1. Revolutionary ideals + the establishment of a constitutional monarchy Flashcards
(7 cards)
What led to deeply divided political opinions over James II’s reign ending?
In December 1688, due to overwhelming opposition to his rule, James II fled to take refuge with Louis XIV of France. A group of 60 lords and 300 former MPs, asked William of Orange to take over the government. In January 1689, the Convention Parliament met to decide how to deal with James’ flight. Political opinion was deeply divided.
What were the divisions in political opinion over the dealings of James II’s flight?
The Whigs - Had revolutionary ideas over the nature of Kingship. They claimed that a contract existed between the King and his people, and James had broken this contract by attempting to install Catholicism onto England. He had therefore lost the right to rule and the throne was vacant.
The Tories - Their opinions were directly opposed to those of the Whigs. They believed in hereditary succession and in the divine right of kings. The Tories had sworn an oath of allegiance to the King and felt as though they could not break this oath as long as he lived. They needed some justification to replace James with William.
What resolution did the Convention Parliament formulate to satisfy most Whigs and Tories?
That James had broken the contract between King and people (Whigs), he had violated the countries fundamental laws (Whigs) and his flight meant that he had abdicated the throne (Tories).
Tories in the HOL objected to this statement, leading to anti-Tory crowds demonstrating outside Parliament. On the 3rd of February 1689, William secretly told peers that he would go back to Holland if he was not made King. William and the political elite agreed that:
. His wife and daughter of James II, Mary, would share the title of monarch with William, though without the power.
. If Mary died and William married again, any children from this 2nd marriage would follow Mary’s sister Anne in the line of succession.
This was agreed to by the Lords 3 days later.
What was the 1689 Declaration of Rights?
This listed all the errors James II had committed and asserted several traditional liberties of the people:
. Laws could not be suspended without Parliament’s consent.
. Parliament had to approve all forms of taxation.
. Parliament should meet frequently.
The Declaration was a compromise document that was left deliberately ambiguous in terms of the constitutional implications of James’ removal. There was no statement saying James had been resisted, deposed or that he’d broken a contract. William and Mary were not referred to as ‘rightful’ or ‘lawful’ heirs. This meant that those who wanted to refer to William and Mary as ‘de facto’ monarchs could recognise them as monarchs without denying that James was ‘de jure’ King.
What did the Declaration of Rights later become?
A diluted version of the Declaration of Rights was passed into law later in 1689, known as the Bill of Rights.
What happened at William and Mary’s coronation?
In April 1689, the coronation was held and William and Mary had a different oath from that sworn by previous monarchs.
Previous oath - to ‘confirm to the people of England the laws and customs to them granted by the Kings of England’.
New oath - ‘to govern the people of this Kingdom of England, and the dominions thereunto belonging, according to the statutes in Parliament agreed on, and the laws and customs of the same’.
What are the different interpretations of the events of 1688-89?
Whig historians believe that the Glorious revolution brought about fundamental change - establishing a constitutional monarchy where parliament had much more control over the policies of the monarchy and the monarchs were expected to get the agreement of Parliament for their actions.
Critics of this Whig interpretation do not see the Glorious revolution as a break from previous years. Instead of than a revolution, they see it as a reformation, bringing stability after James was removed.
Others see the events as confirming the power of the political elite through Parliament as the Glorious revolution and the constitutional changes that followed made clearer the influence of the political elite in Parliament. However it was William’s need to finance his wars against France and the consequent financial revolution after 1688, that led to a gradual increase in the power of Parliament.
