William (and Mary) Flashcards
(100 cards)
1
Q
what does the term political nation refer to?
A
those people who held political, economic and social influence in early modern Britain.
* Monarch
* MP’s
* members of the House of Lords
* aristocracy, including members of the lesser gentry, lawyers and merchants
* COULD EVEN ARGUE IT INCLUDED PEOPLE WHO COULD VOTE IN ELECTIONS, 10% of adult population in this period
2
Q
formal name for the act of settlement and date?
A
Act for the further limitation of the crown.
1701
3
Q
what did Louis XIV regard William of Orange as?
A
his principal enemy
4
Q
what did William use England for
A
- ‘a pawn in his grand design’
- monomaniacal about fighting war with France, so when he came to the throne his main aim behind it was to get England involved in the war against France
5
Q
how much did the army rise above over William’s reign
A
over 60,000
6
Q
how much did the Land tax yield per year
A
from 1692
£3mill
7
Q
When was the Immortal Seven’s invitation to William of Orange?
A
June 1688
8
Q
Quote by William on his aims when landing in England
A
‘this expedition is intended for no other design but to have a free and lawful Parliament assesmbled as soon as possible’
9
Q
Quote on William not wanting to be Prince Regent to his wife as Queen
A
‘he could not think of holding anything by the apron-strings’
10
Q
what/when Triennial Act
A
1694
said a new parliament had to be called/elected every 3 years and one couldn’t meet for longer than
William unsucessfully opposed this
11
Q
change in parliametary elections/sessions/acts
POST 1688
A
Dramatic change from pre revolution
Annual parliametary sessions averaging 20 weeks became the norm
Produced a major volume of legislation
* 1660-1688, parliament passed 564 statutes
* PARLIAMENT NOW AN INSTITUTION RATHER THAN AN EVENT
12
Q
3 ways parliament’s position within English life was changed?
A
- met more frequently and conducted greater amounts of business
- much of politics became based on ideologies
- Triennial Act meant that it was an era of electoral activity
13
Q
William’s aims once in England
A
- Came over primarily to assist Dutch foreign policy
- Once crowned, objectives were to secure his authority in Britain - by subduing Scotland and Ireland - and make ENgland contribute to his continental war effort
- FOR THESE HE NEEDED MEN AND MONEY WHICH ONLY PARLIAMENT COULD PROVIDE!!
14
Q
Why were there many more sessions of parliament under William?
A
- He desperately needed money and men, both to dubdue Scotland and Ireland and to fight the 9 years war
- Parliament knew this and were aware of the strength they had in controlling finance
- By being careful with finance they could ensure they were frequently called and needed by William
15
Q
William’s religious views
A
was a protestant but not an enthusiastic one
16
Q
William going with the flow of anti-catholicism at the beginning of his reign
A
Jan 1689
Reconfirmed an order banishing Catholics not normally resident in London at least 10 miles from the capital.
BUT BEHIND THE SCENES HE ADOPTED A FAR MORE CONCILLATORY STANCE, promising to make concessions to English Catholics in order to secure recognition by and strengthen his alliances with Austria and Spain
17
Q
March 1689, William showing religious toleration
A
Urged parliament to consider the admission to public office of all protestants willing and able to serve.
18
Q
Why was William never fully trusted over his reign?
A
He was a foreigner and they didn’t trust this
Dutchophobia
19
Q
why was William worried when he invaded England about loyalty from the English?
A
- the overwhelming majority of the political nation had orignially sworn allegiance to James II
- OATH TAKING WAS A SOLEMN AND SACRED ENGAGEMENT
- Wiliam had to hope that the political nation would break their vows
20
Q
How did the accession of William and Mary try to solve the issue of legitimacy/
A
- Oaths of supremacy and allegiance took their life in the Declaration of Rights
- Wording was carefully callirated to avoid the question of legitimacy, failing to require either a recognition of right or legality of William and Mary as monarchs or a rejection of James’ claims.
- MEANT LOYALTY WAS EXPRESSED IN DE FACTO RATHER THAN DE JURE TERMS
21
Q
who did and didn’t go along with the oaths of allegiance and supremacy to william in the declaration of rights?
A
- vast majority went along with it
- only about 400 Anglican critics, including Sancroft, these were then called non-jurors
- eventually non-jurers were deprived of their beneficiaries and seceded from the church
- NUMERICALLY NON-JURERS WERE INSIGNICANT, only about 4% of Anglican clergy, but symbolised the trials, tribulations and shattered hegemony of Anglicanism
22
Q
When was a plot to assasinate William uncovered?
