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Emancipation - Background of Anti-Catholicism in Britain - Coggle Diagram
Emancipation - Background of Anti-Catholicism in Britain
Tudors
Queen Mary I reinstituted Catholicism
1570 Pope sought to depose Elizabeth I
Assassination plots where Catholics were prime movers (Banbington)
Believed Pope wanted to reimpose Papal authority and secular power inline with the French and Spanish
Church of England originated under Henry VIII with the Act of Supremacy 1534 (allegiance to the Pope was treasonous)
17th Century
Gunpowder plot of 1605 was carried out by Catholics
Great Fire of London 1666 was blamed on Catholics
Popish Plot 1678
Catholic plot to kill Charles II
Led to wave of anti-catholicism (executions)
Glorious revolution 1689
Overthrow James II who converted to Catholism
Led to Act of Settlement (1701) 'heir to the throne must be papist'
Test Acts restricted public office to Catholics
Overthrowing of James II
Afterwards he fled to France
Supporters known as Jacobites
Defeated in the Battle of Boyne 1690 by King William II
Jacobites continued to claim throne causing many rebellions in Scotland to try and overthrow the Hanoverian Royal Family
London Gordon Riots 1780
Against Catholic relief
Believe it would challenge national sovereignty
Widespread rioting, looting and attacks on Newgate prison and the Bank of England
Believed they were disloyal and risk to national security
The Penal Laws
Disenfranchising Act 1728
Affected Catholic ability to lease land (5% of land in 1770s but 75% of the population)
Established in Ireland in 1695 to lessen Irish Catholic power
New Penal laws added throughout the 1690s and 1700s
One of the first Penal Laws disarmed Irish catholics to stop further rebellion, also allowed protestants to seize horses worth more than £5
Catholics heavily barred from education so 'hedge schools' which were secret or many sent abroad for education
1697 law banished Catholic clergy with 'red coat' army trying to catch (spying encouraged and prize for catches), so mass was forbidden but held in secret
Impact
Led to a lot of poverty in Catholic majority
Led to Catholic emigration 'brain drain'
Contributed to collective national identity among Catholics
Laws didn't prevent emergence of new Catholic middle class in 18th century due to work in trade, crafts and commerce
Penal laws made to eradicate Catholic clergy but not always the case
Fears of Catholic uprisings fell after failure of Jacobites