The History of England

From a happy start in 1685, James had begun to hit resistance in England to his campaign for Catholic emancipation. In 1686, he planned to accelerate the process. He expected rapid success in Ireland and Scotland, and confidently expected that education, propaganda, and the reality of supreme royal authority would subdue any resistance in England and Wales.  

As the English parliament was preparing to sit, news came in of a protestant cataclysm in the making in October 1685, and soon after refugees started arriving with horror stories of persecution. The rumours were confirmed. Louis XIV had revoked the Edict of Nantes which protected 800,000 French Protestants, and made their religion illegal. Nor was this the only matter on the minds of MPs as they assembled, and heard their King address them on 9th November.

At the parliament on April 1685, Scotland demonstrated how loyal subjects should treat their king - an example which was duly followed by their southern neighbours soon afterwards. Yet despite this enthusiastic reception, within weeks James faced two rebellions. In Western Scotland the Earl of Argyl raised the fiery cross to summon the clans, and in South West England the Duke of Monmouth was joined by thousands of rebels eager to fight for religious freedom. The outcome would be soaked in blood.

The reign of James II and the Glorious Revolution was a central part of the national story built by Whig historians. But since the 20th century the picture has been heavily revised with new perspectives, such as the view from all three kingdoms, a more nuanced view of James and his intentions, criticisms of the idea of a bloodless revolution, how much the voice of the people mattered - and was it a Revolution at all? Or a conserative assertion of ancient right? This episode is about James and the historiography Glorious Revolution.

The Dutch raid on the Medway effectively brought the Second Anglo Dutchto an end, and also the honeymoon period. From 1667 to 1681, Charles sought to play off factions in parliament, to keep his freedom of action, enhance royal power where he could and court the French - their friendship, and bribes. The public announcement of James' catholicism in 1677 became the driving factor in an increasingly unruly politics, of Whig and Tory. Until at the Oxford parliament in 1681, Charles chose one side - the Tory. He would never allow parliament to sit again.

The settlements following the Restoration didn't turn out exactly as the Three Kingdoms or indeed Charles imagined, but nonetheless for the moment king and his parliaments were in a honeymoon period. Soon to be challenged by Plague, Fire and War.

After dismissing parliament of Oxford in 1681, Charles pursued alliance with the Tories and emasculation of the Whigs and Dissenters at all political levels. He pursued a strategy with determination and consistency he had rarely shown at any other point.

Eleanor and Martin of the Three Ravens podcast and I have one (probably last) walk round some objects that we think make us lie back and think of England.  

In 1680 and 1681, Shaftesbury led an increasingly shrill and effective campaign, asppeling to popular opinion to force Charles into calling a new parliament. There he could be forced to learn about the power of the exlusionist movement which could be brought to bear. But Charles would learn a different lesson, and at Oxford in 1681, would start his own campaign.