Unit 1: Origins of

Democracy

1685: succession of James ll

On February 6th Charles ll died

and was succeeded by his
brother.

In May 19th Jamess parliament

met and it was overwhelmingly
loyalist in composition.

Between November 12th and 19th

the parliament declined to repeal
the acts and refused extra money.

On November 20th James

prorogued parliament releasing
that they would not agree to
repeal the penal laws against
Catholics.

1686: repeal of the Test Acts

The judges ruled that James ll

could dispense with the test
acts without the consent of
parliament in individual cases.

On July 15th an ecclesiastical

commission was set up.

It wasnt surprising that

throughout 1686 a growing
fear manifested itself among
the Kings subjects.

James began a campaign to

appoint sympathetic electors.

1687: Declaration of
Independence

In April 5th the king published a

Declaration in Indulgence, which
suspended all the religious penal
laws.

Jamess heavy-handed
insensitivity to the fears of the
majority of his subjects.

In July the king received

Ferdinand aAdda as official papal
nuncio to the court St James.

Lord Lieutenants refused to put

these questions, and in August,
nine were dismissed by the king.

1688: the Glorious

Revolution

The Declaration of Indulgence

was reissued by James on April
27, 1688.

On May 18th, the Archbishop of

Canterbury and six other bishops
refused to read it and petitioned
against the order.

On June 30th, the Seven bishops

were acquitted by jury.

He entered London on December

19 and a few days later James ll
was allowed to escape for
France.

1989: Bill of Rights

On january 22nd a new

parliament first met.

On February 12th, the convention

Parliament although as it was
summoned by William of Orange
and not the king.

The declaration was later

embodied in the Bill of Rights
passed by Parliament in
December 1686.

That further stipulated that the

throne be occupied by a
protestant only.

Historical Interpretations

The glorious revolution in Thomas

Babington Macaulay's history of
England from the accession of James
the second, 1849-61.

This interpretation of the glorious

revolution has not gone
unchallenged.

Before 1688 it is possible to see

England as beginning to move
towards absolutism on the French
model.

Act of 1694 required to be

summoned every three years, and
thus prevented future monarchs from
ruling without a parliament.

Events

On February 6th Charles ll died and was succeeded by his brother.

On July 15th an ecclesiastical commission was set up.

Jamess heavy-handed insensitivity to the fears of the majority of his subjects.

The Declaration of Indulgence was reissued by James on April 27, 1688.

The declaration was later embodied in the Bill of Rights passed by Parliament
in
December 1686.

The agreements of 1688-89 are not, therefore, obviously radical documents.

Before 1688 it is possible to see England as beginning to move towards absolutism

on the French model.