The Stuart Period 1603-1715

This period of history, part of the early modern period, sees the emergence of
Britain as a major colonial power and in fact the emergence of Britain as a
country with a constitutional monarchy with a powerful merchant capitalist
class, and the shaping of what will become the future United Kingdom.

King James (I of England, VI of Scotland)

The son of Mary Queen of Scots who became the king of Scotland at the age of
one after his mother was forced to flee to England where she was imprisoned
and eventually executed. His reign is notable for catholic persecution, the first
lasting colonies in the Caribbean and North America, the plantation of Ulster
and clashes with an increasingly powerful parliament. James was a believer in
the divine right of kings though his conduct was tempered by pragmatism.
Timeline
1603 becomes the king of England and names himself the king of Great Britain
and Ireland. Each country had its own parliament and courts.
1604 Peace made with Spain
1605 Gun Powder Plot brings about a large-scale increase in the persecution of
Catholics.
1607 Jamestown, the first lasting British settlement in North America.
1619 first African indentured servants in Jamestown
1620 The Mayflower and the pilgrim fathers land in America
1625 Death of James I. Charles I inherits the throne. The colonisation of
Barbados.
Charles I and the Civil War

Charles the first’s reign is characterised by increasingly bitter and violent

clashes with parliament culminating in two civil wars and his execution. If some
groups in parliament under his father had believed it should be equal in power
to the king by the 1640s parliament was led by those who believed the crown
should have limited executive powers under an elected parliament and those
who wanted the monarchy abolished absolutely. Charles was a believer in the
divine right of kings, married a Catholic and wanted to intervene in European
wars which parliament opposed. He also had to deal with a new way of
thinking – Puritanism. From the late 16th century Puritanism had been
emerging as an increasingly powerful religious and political force. Tolerated to
varying degrees by Elizabeth the first and James the Puritans, who by the civil
war can be roughly divided between the independents and English
Presbyterians, would be the driving force behind opposition to the King which
led to the civil war. The civil war also saw the birth of radical English political
and religious groups such as the Quakers, the Levellers and the Diggers and
notable rebels such as “Free Born” John Lilburne. These more radical groups
were later opposed to Cromwell as he became more dictatorial.
The composition of parliament and its factions could vary widely – due to the
first past the post system. It is worth noting only approximately 10% (?) of the
population had the right to vote.
Time line
1625 Charles crowned King. Gives approval for intervention in France.
1627 defeat of the English army in France.
1629 Parliament dissolved for 11 years for criticising Charles’s economic,
foreign and religious policies. Parliament particularly criticised his demand for
more tax money for wasteful foreign interventions and opposition to reform of
the Anglican church. Charles had to find the money to support himself and the
state through extraordinary sources of income. Port taxes, tariffs, monopolies.
This benefited a minority of stock companies who were granted monopolies.
Other merchant capitalists suffered. Generally, the cost of living rose leading to
increased opposition to the King.
1637 -40 Scottish rebellion in reaction to the King’s attempt to unify the
religious practices of the three countries. Driven by Scottish Calvinism
(Presbyterianism) the rebellion led the Scots to invade northern England and
refuse to leave without a ransom.
April 1640 The short parliament. Parliament is called for a fortnight in order for
the King to raise money to deal with the Scottish. The king refuses to hand over
key advisors to be executed and parliament refuses to grant him money so the
Short Parliament is soon dissolved.
John Punch sentenced to life long indentured servitude in Virginia. This set the
precedent that African indentured servants in the American colonies were not
protected by English common law – a critical step forward in the foundation of
legal slavery.
1641 rebellion in Ireland and attacks on English and Scottish protestant settlers.
The massacres are greatly exaggerated in English rumour.
1640 -53 The Long Parliament is called after the King gives up Archbishop Laud
and lame Lord Strafford for execution. The parliament is dominated by