A
1696
23
Q
What did the assasination plot against William lead to?
A
- new Oath of loyalty
- stiffer than tge previous one
- new officeholders, civil and military would have to take it
- step towards establishing William as King with the same loyalty as shown to previous monarchs
24
Q
How did the Act of Settlement show a shift in opinion since the Glorious revolution
A
- monarchy was revered more in theory than reality
- William provoked resentment and distrust
25
Parts of William's personality that made him unappealing?
* he lacked warmth
* Notroiously quiet and withdrawn
* 'his cold silent way was too deeply rooted in him to be withdrawn'
* unpopular
* lacked humour, horrible cough
* had Dutch friends and spoke Dutch
* contemptous of the English
* not a devout protestant, so seemed to promote latitudinarianism (freedom of worship)
26
names of 2 of William's closest advisors/friends and why they were an issue
* Bentinck
* Keppel
* both were Dutch, English didn't like or trust them
27
How was the belief in the 'Divine Right of Kings' destroyed post 1688
breaking of hereditary succession in 1688 and 1701 killed this idea
28
example of William keeping a 'firm grip on the reigns of government'
he refused to appoint a Lord Treasurer
29
William and the Royal Veto
used much more than either of his predecessors
tried to veto Triennial Act and repeal Habeus Corpus
30
How did William's frequent absences weaken the position of the monarch?
these absences necessitated the evolution of th executive's administrative machinery
31
what is the glorious rev often regarded as?
the culmination of a battle between crown and parliament since 1603
32
differing views of tories and whigs on glorious rev
* whigs believed that James had broken his contract with his people, so should be replaced
* Tories wanted to REVERSE James' catholicism rather than overthrow him, as they still believed he was the legitimate heir.
33
what/when Toleration Act
* 1689
* watered down version of the comprehension bill
* conceded freedom of public worship, cancelled effects of conventicle act and five mile act from Clarendon Code
* BUT no relaxation of laws applied to Catholics, left the position of them unchanged, THERE WAS RETENTION OF THE TEST AND CORPORATION ACTS
* only exempted protestant dissenters from Clarendon code
34
what/when comprehension bill
* NEVER PASSED, was dropped in the final stage
* would have repealed the Test and Corporation Acts which would have extended some degree of toleration to Catholics, William had wanted these acts abolished
* intended to admit a large number of nonconformists into the church
* march 1689
35
what decade changed the monrachy and what was the main reason for this?
1690s
mainly because of the 9 years war!
36
1689, view of William and compromising with parliament, link to 'his' war
William was willing to accept almost anu conditions imposed by parliament so he could get money and manpower
37
what/when Mutiny act
1689
said that parliament would control the standing army during peacetime, Parliament needed to approve the maintenance of a standing army annually.
And said William needed renewed yearly in order to punish for mutiny.
HAD BEEN A CONTENTOUS ISSUE SINCE CIVIL WAR SO SOLVED THIS
38
When did England join the Grand Alliance against France?
1689
39
from what date has parliament sat every year in England since and what did this signify?
1689
PARLIAMENT WERE NOW AN INSTITUTION RATHER THAN AN EVENT!!!!!!
40
what/when Bill of Rights
1689
* at the heart of the glorious revolution
* William and Mary accepted this as joint monarchs in how they would rule
* arguably limited the Sovereigns power, reaffirmed Parliament's claim to control taxation and legislation, and provided guarantees against the abuses of power suffered under James
41
what did the Bill of Rights contain?
* the exclusion of James II and his heirs was extended to exclude all Roman Catholics from the throne
* designed to ensure Parliament could function free from royal interferance. Sovereign not allowed to dispense laws passed by parliament or impose taxes without parliamentary consent
* sovereign not allowed to interfere with elections or freedom of speech
* sovereign was required to frequently summon parliament
* tightened control over the King's spending - made monarch very dependent on parliament
* King was forbidden to maintain a standing army during peacetime
42
Monarch's maintained prerogative powers post 1689:
* appointed and dismissed government ministers
* controlled foreign policy, including the declaration of war
* controlled all key church appointments, archbishops, church bishops etc
* he could prorogue and dissolve parliament (subject to the 1694 triennial act)
* could refuse to give his royal assent to parliamentary bills
43
quote on why Catholics were excluded from the throne
'it hath been found by experience that it is inconsistent with the safety and welfare of this protestant kingdom to be governed by a papist prince'
44
quote on parliament and finance
'when princes have not needed money, they have not needed us'
45
significance of the exclusion of Catholics from the English throne
meant the monarch had to reflect the religion of the people
massive change from previously, TURNING POINT IN RELIGION
'turned the Act of Supremacy on its head' David Starkey
46
how peaceful was the glorious revolution
often presented as a peaceful overtaking of the throne
but this is only true for England
WAS VERU BLOODY IN SCOTLAND AND IRELAND
The Whig interpretation often tends to be more optimistic about the revolution
47
how many ships did William come across with
more ships than that of the Spanish Armada
48
date William and Mary crowned
11th April 1689
were offered the crown in 14th Feb 1689
49
when did William declare war on France?
