouring the Whigs. This cemented their dominance in parliament and also the Privy Council.

William seemed more _____ than ever on the …? What happened in 1697 proving there was opposition to the Whigs?

More dependent than ever on the Whig faction in parliament and the Whig Junto in the Privy Council.

1697 —> opposition to the Junto in the council were able to secure a vote that limited William to sustaining an army of just 10,000 men. Opposition were also able to secure a bill that restricted the size of the army in England to 7,000 and refused to allow the retention of William’s Dutch guard. A

In 1698, a commission was also set up to investigate the Crown’s choice of recipients for confiscated lands in Ireland.

In 1698, it seemed clear that William…?

Had little room for manoeuvre and parliament was dictating policy

Describe the Junto’s downfall

Montagu was demoted within the Privy Council, Russell was forced to resign his rank within the Admiralty, only Somers survived.

In 1699 —> the Commons put forward a bill of resumption (any grants of land in Ireland given to PC members were illegal + money from sales to appropriate buyers was to go towards arrears of pay due to army). This infuriated William, he also took it as a personal insult. William reluctantly gave it royal assent.

In 1701 election, Tories made gains and instigated impeachment proceedings against Somers, Montagu and Russel (although eventually acquitted by their fellow parliamentarians)

The Revolution represented a move toward…?

Parliamentary government. William needed parliamentary taxes to fight the French, and this resulted in parliament gaining increased control over government finance. Political necessity had forced William to appoint men he loathed such as Wharton (part of Whig’s Junto) and he was forced to reduce the size of his army as a result of a parliamentary decision.

In what ways was parliament a partner in government?

• Parliament was able to encroach on areas that were once firmly part of the royal prerogative, such as the king’s appointment of ministers and control of the army

• The Bill of Rights gave parl opportunity to become a partner in government as they had to approve a standing army to be kept in peace time and taxation without parliamentary consent was illegal.

• The monarch was not allowed to interfere with elections and the proceedings of parliament could not be questioned by judges

• The financial settlement reached ensured William and Mary would be financially dependent on parliament

In what ways was the royal prerogative left intact?

Power to declare war, dissolve Parliament and veto legislation still lay with William.

Civil List Act 1697 meant Parliament decided to give William £700,000 a year for life to cover expenses of royal household, as well as salaries for diplomats and judges —> best example of king and parliament working in unison

From when did the Nine Years’ War last? Who was it fought between? Besides Britain, what was William also head of state of?

1688-97. League of Augsburg —> led by Holland, England, Spain and Holy Roman Empire VS France, led by Louis XIV. William was also head of state of Holland.

Why did the war cause a strain in Parliament?

How did Louis XIV have more advantages than William?

The huge sums William was demanding to fund the war had never been approved by a parliament before.

Louis had authority through divine right in his own country and a large number of troops - after 1691 the opposition in parliament favoured a reduction in William’s participation and only voted him funding for 10,000 troops.

William succeeded in recruiting how many men at what cost? How did he manage this?

68,000 men at the cost of £2.8 M through borrowing via the newly established Bank of England in 1695.

Why did William receive criticism throughout the war?

Criticised for the impact the war was having on trade (trading routes for merchants became too dangerous due to war hostilities in North Sea, Mediterranean + African coast), his use of foreign commanders and his poor performances. Parliamentary opposition claimed William took too many key decisions himself, such as placement of troops and negotiations with other states.

How were peace talks with France rocky?

Peace talks after 1696 were rocky as Louis did not offer a satisfactory settlement to William and French negotiators refused to acknowledge William as the legitimate king of England

By 1697, both sides went ___ and William was facing …?

Both sides went bankrupt and William was facing increasing opposition from the Tories and non-Junto Whigs in parliament, who argued that the army should be reduced in size again and the taxes that rose to pay for war should also be reduced.

What was France’s economic situation like and what did this lead to?

The French were suffering an economic crisis so a settlement was reached under the terms of the Treaty of Ryswick in SEPTEMBER 1697

What did the Treaty of Ryswick entail?

French agreed to abandon their claims for German land and Louis was forced to accept that William was the legitimate king + Louis promised to give no assistance to James II. France made gains from England in North Americ, so border were returned to those that existed before 1688.

What was the average annual expenditure and tax revenue of the Nine Years’ War? How was William able to achieve this?

Annual expenditure - just over £5.4M, however tax revenue was just £3.6M. William achieved this through excise taxes on items such as tea, tobacco and alcohol

What was the most significant revenue stream?

Land tax for the elites, which provided for around a third of all required funds (when it was introduced in 1692, it yielded £1 M that year)

What system was established in order to meet the shortfall in war funding?

System of public credit —> Crown took out long-term loans from merchants and city traders and repaid them with interest, effectively selling gov debt. Led to creation of National Debt, which stood at £16.7 M by 1698. Relatively secure debt.