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The Reign of James II- CE REVISION - Coggle Diagram
The Reign of James II- CE REVISION
Who was James II?
Became king after his brother Charles II died.
He was captured during the English Civil War, but escaped to France
James was the second son of Charles I (executed)
While in exile, he became a soldier in French and Spanish armies.
When his brother became king, he returned to England and led the English Navy. He was very successful in this role and expanded English colonies.
How did he become King?
Therefore, the throne passed to James in 1685 (he was 52)
James' first wife was Protestant, they had two adult children, but she died.
His brother died without any legitimate children (minimum of 13 others though!!)
His second wife was Catholic, and he became a Catholic too.
The Duke of Monmouth's Rebellion 1685
He arrived in Devon with a very small force, some people joined him (mostly farmers) but very few nobles.
James II sent his army to meet Monmouth. They were better trained and led by the talented John Churchill.
He was Protestant and a proven military commander, therefore some people wanted him as king.
The two sides met at the Battle of Sedgemoor and Monmouth was easily defeated. He was captured and executed
James Scott, The Duke of Monmouth, a bastard son of Charles II attempted to claim the throne
The last battle to be fought on British soil
A Catholic Heir
However, in 1688, James' second wife, Mary of Modena, gave birth to a Catholic son
James' new son was now the heir to the throne, meaning another Catholic king next
Mary was married to the very Protestant William of Orange, Prince of the Dutch Republic
Many people were worried that if this happened, England would become a Catholic country once again
Protestants were happy with the knowledge that when James died his Protestant daughter Mary would become Queen
Opposition to his rule
As soon as James became king he started to get rid of anti-Catholic laws.
People were worried he would next...
Rule without the help of (the Protestant) Parliament. Absolutist king (or dictator)
Allow the country to be influenced by foreign Catholic countries
Or ultimately, force people to become Catholic
There was much anti-Catholic feeling in the country dating back to the Reformation, and later the Gunpowder plot
People were worried about having a Catholic king, who would make changes to the country
Why then did James become King?
So, in February 1685, James was crowned king, despite many people not supporting him.
In reality, James did not want to rule without Parliament or force people to become Catholics.
...because no-one in the country wanted to return to the chaos and suffering of the Civil War.
He thought that if he got rid of the anti-Catholic laws, people would want to be Catholics.
However, he seriously underestimated the strength of anti-Catholic feeling in England
The Bloody Assizes
Many people were executed and imprisoned
One woman, Lady Alice Lisle, was even executed for helping the injured soldiers.
Following Sedgemoor he sent soldiers to teach the people of Dorset a lesson
This was an extremely harsh response from James, but he was trying to send a very clear message to those that opposed him.
James wanted to warn potential traitors.
Religious changes introduced by James II
He allowed Catholics to become army officers- previously banned
In 1686, he banned the preaching of anti-Catholic sermons
He abolished laws banning Catholics from certain jobs e.g. magistrates
In France, the king was persecuting Protestants. Many in England were worried James might do the same
The Glorious Revolution
More and more people support William and leave James' side
James soon realises he cannot win a battle now, so he runs away to France in the hope he can gain support and return to England at a later date
James dithered. Many of his army had either joined William. Including John Churchill, his best military commander
The crown was then offered to William and Mary as joint monarchs.
They accepted the invitation, and sailed to Brixham in Devon, 5th November 1688
They were crowned William III and Mary II in April 1689
The Protestant William and Mary were invited by several MPs to come to England and claim the throne
Why a 'Glorious' Revolution?
Parliament got rid of a king they did not like or trust and replaced with one they did.
This was a huge change to the country and therefore a 'revolution'.
Civil War without bloodshed!