Chapter 18: Court and country parties

• Cause of distrust between Crown and Parliament in 1670s?

  The Crown's attempt to manage Parliament
• Court party?

  Supported political and religious direction of the monarch
• Country party?

  Concerned about elements of the monarch's policy
• Was the Court party a consistent group?

  No. They acted as clients of the monarch in Parliament, suggesting and supporting policies the king would also support. They shared some beliefs with Charles and were generally ambitious
• Former Cabal members in the Country party?

  The Duke of Buckingham and the Earl of Shaftesbury
• Early Country party meeting?

  The Green Ribbon Club. Founded in 1674
• Key Court party figures?

  Charles II, Earl of Danby
• Other key Country party figures?

  William Coventry, William Cavendish
• Aims of Court party?

  Toleration of dissenters and Catholics, and create a strong connection between absolutist France
• Aims of Country party?

  Discourage Catholicism, dissenting and French sympathies. Wanted to defend Protestantism at home and abroad
• Court party attitude to Parliament?

  Manipulated it using Crown patronage
• Country party attitude to Parliament?

  Distrusted government, as they believed it was corrupt. Defended the rights of Parliament over prerogative
• William Coventry?

  A trimmer (someone who sought consensus). Attacked Clarendon and Danby. Imprisoned in the Tower in 1669. Did not support exclusion
• William Cavendish?

  Moved towards country position due to his fear of popery, the French and a distrust of the Stuarts. Attacked the Cabal and tried to impeach Danby. Voted against exclusion
• Why did a Court faction develop?

  Danby's use of patronage
• Danby's Anglican policies?

  Appointed Anglican and Royalist gentlemen to offices. Forged an alliance with bishops and persecuted Catholics and dissenters. Insisted James' daughters marry Protestants and be raised as Anglicans
• A Letter from a Person of Quality to his Friend in the Country?

  Pamphlet written by Shaftesbury that spread rumour of an absolutist conspiracy to impose a party of bishops and Cavaliers through the army
• Andrew Marvell?

  Believed that a minority were attempting to turn England to popery
• Why did Charles prorogue Parliament in 1678?

  Dutch and French signed Peace of Nijmegen, so Charles no longer needed war funds
• Why was Danby sacrificed in 1678?

  It came to light that he had been involved with the French
• What did the Court faction develop into?

  The Tory faction
• What did the Country faction develop into?

  The Whig faction
• Which faction for pro-exclusion?

  Whig
• Key Tory beliefs?

  Civil authority comes from God, no right to resistance against tyranny, threat of absolutism believed to originate from dissenters and republicans
• Key Whig beliefs?

  Civil authority comes from the people, the right to resist tyranny, absolutism believed to originate from Catholicism, more religious toleration of dissenters
• Robert Filmer?

  Wrote Patriarcha. Argued that political authority does not originate from the people, and that the monarch's power was given by God
• John Locke?

  Anti-absolutist philosopher. Wrote Two Treatises of Government, but it wasn't widely read until after his death