EnglishEnglish
Absolutism Absolutism
AbsolutismAbsolutism
a form of monarchical power that is unrestrained by any other institutions, such as churches, legislatures, or social elites
James James II Stuart (not a Tudor)
King of Scotland
Nephew of Elizabeth I
Son of Mary Stuart
Initially agreed to rule according to English law and customs
Kept Parliament involved
Until…divine right
Tensions with ParliamentTensions with Parliament
Disagreements about money Lavish lifestyle Wars Taxes
Disagreements about foreign policy
James’ solution dissolve Parliament
Religious TensionsReligious Tensions
The Puritans wanted: To “purify” the Church of England of Catholic
practices Simpler services More democratic church with no powerful bishops
James I rejected their demands
Chased them out of England
Charles Charles II• r. 1625-1649
• inherited the throne from his father, James I
• Like his father, he ruled as an absolute monarch– Bickered with Parliament
– Imprisoned enemies without trial
– Ran the nation into further debt
Charles Charles II vs. Parliament vs. Parliament
Debt from: Super-luxurious lifestyle War with France
Needed money called for Parliament to convene
Parliament refused to fork over any money until Charles I signed the Petition of Right
Petition of RightPetition of Right
1. No funds could be borrowed or raised through taxes & tariffs without the explicit approval of Parliament
Petition of RightPetition of Right
2. Habeas Corpus: No free person (Britain had slavery at this time) could be imprisoned without a reason
The DealThe Deal
Charles I signed the Petition, thereby agreeing to its terms (and getting his $$)
Did Charles have any intention of keeping his word?
Dissolution of ParliamentDissolution of Parliament
Charles immediately broke his word
To avoid a confrontation with Parliament, he dissolved it (would stay dissolved for 12 years)
Now on his own…with no funds from Parliament
Charles’ Budget CutsCharles’ Budget Cuts
Made peace with enemies (peace is cheaper than war)
Downsized government administration
Innovative tax increases
One goal in mind rule without Parliament
Charles Charles II and Religion and Religion
Charles persecuted the Puritans
Allowed the Archbishop of Canterbury (William Laud) to freely take any measures to stifle the Puritans
Puritans Under Charles Puritans Under Charles II
Forbidden to publish or preach
Scottish Puritans were forced to use the Church of England’s prayer books, rituals, hierarchy, etc
Rebellion occurred, thus forcing Charles to reconvene Parliament
Twelve Years to StewTwelve Years to Stew
Parliament - ready to show Charles no mercy
Refused Charles any money until he addressed a very long list of complaints
What do you think Charles did??
Buh-Bye ParliamentBuh-Bye Parliament
Charles I refused their demands and dismissed them (April–May 1640 - known as “The Short Parliament”)
Still, he was without money
Reconvened Parliament again, but this time agreed to their demands (would become the “Long Parliament” as it would remain until 1660)
Parliament’s DemandsParliament’s Demands
Illegal to raise taxes without Parliament okay
William Laud – impeached & executed
Charles’ centralized bureaucracy – abolished
Law that only Parliament could dismiss itself
Law that Parliament had to meet every 3 years
Rebellion in IrelandRebellion in Ireland
Religious radicals in Ireland rebelled
Charles I wanted funds for an army to go in
Parliament did not trust Charles I with an army
Proposal from radicals in Parliament – the army should be under Parliament’s control
One Angry KingOne Angry King
Charles not very happy about this
Stormed Parliament with his own army
Parliament issued Militia Ordinance which officially declared the army under Parliament’s control
The result????
The English Civil WarThe English Civil War
Cavaliers & RoundheadsCavaliers & Roundheads
Cavaliers = Supporters of King Charles I
Wealthy nobles
Wore plumed hats
Fashionably long hair
Well trained in dueling & warfare
Expected a quick win
Cavaliers & Cavaliers & RoundheadsRoundheads
Roundheads = Supporters of Parliament Divide within: Independents vs.