As soon as declared King
April 1689
50
Dates of William's first parliament's first session
March-May 1689
MP's make limited financial settlement
51
dates of William's first parliament's second session
Oct 1690-Jan 1691
ESTABLISHES COMMISIONS OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS - parliamentarians look at expenditure and orchestrates national debt
52
How many general elections over the course of William III's reign
5
meant there was loads of political activity in the 1690s, WHIGS HAVE MAJORITY compared to a Tory majority under James and Charles
allows for the 'rage of party'
53
what does the signifiance of the glorious revolution boil down to?
significant because if what it led to
IMPORTANCE OF EVENTS
54
how did William and Mary say they would govern when crowned
'in accordance with the statutes agreed upon' - in the bill of rights
55
what/when Battle of Boyne
* July 1690
* significant battle in the war in Ireland, against James II and his supporters
* victory at the Battle of Boyne secured the Protestant ascendancy in Ireland and ended James' attempts to secure the throne in Ireland
* WILLIAM ALMOST DIES IN THIS BATTLE
56
What/when battle of beachy head
* July 1690
* English/allied defeat at the battle of Beachy Head
* temporarily gave France control of the English Channel
* last major naval defeat for the English navy
* part of 9 years war
57
dates of William II's first parliament's third session
Oct 1691-Feb 1692
attacks on royal control of judges
58
Tories view of William becoming King
* unhappy and uncomfy
* James was still the legitimate King, hereditary succession
* only made mildly ok when they decide he had abdicated because he abandoned the country
* so they struggled to be loyal to William III
59
what does the Glorious revolution elmininate
DIVINE RIGHT OF KINGS
60
Dtaes of fourth session of William's first parliament
Nov 1692-March 1693
Tories demanded a 'blue water' war because its cheaper
but MP's approve a LAND TAX to pay for a land war in Europe
61
How much of his reign did William spend abroad and why was this significant
40%
* no other King left England during their reign
* ABSENTEE MONARCH, was why the cabinet bagn to emerge
62
William's view of the English parliametary system and what did this make him seem
he didn't rate the English parliamentary system very highly
suggested he, himself was very competan, was this competance a reason for the large change encountered within his reign
63
when did Mary die?
1694
64
William and freedom of worship
* promoted Latitudinarianism (freedom of worship)
* meant the church became a capacious church in the 1690s
* thanks to the toleration act in the 1690s - caused some disquiet with the Tories, 'church in danger' emerges from this disquiet
65
Third Triennial Act
1694
parliament became an institution rather than an event
parliament has sat every year since 1689
said parliament and a new election had to be called every 3 years
66
dates of fifth session of William's first parliament
Nov 1693-April 1694
resignation of Tory Secretary state
67
what/when Million Loan Act
1693
CREATED THE NATIONAL DEBT
Authorised a £1mill loan to the Crown
allowss state to borrow money and fund war without the crown being in debt, prevent something like the stop of the exchequer happening again
68
Bank of England creation
1694
* After junto Whig leaders appointed to royal offices and pilot through this financial revolution
69
Dates of naitonal debt and bank of England
1692, national debt
1694, Bank of England
70
How much was the English state borrowing by William's death
£17.5 mill
71
Dates of 6th session of William's first parliament
Nov 1694-May 1695, Tories attack Whig finance and the land war
72
what/when lapsing of the licensing act
Parliament didn't renew this act when it expired in 1695
allowed for more press freedom as it basically eliminated the censorship that had been in place
MADE ENGLAND EXTREMELY POLITICALLY FREE AND ALLOWED FOR CAMPAIGNING
73
When was the second general election which resulted in William's second parliament?
1695
74
Dates of William's second parliament's forst session and what happened?
