History Notes
James II's Beliefs and Actions
Believed in the Divine Right of Kings.
Sought to restore Catholicism in England.
Appointed Catholics to key positions and built a Catholic army.
The Bloodless Revolution (1688)
Birth of James II's son threatened Protestant succession.
William of Orange invited to overthrow James II.
James II fled to France, leading to William and Mary ascending the throne.
The Bill of Rights (1689)
Established limits on the monarch's power:
Monarch cannot override or alter laws made by Parliament.
Monarch cannot interfere with elections.
Monarch must not maintain an army without Parliament's consent.
Only Parliament can levy taxes.
Monarch cannot impose cruel punishments or excessive fines.
Prohibited a Catholic monarch.
The Commonwealth Era (1649-1660)
Established after the execution of Charles I.
Led by Oliver Cromwell as Lord Protector.
Strict Puritan rule imposed, limiting personal freedoms.
Restoration of Charles II (1660)
Charles II invited back to restore monarchy.
Promised to respect Parliament's authority and control over taxes.
Known as the "Merry Monarch" for his enjoyment of life and entertainment.
Parliament passed laws preventing Catholics from holding office, causing tension with Charles II.
Causes of the Civil War
Charles I's need for money led to conflict with Parliament.
Parliament demanded reforms and financial control.
Key Events
Civil War broke out between Royalists (supporters of the king) and Parliamentarians.
Oliver Cromwell emerged as a leader for Parliament.
Charles I was defeated, tried, and executed in 1649.
Economic Issues
Inflation due to influx of gold and silver from colonies.
Kings desperate for funds led to conflicts with Parliament.
Stuart Kings' Beliefs
James I and Charles I believed in the Divine Right of Kings.
Their rule faced opposition from Parliament, which sought more power.
Elizabeth I's Reign
Elizabeth I was Henry VIII’s young daughter
After 2 short reigns (Protestant Edward and Catholic Mary) Elizabeth I finally broke with the catholic church and made England protestant. She was careful however to not upset the people who wanted to remain catholic
Expanded trade and power, engaging in conflicts with Spain.
Supported Dutch rebels against Spanish rule. In 1585 she sent army to help the dutch who were rebelling against their Spanish rulers. This led to a great Naval war with Spain itself
The Spanish Armada (1588)
Philip was the king of Spain at that time.
Philip wanted to punish England for robbing his colonies and ships and for helping the Dutch people. He was also very religious and wanted to bring England back into the Catholic Church
The armada was a huge fleet to take his armies from France to England to conquer England
The great fleet sailed from Spain and went up to the English channel. The English warships could do little damage as they were all together.
The armada anchored near the coast of France waiting for Spanish soldiers but during the night the English sent 8 (important number) old ships filled with blazing tar and gunpowder among them. The Spanish sailors panicked cut their anchors and fled northwards into a growing storm. now that the armada had been scattered the smaller English ships attacked them. Of the 136 ships that set out only 63 returned to Spain and on those more than half of the crew were dead
It was Spain’s worst defeat and meant that her power was broken. England had now become one of the most important European powers
Philip of Spain aimed to conquer England.
English tactics led to the defeat of the Armada, marking a shift in power dynamics in Europe.
Parliament's Role
Parliaments existed but had limited power under Tudor monarchs.
Elizabeth I often summoned Parliament, which generally complied with her decisions.
For much of the 15th century the feudal nobles fought each other. (The wars of the roses) for the throne. One side was led by the Lancaster family whose badge was a red rose, and the other by the York family whose badge was a white rose. When the Yorkists won they made one of their family king. The Lancaster’s did the same. In 1485 Henry Tudor, a Lancaster Noble, finally defeated the Yorkist King Richard III, and made himself Henry VII. This new dynasty, the Tudors, lasted for nearly 120 years, and became very powerful.
Henry settled the quarrel between the two families by marrying the princess of York. as a sign that the war was over he joined red and white rose together as the royal badge of England which it still is today
Henry VII's Consolidation of Power
Established a strong monarchy after the Wars of the Roses.
Created new nobles from humble origins to ensure loyalty. He taxed the nobles very heavily and fined them whenever they broke any of his laws.
