THE RESTORATION PERIOD

DEFINITION

The period between 1660 (Charles II came to reign) and 1688 is considered to be the restoration
period in England. Political Monarchy, Parliament and Law were brought back to their former status i.e.

restored (before Commonwealth and Cromwell). Charles I’s son, he had spent his exile in France.He
was an admirer of the Sun King, Louis XIV, and he had French tastes.His court was devoted to
pleasure: theatres, race-courses and taverns reopened, and fashion and gossip replaced religious
debate. (HOUSE OF STUART)

KEY FACTS

During these years, London was struck by a bubonic plague in 1665. More than 100,000 people
died.The Great Fire destroyed most of the city of London in four days in 1666.Puritans interpreted
the two catastrophes as God’s punishment for the King’s immorality.

SOCIAL LIFE

In case of social life, the nobles and the gentry, mainly landowners, once again became the recognized
leaders of provincial and national life. A new parliament held replaced the convention parliament. The
newly elected Parliament, the so-called Cavalier Parliament, met in 1661.Charles II recalled his father
beheading act and ordered to take Cromwell exhumed and hanged publicly.

RELIGION

In case of religion, Anglican church and the rule of Bishops, was brought back in practice. Charles II
would have promoted religious toleration but when he summoned a parliament he was forced to pass a
series of acts imposing a strict and formal Anglicanism. These acts were made by parliament against
the king’s will. Parliament in fact feared Catholicism which was the imposed religion of all those
countries (France and Spain) were the kings were absolute rules. Charles was Anglican but in his heart
Catholic (MOTHER and sister were catholics).

The Corporation Act (1661) limited the power of religious dissenters, like Catholics but especially
Presbyterians (like Milton). At the time, Presbyterians were influentially represented in the
government of cities and boroughs throughout the country, and this act was designed to
dispossess them. The Act provided that no person could be legally elected to any office relating
to the government of a city or corporation, unless he had within the previous twelve months
received the sacrament of the Last Supper=Eucarestia according to the rites of the Church
of England.

The Act of Uniformity (1662) imposed the use of the Book of Common Prayer* The Book of
Common Prayer (BCP) is the name given to a number of related prayer books. It created
controls of education. An exclusive body of Anglican clergy and a well-armed landed gentry
were the principal beneficiaries of Charles II’s restoration. Other legislation placed strict
limits on the press and on public assembly.(The first prayer book, published in 1549 in the
reign of King Edward VI of England, was a product of the English Reformation following the
break with Rome. The work of 1549 was the first prayer book to include the complete forms
of service for daily and Sunday worship in English.)
The Test Act (1673) required all public employees to conform to the Church of England. All those who
held public office were to belong to the Anglican church; all clergyman were to be designed by an
Anglican bishop or give up their parishes. About one fifth of the clergy were expelled.

NATIONAL INTERESTS

The Treaty of Dover (1670)

Actually there were two treaties: One is a formal pact which established mainly an Anglo-
French military and naval alliance . The second is a secret Treaty: they want to prepare a war
against Holland, ensure England and France hegemony over Europe, restore Catholicism.
After the Dutch defeat as a colonial power, with this accomplished, Britain and
France would then rule Europe and America. Basically, in return for financial
support that would have free him from the economic dependence from the
Parliament, Charles II agreed to convert publicly to Roman Church, to join a war
against Holland and to support France succession to the Spanish throne. However, the
conversion of Charles II never really happened.

SOCIETY

• Founded in 1662 with King Charles II’s patronage;

• its motto, nullius in verba – ‘nothing by words’ – was a direct challenge to the
dependence on written authorities;
• it became the centre of the development of the new philosophy and science.

Protestantism vs Anglicanism

Protestantism and Anglicanism are both sects of Christianity but differ in their
beliefs, the both reject the concept of Purgatory and do not require celibacy for
clergy. They also both believe in Holy Trinity and have the same views about Christ.
The Protestant religion, which includes Lutheran, Baptist, and Presbyterian
denominations, was born out of the Reformation in the 16th century. It started as a
protest against some doctrines and practices of the Roman Catholic Church, primarily
the sale of indulgences.
Protestants believe in the supreme authority of the Bible, the priesthood of all
believers, and justification by faith alone.
Anglicans, like Catholics, have a more hierarchical structure of bishops and priests,
and they believe in the threefold ministry of bishops, priests, and deacons.
The issue of authority and interpretation also separates them. For Protestants, the
Holy Scriptures are the sole divine inspiration. You'll see them constantly referring
back to the Bible. Anglicans balance scripture, tradition, and reason.
James II succeeded in 1685, HE has converted to Catholicism, led conflict with
Parliament. He placed Catholics in position of power (Parliament not happy with that).

This is also the period of division within the Parliament “Whigs and Tories”, mainly
descendants of the Parlamentarians =Whigs (commercial class, merchants
traders)and Tory (supported by the King, The Church of England, believed in the
divine right of the king)=Cavaliers. They fear a Catholic conversion and made a pact
with William of Orange (= dutchman of birth, grandson of Charles I AND married to
his first cousin,Mary daughter of the younger bro of Charles II-family connection
with the English throne).

**Three Anglo-Dutch wars (1652-1654, 1665-1667, and 1672-1674), customarily

revolved around disputes over trade privileges and naval superiority. The fourth
conflict in 1780-1784, otherwise known as the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War, showed a
considerable shift in the balance of power, with Britain emerging as the dominant
colonial and naval power.

1688 William of Orange from Netherlands landed in south Devon claimed the throne
from the Catholic James II and on to London, James II fled to France.
William was now asked to carry on the government and summon a Parliament. When
this Convention Parliament met (January 22, 1689), it agreed, after some debate, to
treat James’s flight as an abdication and to offer the crown, to William and Mary
jointly. =The king is chosen by the Parliament, this revolution is Glorious because
there no killing or war. The new monarchs were obliged to sign the bill of rights which
further limited the power of the king in favour of parliament. Also passed: the
Toleration Act giving freedom of worship to dissenters but not to Catholics and the
Act of Settlement starting that catholic pretenders were excluded from the throne.
It also started that on the death of William III, the throne would pass to Mary’s
sister Anne.

• The reign of William III and Mary II was

a time of economic progress for England.
• London became the financial capital
of the world.
• The Bill of Rights of 1689 prevented the king from levying taxes, raising an
army or suspending laws without the consent of Parliament.
 • A Triennial Act asserted that Parliament should last for three years.

QUEEN ANNE

• Mary died in 1694 (with no heir) and her sister Anne succeeded William in 1702. Anne
was a popular queen, proudly English and Anglican. She even attended the debates in
the House of Lords.
• With the Act of Union (1707) the kingdom of England and Scotland was replaced
by the United Kingdom of Great Britain.
• Ireland remained a separate kingdom with its own Parliament subordinate to
Westminster and a Protestant government at Dublin Castle under a British-appointed
Lord Lieutenant.

TREATIES OF UTRECHT (April 1713–September 1714), a series of treaties

between France and other European powers (April 11, 1713 to Sept. 7, 1714) and
another series between Spain and other powers (July 13, 1713 to June 26, 1714),
concluding the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–14). France ceded the
territories of Hudson Bay in Canada.