The Glorious Revolution 1688-89 Flashcards
(3 cards)
Why did William accept the invitation to invade England.
. He wanted to gain the support of England in war against Louis XVI.
Outline the events of the Glorious Revolution.
. William’s forces landed in Devon in 1688.
. Upon approaching London in December, James fled and was recaptured, then sent into exile.
. There is evidence to demonstrate the James invited William and Mary to take the throne, out of fear of claiming the same fate as his father.
Describe the events leading to the establishment of a constitutional monarchy and limitations.
. Revolutionary ideals:
. Fear that James would establish Catholic absolutism alike to Louis XVI and use this power to persecute Protestants in England.
. No hope of overthrowing James aside from William following the defeat of the Duke of Monmouth.
. The birth of a Catholic heir in 1688 and fears that this would lead to a line of Catholic monarchs on the throne.
. The Anglican Tories had to find a way of deposing James without breaking their religious code of passive obedience.
. The Whigs argued that James had abdicated the throne voluntarily after breaking a solemn contract with the people - John Locke proposed that the king had a contract to take into account the views of the people and not establish rule without parliament. Therefore the people had the right to remove him from the throne.
. The Bill of Rights 1689:
. William and Mary were to read out a Declaration of Rights in their coronation ceremony, that they would rule based on the terms of the elected representatives of the people.
. At the end of 1689, the Declaration was legalised as the Bill of Rights, including terms such as:
. Limits to the monarchs use of prerogative powers.
. Free and regular elections. However no mechanisms to enforce this and no clear definition of ‘free’.
. This vagueness was later removed by the Triennial Act of 1694.
. The legal position of the army, which could not be raised in peacetime.
. The Mutiny Act followed in 1689, stating that the King could not court martial soldiers at will.
. The Act was only valid for one year, forcing William to recall Parliament to renew or abolish it.
. Though, William was still able to decide foreign policy and appoint his own advisors.
. The Act of Settlement 1701:
. Stated that succession be vested in the House of Hanover.
. A German dynasty under the Protestant Queen Anne, who would succeed William.
. Catholics and those married to Catholics were barred from succession.
. The Act also stated that judges could not be dismissed without Parliament after James’ removal of disloyal members of the judiciary system.
. Royal pardons were made invalid so that the Tories could impeach William’s Whig advisers.
. The Act reflected fears created by association of William’s Calvinism with Catholicism.
. William was also banned from constructing Foreign Policy without Parliament.
. The Act also made divine right redundant in the claim of possible monarchs to the throne of England, as succession was vested in the House of Hanover.
. However, others see the Act as a starting point for a constitution that established a constitutional monarchy.
. Others state that Parliament was just an advisory body, and that the fact that the monarch was still pre-eminent within the political system meant that this was not a constitutional monarchy.