Henry saved money by keeping out of wars and began to build up a strong navy to keep enemies away
When henry died in 1509 he left a country that was strong rich and had broken the grip of the nobles. and ordinary people were at peace. but the country was still strongly catholic and pope had a very powerful influence
Henry VIII's Reformation
Broke from the Catholic Church, establishing the Church of England.
Increased royal power and wealth by becoming head of the Church.
Henry VIII began the reformation in England
Although he always kept England a catholic country he broke away from the authority of the pope and made himself head of the church. This gave him more power and money
Tudor Dynasty's Impact
The Tudors got rid of the power / grip of the nobles. They made the country strong and rich by avoiding wars and building up a great navy. They broke away from the authority of the Pope.
Page 7 the rise of nation states
In the middle ages all of Europe except Russia and Greece belonged to the roman catholic church
In the roman empire each state was governed by the feudal system
People knew little about the world. at first they felt they were members of their local church, next they belonged to their local lord. states emperors and kings were largely outside their understanding
The rules wanted their country to be a great nation in its own right not part of some continent dominated by the church. They also wanted to decrease the power of the nobles.
Sometimes the greater nobles in their huge castles were strong enough to defy their king and occasionally drive out a monarch who would not do what they wanted
The king depended on the nobles armies
Because the king depended on their armies the nobles could often force the king to do what they wanted
When a king had broken free of the grip of the church and the nobles he became an absolute monarch.
The medieval nobles brought their armies to fight for the king but he did not need them as he could hire his own. Cannon had been invented but were so expensive only kings could afford them.
The powerful nobles could no longer defy the kings because even the strongest and biggest castles could be destroyed by gunpowder. Many nobles now wanted to enjoy luxuries instead of fighting all the time.
Because governing the country was becoming more complicated the king often used clever men from poor families so that the nobles were no longer the only people who could help him rule.
Henry IV of France is a example of a typical absolute monarch
Renaissance is the rebirth of learning.
Renaissance taught us about the idea of humanism: that is, it is better to spend money and effort on living people than on prayers for the dead.
Trade increased rapidly in the 14 and 15th century. Merchants now had to be educated men.
The kings who earlier had got most of their money from the land they owned now found a new way of getting wealth by taxing goods. this made some of them very rich. now he could hire his own soldiers instead having to rely on the armies of their great lords
James II's Beliefs and Actions
Believed in the Divine Right of Kings.
Sought to restore Catholicism in England.
Appointed Catholics to key positions and built a Catholic army.
The Bloodless Revolution (1688)
Birth of James II's son threatened Protestant succession.
William of Orange invited to overthrow James II.
James II fled to France, leading to William and Mary ascending the throne.
The Bill of Rights (1689)
Established limits on the monarch's power:
Monarch cannot override or alter laws made by Parliament.
Monarch cannot interfere with elections.
Monarch must not maintain an army without Parliament's consent.
Only Parliament can levy taxes.
Monarch cannot impose cruel punishments or excessive fines.
Prohibited a Catholic monarch.
The Commonwealth Era (1649-1660)
Established after the execution of Charles I.
Led by Oliver Cromwell as Lord Protector.
Strict Puritan rule imposed, limiting personal freedoms.
Restoration of Charles II (1660)
Charles II invited back to restore monarchy.
Promised to respect Parliament's authority and control over taxes.
Known as the "Merry Monarch" for his enjoyment of life and entertainment.
Parliament passed laws preventing Catholics from holding office, causing tension with Charles II.
Causes of the Civil War
Charles I's need for money led to conflict with Parliament.
Parliament demanded reforms and financial control.
Key Events
Civil War broke out between Royalists (supporters of the king) and Parliamentarians.
Oliver Cromwell emerged as a leader for Parliament.
Charles I was defeated, tried, and executed in 1649.
Economic Issues
Inflation due to influx of gold and silver from colonies.
Kings desperate for funds led to conflicts with Parliament.
Stuart Kings' Beliefs
James I and Charles I believed in the Divine Right of Kings.
Their rule faced opposition from Parliament, which sought more power.
Elizabeth I's Reign
Elizabeth I was Henry VIII’s young daughter
After 2 short reigns (Protestant Edward and Catholic Mary) Elizabeth I finally broke with the catholic church and made England protestant. She was careful however to not upset the people who wanted to remain catholic
Expanded trade and power, engaging in conflicts with Spain.