Nov 1695-April 1696,
attacks on Whig finance
establishment of a Tory land bank WHICH QUICKLY COLLAPSED
75
When was there a plot to assassinate William?
1696
76
second session of william's second parliament
Oct 1696-April 1697
77
When was window tax introduced?
1696
78
when was the 3rd session of william's second parliament?
* Dec 1697-July 1698
* Attacks on the standing army
79
When did the 9 Years war end?
1697
with the Treaty of Ryswych, this included Louis XIV recognising William as England's King (although he goes back on this in 1702)
With the end of the war, parliament, both Tories and Whigs want a recduced standing army and they achieve this.
80
what/when Civil List
1697
Seperates expenses for the STATE and for the MONARCH
control and monitoring of crown spending
81
When was the 3rd general election in William's reign
1698, results in his third parliament
82
when was William's first partition Treaty
1698
SECRET treaty about who who become next Spanish ruler and an attempt to prevent it from being France
LINK TO TREATY OF DOVER AND POWER OF KING AGAINST PARLIAMENT IN FOREIGN POLICY
83
When was the second session of William's third parliament
Nov 1699-Aug 1700
More Tory attacks on the Whig Junto
84
when did the Whig junto begin to emerge
post 1694
when William gave more favour to the Whigs because they were more supportive of his foreign policy aims
* they played a significant role in shaping policy, both political and economic. LINK TO BANK OF ENGLAND AND FINANCIAL REVOLUTION
* John Somers, Charles Montagu (later Earl of Halifax), Thomas Wharton, and Edward Russell
* solidifies two party political system
85
what/when Oath of Association
* 1696 because of Fenwick Plot
* about 90 Tory MP's refuse to swear this Oath
* solidifies Whig Junto
* tool to enforce the new regime post glorious rev
86
When was William's second partition treaty
1700
87
Why were Whigs able to gain more influence post 1694
* they were more supportive of William's war
* so William chose to align himself with them more
* Whigs are hit less by war financially, less have to pay Land Tax compared to Tories, because they are investing more in gov bonds etc. So they gain power and influence through increased investment etc.
88
When did the succession crisis occur and why
WILLIAM 3
1700
After the death of Anne's last surviving heir to the throne
Leads to Act of settlement
89
How many general elections in 1701
2
90
When was William's fourth parliament
Feb-June 1701
PASSES THE ACT OF SETTLEMENT
settles the issue of succession
91
what/when Act of Settlement
1701
* formal name = act for further limitations on the crown, link to increased parliamentary power
* act came about because of the worry about protestant succession + fears of Catholicism because of Louis XIV's declaration of Young pretender as King
* EXCLUDED 57 CATHOLICS FROM THE THRONE IN FAVOUR OF THE HANOVERS
92
Clauses within the Act of Settlement
* Monarch had to be an active communicant with the CofE and attend regular services
* Crown needed parliament's consent to declare war in defence of territories not belonging to England
* No monarch was allowed to leave England without parliament's consent
* All gov to be transacted in the Privy Council, in order to prevent King from using secret advisors
* crown's pardon could not prevent parliamentary impeachments
* no gov office holder or someone recieving a pension from the King could be an MP
* parliament could remove judges NOT THE KING
93
when did James II die and significance
1701
his son (the Young pretender) was recognised by Louis XIV as King of England
94
When was William's fifth parliament
Dec 1701-May 1702
passes the Abjuration Act forcing MP's to take an oath against the succession of the Young Pretender
95
When did William III die
1702
96
what was the 'rage of party'
from 1689
refers to increased division and opposition between Whigs and Tories over this period
97
why was there a rage of party
1. Parliament met much more frequently than ever before, met every year since 1689, made it possible for divisions to occur and develop
2. FREQUENCY OF GENERAL ELECTIONS, Triennial Act 1694, helped to maintain political rivalries
3. Larger and better informed electorate
98
Four issues which divided Whigs and Tories
1. countries involvment in a full-scale European war
2. significance of glorious rev and succession
3. union of England and Scotland
4. the Church
99
what did Whigs stand for
1. Country's full-scale involvment in the wars against France on kand and at sea
2. Greater toleration of protestant dissenters
3. commitment to Prptestant succession to throne, and taht there had been resistance to James because he broke a contract with his people
4. Union of Scotland and England
100
What did Tories stand for?
1. limited naval war against France
2. defence of the CofE, loathing of dissenters
3. There had been no resistance in 1689 and were uncertain about legality of glorious rev
4. England and Scotland should remain as two seperate countries
