Section 2: Constitutional Monarchy in England CHAPTER 11 Enlightenment and Revolution in England and America Section 1: Civil War and Revolution Section 2: Constitutional Monarchy in England Section 3: English Colonial Expansion Section 4: The Enlightenment Section 5: The American Revolution
What laws did Parliament create to protect against arbitrary rule? SECTION 2 Constitutional Monarchy in England 11.2 Bell Ringer Question: What laws did Parliament create to protect against arbitrary rule?
SECTION 2 Constitutional Monarchy in England After Oliver Cromwell's death in 1658 and the subsequent collapse of the Commonwealth in 1660, Charles II was restored to the English throne.
Charles II The Merry Monarch SECTION 2 Constitutional Monarchy in England Charles II The Merry Monarch England was overjoyed at having a monarch again. However, royal powers and privileges were severely limited by Parliament.
Charles’ reign was beset by many problems. SECTION 2 Constitutional Monarchy in England Charles’ reign was beset by many problems.
1665 Bubonic Plague SECTION 2 Constitutional Monarchy in England Killed an estimated 100,000 people, 20% of London's population
Great Fire of London 1666 80% of the city was destroyed. SECTION 2 Constitutional Monarchy in England Great Fire of London 1666 80% of the city was destroyed. The Great Fire of London began on the night of September 2, 1666, as a small fire on Pudding Lane, in the bakeshop of Thomas Farynor, baker to King Charles II. At one o'clock in the morning, a servant woke to find the house aflame, and the baker and his family escaped, but a fear-struck maid perished in the blaze. At this time, most London houses were of wood and pitch construction, dangerously flammable, and it did not take long for the fire to expand. The fire leapt to the hay and feed piles on the yard of the Star Inn at Fish Street Hill, and spread to the Inn. The strong wind that blew that night sent sparks that next ignited the Church of St. Margaret, and then spread to Thames Street, with its riverside warehouses and wharves filled with food for the flames: hemp, oil, tallow, hay, timber, coal and spirits along with other combustibles. The citizen firefighting brigades had little success in containing the fire with their buckets of water from the river. By eight o'clock in the morning, the fire had spread halfway across London Bridge. The only thing that stopped the fire from spreading to Southwark, on the other side of the river, was the gap that had been caused by the fire of 1633. The standard procedure to stop a fire from spreading had always been to destroy the houses on the path of the flames, creating “fire-breaks”, to deprive a fire from fuel. Lord Mayor Bludworth, however, was hesitant, worrying about the cost of rebuilding. By the time a Royal command came down, carried by Samuel Pepys, the fire was too out of control to stop. The Trained Bands of London were called in to demolish houses by gunpowder, but often the rubble was too much to be cleared before the fire was at hand, and only eased the fire's way onward. The fire blazed unchecked for another three days, until it halted near Temple Church. Then, it suddenly sprang to life again, continuing towards Westminster. The Duke of York (later King James II) had the presence of mind to order the Paper House demolished to create a fire break, and the fire finally died down. Although the loss of life was minimal (some sources say only sixteen perished), the magnitude of the property loss was staggering. Some 430 acres, as much as 80% of the city proper was destroyed, including 13,000 houses, 89 churches, and 52 Guild Halls. Thousands of citizens found themselves homeless and financially ruined. The Great Fire, and the fire of 1676, which destroyed over 600 houses south of the river, changed the face of London forever. The one positive effect of the Great Fire of London was that the plague, which had ravished London since 1665, diminished greatly, due to the mass death of the plague-carrying rats in the blaze. Charles II appointed six Commissioners to redesign the city. The plan provided for wider streets and buildings of brick, rather than timber. By 1671, 9000 houses and public buildings had been completed. Sir Christopher Wren was commissioned to design and oversee the construction of nearly 50 churches, not least of them a new St. Paul's Cathedral, construction of which began in 1675. The King also had Wren design a monument to the Great Fire, which stands still today at the site of the bakery which started it all, on a street now named Monument Street.
But James was a CATHOLIC …. RUTROW! SECTION 2 Constitutional Monarchy in England Problem of Succession . . . Charles did not have any children. His heir would be his brother – James. But James was a CATHOLIC …. RUTROW!
SECTION 2 Constitutional Monarchy in England Political parties would form in Parliament from the ashes of the Cavaliers and Roundheads -- arguing the question of succession. Whigs Tories Wanted a strong Parliament – NO catholic king Supported the hereditary right to rule – they would accept a Catholic king Political parties formed in Parliament from the ashes of the Cavaliers and Roundheads. The Cavaliers evolved into the Tory Party, royalists intent on preserving the king's authority over Parliament, while the Roundheads transformed into the Whig Party, men of property dedicated to expanding trade abroad and maintaining Parliament's supremacy in the political field.
Charles died and his brother is crowned James II. SECTION 2 Constitutional Monarchy in England Charles died and his brother is crowned James II. Almost immediately, he starts aggravating Parliament with his ideas of absolute rule of the king. How long do you think Parliament put up with THAT?
SECTION 2 Constitutional Monarchy in England William III Mary II
Changes in the ways people thought about gov’t SECTION 2 Constitutional Monarchy in England Changes in the ways people thought about gov’t Let’s compare the ideas of Hobbes and Locke. Draw up a two column chart for these gentlemen. Thomas Hobbes John Locke
Thomas Hobbes Unwritten social contract gave the leader absolute power SECTION 2 Constitutional Monarchy in England Thomas Hobbes Unwritten social contract gave the leader absolute power People only kept the right to protect their own lives Wrote Leviathan 1651
John Locke People only gave up some rights SECTION 2 Constitutional Monarchy in England John Locke People only gave up some rights Life, liberty and the right to own property A ruler (gov’t) who violated these rights had broken the social contract and could justly be overthrown. Wrote Two Treatises of Government 1689
SECTION 2 Constitutional Monarchy in England The ideas of Hobbes and Locke inspired changes in how government worked …. Parliament began to put safeguards into law so that their rights as citizens could be protected.
Constitutional Monarchy in England SECTION 2 Constitutional Monarchy in England Using your book, complete this chart. Safeguard Purpose Habeas Corpus Act protected individuals from unfair arrest and imprisonment 1.declared Parliament would choose who ruled the country; 2.king now HAD to obey the laws; prohibited king from imposing taxes or keeping an army in peaceful times without Parliament’s consent; 3.guaranteed free speech for members of Parliament; 4.gave citizens the right to question the gov’t; 5.declared citizens should not be required to pay excessive bail or be subjected to cruel and unusual punishment English Bill of Rights Act of Toleration granted Protestant dissenters (those who separated from the Church of England – i.e., Anabaptists) some religious freedoms
Parliament held most of the power. SECTION 2 Constitutional Monarchy in England With those safeguards, we now see the growth of Parliamentary Rule in England. No more divine right of king! Parliament held most of the power. The Cabinet: officers of state chosen from leaders in Parliament Act of Union 1707 created Great Britain Sir Robert Walpole – first Prime Minister
The monarch remained Britain’s head of state. SECTION 2 Constitutional Monarchy in England The government of England will now be a Limited Constitutional Monarchy. The monarch remained Britain’s head of state. Royal powers were clearly limited. The Prime Minister was pretty much the real head of government because the king’s power had been reduced.
SECTION 2 Constitutional Monarchy in England Now it is time for your quiz. Grab your notes and a pencil. Do not use your textbook!