Supported Dutch rebels against Spanish rule. In 1585 she sent army to help the dutch who were rebelling against their Spanish rulers. This led to a great Naval war with Spain itself
The Spanish Armada (1588)
Philip was the king of Spain at that time.
Philip wanted to punish England for robbing his colonies and ships and for helping the Dutch people. He was also very religious and wanted to bring England back into the Catholic Church
The armada was a huge fleet to take his armies from France to England to conquer England
The great fleet sailed from Spain and went up to the English channel. The English warships could do little damage as they were all together.
The armada anchored near the coast of France waiting for Spanish soldiers but during the night the English sent 8 (important number) old ships filled with blazing tar and gunpowder among them. The Spanish sailors panicked cut their anchors and fled northwards into a growing storm. now that the armada had been scattered the smaller English ships attacked them. Of the 136 ships that set out only 63 returned to Spain and on those more than half of the crew were dead
It was Spain’s worst defeat and meant that her power was broken. England had now become one of the most important European powers
Philip of Spain aimed to conquer England.
English tactics led to the defeat of the Armada, marking a shift in power dynamics in Europe.
Parliament's Role
Parliaments existed but had limited power under Tudor monarchs.
Elizabeth I often summoned Parliament, which generally complied with her decisions.
For much of the 15th century the feudal nobles fought each other. (The wars of the roses) for the throne. One side was led by the Lancaster family whose badge was a red rose, and the other by the York family whose badge was a white rose. When the Yorkists won they made one of their family king. The Lancaster’s did the same. In 1485 Henry Tudor, a Lancaster Noble, finally defeated the Yorkist King Richard III, and made himself Henry VII. This new dynasty, the Tudors, lasted for nearly 120 years, and became very powerful.
Henry settled the quarrel between the two families by marrying the princess of York. as a sign that the war was over he joined red and white rose together as the royal badge of England which it still is today
Henry VII's Consolidation of Power
Established a strong monarchy after the Wars of the Roses.
Created new nobles from humble origins to ensure loyalty. He taxed the nobles very heavily and fined them whenever they broke any of his laws.
Henry saved money by keeping out of wars and began to build up a strong navy to keep enemies away
When henry died in 1509 he left a country that was strong rich and had broken the grip of the nobles. and ordinary people were at peace. but the country was still strongly catholic and pope had a very powerful influence
Henry VIII's Reformation
Broke from the Catholic Church, establishing the Church of England.
Increased royal power and wealth by becoming head of the Church.
Henry VIII began the reformation in England
Although he always kept England a catholic country he broke away from the authority of the pope and made himself head of the church. This gave him more power and money
Tudor Dynasty's Impact
The Tudors got rid of the power / grip of the nobles. They made the country strong and rich by avoiding wars and building up a great navy. They broke away from the authority of the Pope.
Page 7 the rise of nation states
In the middle ages all of Europe except Russia and Greece belonged to the roman catholic church
In the roman empire each state was governed by the feudal system
People knew little about the world. at first they felt they were members of their local church, next they belonged to their local lord. states emperors and kings were largely outside their understanding
The rules wanted their country to be a great nation in its own right not part of some continent dominated by the church. They also wanted to decrease the power of the nobles.
Sometimes the greater nobles in their huge castles were strong enough to defy their king and occasionally drive out a monarch who would not do what they wanted
The king depended on the nobles armies
Because the king depended on their armies the nobles could often force the king to do what they wanted
When a king had broken free of the grip of the church and the nobles he became an absolute monarch.
The medieval nobles brought their armies to fight for the king but he did not need them as he could hire his own. Cannon had been invented but were so expensive only kings could afford them.
The powerful nobles could no longer defy the kings because even the strongest and biggest castles could be destroyed by gunpowder. Many nobles now wanted to enjoy luxuries instead of fighting all the time.
Because governing the country was becoming more complicated the king often used clever men from poor families so that the nobles were no longer the only people who could help him rule.
Henry IV of France is a example of a typical absolute monarch
Renaissance is the rebirth of learning.
Renaissance taught us about the idea of humanism: that is, it is better to spend money and effort on living people than on prayers for the dead.
Trade increased rapidly in the 14 and 15th century. Merchants now had to be educated men.
The kings who earlier had got most of their money from the land they owned now found a new way of getting wealth by taxing goods. this made some of them very rich. now he could hire his own soldiers instead having to rely on the armies of their great lords
