Charles II and James II and Glorious Revolution

After Cromwell’s death the parliament didn’t know who to choose to lead the country because Cromwell’s son Richard wasn’t adequate so they asked Charles II, Charles I’s son, to take the crown in 1660. He had french taste and was called the Merry King because he spent a lot of money on celebrations. He let drama restart and was partial to the catholics so he wasn’t really liked by the parliament. In 1665 a plague spread through London and in 1666 the Great Fire of London happened. The fire started from a bakery in Baker Street in East London and spread quickly through the night because every building was made of wood. The reconstruction was planned by the architect Christopher Wren that wanted to rebuild Sant Paul’s Cathedral like it is now with a dome but initially his project was rejercted because it was too similar to the Church Of Rome. Charles II emanded an Act of Tolerance in favor of the catholics so the Parliament responded with the Test Act in 1678. In 1679 the Parliament tried to exclude from the line of succession the king’s brother James II with the Esclusion Bill because he was in favor of catholics. But when Charles II died his brother became king and he had two protestant daughters Mary and Anne but he remarried a catholic italian girl because he wanted a male heir and he did but his son was catholic so the parliament was against that line of succession. In 1688 the House of Commons offered the crown to Mary II and her husband William d’Orange. James, James II’s catholic son, raised an army with Ireland against Mary but he was defeated in the Battle of Boyne. In 1689 Mary signed the Bill of Rights that is a sort of constitution with the same principles of the Petition of Rights so the country becomes a Costitutional Monarchy bringing to an end the Glorious Revolution