Presbyterians
Country gentry, town- dwelling manufacturers, & Puritan clergy
Called Roundheads b/c of their hair style
Underdogs
Leader – Oliver Cromwell
Oliver CromwellOliver Cromwell
Puritan, gentry, military genius
Organized “New Model Army” into a skilled force
Defeated Cavaliers
Cromwell’s WorriesCromwell’s Worries
New religious sects = trouble (overturn social hierarchy) Quakers, Diggers, Ranters & Seekers – all promoted
“inner light” and equality Fear of potential skepticism, anarchy & debauchery
The King Independents purged Presbyterians in Parliament
(“The Rump Parliament”) Rump – created high court put Charles I on trial
The Execution of a KingThe Execution of a King
Found guilty
Sentenced to death as a “tyrant, traitor, murderer, and public enemy”
Life Under Puritan RuleLife Under Puritan Rule
After Charles I’s execution, Rump Parliament abolished : The monarchy The House of Lords The Church of England
Cromwell established a “Puritan Republic”
Religion Under CromwellReligion Under Cromwell
Allowed various Puritan sects to worship
Permitted Jews with needed skills to return
Catholics not permitted to worship publicly
Anglicans not permitted to use the Book of Common Prayer
Cromwell at WarCromwell at War
Re-conquered Scottish
Subdued Ireland crushed Irish rebellions massacred whole garrisons & their priests exiled Catholics to remote parts of Ireland
Laid foundation for a “Great Britain”
Waged naval war against the Dutch (1652-1654)
Wars = budget 2x that of Charles I
Life Under CromwellLife Under Cromwell
Increased property taxes & customs duties
1653: abolished Rump Parliament in coup – made himself “Lord Protector”
Censored the press
Forbade sports & closed theaters
Used spies to read mail & watch enemies
Cromwell’s DeathCromwell’s Death
Died in 1658
“There were none that cried but dogs.” – John Evelyn, Diarist
Buried in Westminster Abbey
1661: body exhumed – cut off head & displayed outside Westminster Hall for nearly 20 years!
End of the CommonwealthEnd of the Commonwealth
Puritans lost control of England
1660: New Anglican Parliament invited Charles II back as King
Charles II met with cheering crowds
Charles Charles IIII
Idolized Louis XIV
Religiously tolerant
Accepted Petition of Right
Not long until he tried to re-establish royal authority
Catastrophe StrikesCatastrophe Strikes
May 1665: Plague hits London
Over 30,000 dead by September
1666: The Great Fire of London – 3 days
Charles Charles IIII & Parliament & Parliament
Tensions over religion – P. concerned w/ successor (James II – openly Cath.)
P. passed the Test Act (1673) – all gov’t officials must take oath to Church of England & disavow Catholic doctrine
1678: P. explicitly denied throne to a Roman Catholic
Tories vs. WhigsTories vs. Whigs
Crisis over succession = 2 factions Tories supported:
strong hereditary monarchy restored ceremony of the Anglican church James II’s succession
Whigs advocated: Parliamentary supremacy Toleration of Protestant dissenters Opposition of Cath. monarch
James James IIII
Inherited the throne
Brother of Charles II
Flaunted his Catholic faith
Many feared he would restore Catholicism
William & MaryWilliam & Mary
Parliament invited James II’s Protestant daughter Mary II & her Dutch Protestant husband William of Orange to the throne
The Glorious RevolutionThe Glorious Revolution
William & Mary arrived with an army
No need – James II fled to France
Parliament set up a Limited Monarchy via a Bill of Rights (1689)
Also affirmed habeas corpus (no person could be held in prison without first being charged with a specific crime)
Radical concept in the Age of Absolutism…
Toleration Act Toleration Act
1689
All Protestants granted freedom of worship
Non-Anglicans still excluded from university
Catholics – no rights, but could worship privately
From Absolutism to ConstitutionalismFrom Absolutism to Constitutionalism
Constitutionalism: a system of government in which rulers share power with parliaments made up of elected officials
Locke & Hobbes: The Social Contract Political authority derives not from divine right but
from an implicit contract between citizens & their rulers
Thomas HobbesThomas Hobbes
1588-1679
Leviathan (1651)
Human nature = self-centered & driven by need for self-preservation
Pro-absolute monarchy + social contract (rulers derived their power from a contract in which absolute authority protects people’s rights)
John LockeJohn Locke
1632-1704
physician, secretary, & intellectual
Human nature = reasonable
Tabula Rasa – “Blank Slate”
All men created equal
Locke’s Social ContractLocke’s Social Contract
Between ruler & people (power w/ the people)
Gov’t is morally obliged to serve people, namely by protecting life, liberty & property
Favored Representative Democracy
Dutch RepublicDutch Republic
Power in the people via elected representatives
Each province appointed exec. officer (stadholder – often an Orange prince) carried out ceremonies managed military defense
William III took English throne – DR cont. w/o stadholders for several decades
Dutch Golden AgeDutch Golden Age
Europe’s financial capital (Bank of Amsterdam)
Dominated shipping industry
Imported from: Asia: spices, teas, silk Americas: tobacco & sugar England & Spain: wool
Best educated, most prosperous of 17th C.
Decline of Dutch Golden AgeDecline of Dutch Golden Age
Ongoing naval wars w/ Britain & land wars w/ France – drained wealth
Increasingly depended on alliances – esp. w/ England under the rule of Wm. & Mary
By end of 17th C. Golden Age = over
Top Related