#english_history 

## James VI/I

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Mary Queen of Scots' son, James VI, started to rule at the age of twelve in **1568**. He showed great skill from an early age and knew that if he behaved correctlyl he could expect to inherit the English throne after Elizabeth's death. His diplomatic machinations led to an increase in the Crown's authority in Scotland. Although he is remembered as a bad decision maker, this was not true while he was only king of Scotland.

He ruled England from **1603** to **1625**.

As a child James had been kidnapped by groups of nobles, and had been forced to give in to the Kirk. Because of that he developed strong beliefs and opinions, especially the belief of his divine right as a king. ^220377

Because of the Kirk's treatment of James, he liked the Anglican Church and the presence of loyal bishops.

In England, it seemed as if James had lost all his common sense which had helped him in Scotland.

James was sucessful in ruling without Parliament in 1611-1621, but it was only possible because Britain remained at peace, as James could not afford the cost of an army.

![[English Parliament#^c157dc]]

## Charles I
![[English Parliament#^35e7a1]]
![[English Parliament#^dd3f70]]

After Charles dissolved Parliament in 1629, he was able to rule pretty successfully., and by **1637** he was at the height of his power.

### Religious disagreement
In **1637** Charles began to make serious mistakes.  As his father, he supported the English Church.
There were also people in England, known as [[Revolution in thought of the 17th century|Puritans]], who wanted a democratic Church. Queen Elizabeth had been careful to prevent them from gaining power.

Charles had married a French Catholic, and the marriage was unpopular in Protestant Britain. But Charles took no notice of popular feeling, and he appointed **William Laud**, an enemy of the Puritans, as Archbishop of Canterbury.
Laud brought back into the Anglican Church many Catholic practices, increasing Anti-Catholic feeling, by [[Gunpowder plot|a particular Catholic plot]] especially.

Laud tried to make the Scottish Kirk accept the same organisation as the the Church in England, and introduced the new prayed book in **1637**, causing national resistance to what Scots thought of as Catholicism.

In spring of **1638** Charles faced a rebel Scottish army, which he could defeat without the help of Parliament. So he agreed to respect all Scottish political and religious freedoms, and also to pay a large sum of money to persuade them to return home. ^f0c3db

In order to find this money, Charles agreed to accept a new law which stated that Parliament had to meet at least once every 3 years, but as the months went by, it became increasingly clear that Charles was not willing to keep his agreements with Parliament.

## Charles II
The laws and Acts of Cromwell's government were automatically cancelled by Charles II. He managed his return with skill and punished only those who had been responsible for his father's execution. Parliament remained generally week. Charles shared his father's belief in his divine right. ^dafc79

Charles II (1660-1685) hoped to make peace between the different religious groups, but Parliament was strongly Anglican, and would not allow this. Charles himself was attracted to the Catholic Church, and so Parliament passed the **Test Act** in **1673**, which prevented any Catholic from public office.  ^749e8d

Fear of Charles' interest in the Catholic Church and of the monarchy becoming too powerful also resulted in [[English Parliament|the first political parties in Britain]] ^e84eb8

The struggle over Catholicism and the Crown became a crisis when news was heard of [[Popish Plot|a Catholic plot to murder Charles]]. Parliament then passed an Act forbidding any Catholic to be a member of it. ^152656

Charles, however, would not allow any interference with his brother James's (a Catholic) "divine right" to be king.

## James II
At first the Tories and Anglicans were delighted by James II (1685-1688)'s arrival, but he had already shown his aversion of Protestants. He then proceeded to try to remove the anti-Catholic laws, and tried to get rid of the Tory gentry, who now were in Dutch with him.

In spite of their anger, Tories, Whigs and Anglicans did nothing because they could look forward to the succession of James's Protestant daughter, Mary, married to the Protestant ruler of Holland, William of Orange.
But in June 1688 James's son had been born. This triggered [[Glorious Revolution|the Glorious Revolution]].

## William III & Mary II
William III's reign was from **1689** to **1702**, Mary II's - **1689**-**1694**.

## Anne I

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Reigned in **1702**-**1714**. The last Stuart.