Presbyterians who desire a reformed monarchy and a separation between
church and state and independent puritans who want the king to abdicate.
1642 Firstly, an attempt by the King to arrest 5 leading (independent puritan)
members of the house. Secondly, the start of the first civil war.
1645 New Model Army founded.
1646 After defeat at the battle of Naseby the King surrenders to Scottish forces
who later ransom him to English parliamentarian forces.
1648 Having “escaped” to the Isle of Wight Charles enters into an alliance with
the Scottish and launches the second civil war. Parliament “purges” its self as
the leaders of the New Model Army stage a coup. Presbyterians locked out of
parliament and the army. End of Long Parliament and formation of the rump
parliament.
1649 Charles I tried and executed for high treason.
1649-52 Suppression of rebellion in Ireland resulting in the deaths of up to 15-
20 percent of the population. Defeat of Charles II and Scottish forces.
1651 – Navigation acts- makes it illegal for imports or exports to be transported
on any ship but an English one. This creates a monopoly and makes Cromwell
more popular with English business. It also provokes the first Anglo-Dutch war
(1652 -54) won by England which firmly establishes England as the naval super
power and powerful in international trade.
1653 Rump parliament dissolved. Start of the Protectorate. Cromwell´s foreign
policy is particularly hostile towards Spain continuing the tradition of naval
aggression and winning Jamaica as a colony 1655. An alliance was eventually
formed between England and France against Spain. Strict Puritan morality is
enforced in England.
1656 Elizabeth Key wins her freedom in Virginia. This initially establishes that
the child of an African Indentured servant, who by now often faced lifelong
servitude, have the legal status of the father. However, the reaction to this
judgement led to servitude becoming hereditary and was the next foundation
stone laid which formed the basis of slavery.
1658 The death of Oliver Cromwell – his funeral procession was
guarded/honoured by 30,000 soldiers.
1660 The restoration of Charles II with popular support. A disillusionment with
strict puritanism, a desire for freedom. It is worth noting that business kept its
economic and political power but Charles was allowed to take revenge on a few
and granted wealth and a semi illusionary power.
1661 Election resulting in the Cavalier Parliament. This may well have been a
shift caused by disillusionment with Puritanism and a desire for stability after
decades of chaos but the actual extent of the shift is made unclear by the
electoral system. The parliament, which lasted 17 years was certainly Royalist
dominated but gradually became more cynical in its attitude to Charles II and
monarchy.
1664 English ships capture New Amsterdam and rename it New York.
1673 Test Act passed. Legislation in which holders of office had to prove their
allegiance to the Church of England. Puritans could keep their titles, positions,
wealth if they accepted the church. Puritans would later form the back bone of
the Whig faction in Parliament.
1685 Death of Charles, succession of James II, emergence of the Whigs and
Tories as political factions in Parliament based on their attitude to James II.
1688-1690 Glorious Revolution. Passage of the Bill of Rights and succession of
William of Orange and Mary II as the first constitutional monarchy. The Bill of
Rights takes away the Monarch´s right to call an army domestically and
guarantees some human rights and Parliament´s rights. War in Ireland and the
defeat of James II at the battle of the Boyne.
1694 Death of Mary II
1699 By this time 80% of the population of the Caribbean were slaves and slave
labour had become central to the economy of the American colonies.
Indentured servitude would become less attractive for the poor of the British
Isles as prosperity increased and the triangular trans-Atlantic slave trade would
only increase before being outlawed in the 1830s.
1702 Death of William. Accession of Anne. From this time Ireland saw an
increase in Anti-Catholic penal laws far more severe than in England which
effectively made Catholics second class citizens. Crucially Catholic Irish were
largely barred from owning land which made them mostly a tenant farmer
class.
1707 The acts of union are finally passed in the Scottish and English parliaments
merging the two and officially creating the Kingdom of Great Britain.
1714 Death of Queen Anne. Accession of George I and the start of the
Hanoverian dynasty. As George could not speak English the role of prime
minister was established.