The Stuarts (1603-l714)
In 1603 there was King Jones I of England.
He was the first Stuarts King of England. When he became King he
dismissed Parliament and tried to rule without it. His son Charles I shared his
father's belief in absolute monarchy but he needed money and Parliament
wouldn't support him.
THE COMMONWEALTH: the
conflict between Crown and Parliament led to the Civil War between the royalist
Cavaliers who supported the King, and the puritans Roundheads who supported by
general Cromwell. The House of London was abolisched because it had sited with
the King. Britain
became a commonwealth or republic with Cromwell as Lord Protector from 1656 to
1658.
THE RESTORATION: in
1660, after Cromwell's death, a new Parliament, whose numbers decided to bring
back the Stuart King Charles II and to re-establish the Anglican Church as the
official Church of England.
THE GLORIOUS REVOLUTION: Charles was succeeded by his son James II. In 1668 Parliament offered
the Crown to James daughter Mary and her Protestant husband William of Orange.
For the first time it was Parliaments that chose the Monarch. This important
political change was called the Glorious Revolution. After that William III
defended the Catholic forces of James II in Ireland and discrimination against
Catholic Irish was intensified. The religious and political problems were
settled with the Bill of Rights and the Toleration Act. The former limited the
King's power and turned Britain
into a constitutional monarchy.
THE UNITED KINDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN: Queen Anne was the last of the House of Stuart. During her reign, by
the Act of Union, England Wales
and Scotland Joined to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain, ruled by the
Parliament in London.
WHIGS AND TORIES: in
the late 1670s England's
two political parties were formed in the House of Commons, the Tories and the
Whigs they were formed by cavaliers and Roundheads. The Tories were the party
of the landed aristocracy, and the Whigs were the party rich businessman,
merchants and landowners.
SCIENCE AND SUPERSTITION: in the 16 century was the birth of modern science based on observation
and experiment. Many instruments were invented: telescope, the microscope and
the thermometer. Medicine made a big leap forward. The Royal Society, the
oldest and most important British scientific organisation, was founded in 1662.
WITCHCRAFT:
during this period most people believed in witches. Witches were woman who had
magic power. They were said to have received these powers from the devil. More
of these woman were tortured.
ENGLISH ARCHITECTURE: English architecture was influenced by the classical architecture of
the late Italian Renaissance, particularly by the 16th century
Italian master Andrea Palladio. Inigo Jones introduced Palladianism to Britain.
The most important monuments are: St. Paul's
Cathedral, Hampton
Court Palace,
Banqueting Hall.
PURITANISM IN ENGLAND: the 17the century was marked by religious conflicts. The three
main factions were the Anglicans, of the Church of England, the Catholics, of the
Roman Church, and the Puritans who rebelled against the authority of the
official Church. Their preaching was based directly on the Bible. Puritans had
a very strict moral code. They regarded luxury and frivolity as wicked, and were against all forms of
entertainment. During the Commonwealth, London's
theatres were closed, as were shops and pubs. Dancing and singing were banned.
People were not allowed to travel on Sunday, except to and from church. Most
Puritans belonged to the middle class. Their life was severe. They had a high
sense of duty and love of work. Puritans were discriminated and persecuted
during the reigns of James I and Charles I , and many are emigrated.
