Chapter 21: The 'Glorious Revolution' and its consolidation

• What was the ‘Glorious Revolution’?


  the removal of James II by the Political Nation and his replacement by Dutch William of Orange, who married James’ daughter Mary. 
• Why did the Glorious Revolution happen?


  the Political Nation had been provoked by the aims and policies of James II that promoted Catholicism. 
• In 1688 James II reissued the Declaration of Indulgence.
• What else did James II declare with the Declaration of Indulgence?

  • would establish freedom of religion
  • announced his next Parliament, due in November, would enact this by law
  • ordered it would be announced from all CoE pulpits in late May-early June 1688
• What was the reaction to James’ reissuing of the Declaration of Indulgence?


  Direct petition from Archbishop William Sancroft and six other bishops that, since the declaration was based on a power that Parliament regarded as illegal, there should be no statement from the pulpit
• Significance of Sancroft’s petition


  the men weren’t radicals and were James’ natural supporters yet he committed them to the Tower and put them on trial, turning them into martyrs
• What was the trigger for heightened opposition against James II in 1688?


  he birth of his son on 10th June 1688 —> signalled another Catholic heir
• What provoked action against James II?


  his use of of the courts to his own ends and the birth of his son
• Why did William view invasion of England as beneficial to the Dutch?

  • beneficial to their strategic and economic interests in Europe
  • could form an alliance with England against France, who the Dutch were fearful of
• What pushed William to action in 1688?

  • threat of another attack in the Dutch Republic by Louis XIV
  • the birth of James’ son
• The Immortal Seven (30th June 1688)


  the name for the 5 Whigs and 2 Tories who invited William to invade England.
• What was the goal of the Immortal Seven for William’s invasion?

  secure a ‘free parliament’ and investigate the legitimacy of James II’s son
• 29th September 1688: Dutch Republic give support for William’s invasion
• 30th September 1688: William issued a declaration of reasons for appearing in arms in the kingdom of England. 
• What was William’s initial aims?

  • intervene in English politics
  • remodel Parliament and Privy Council
  • ensure England supported the Dutch Republic against Louis XIV.
• • 5th November: William landed in Torbay
  • 9th November: William occupied Exeter
• What did William call for?


  a free parliament without the influence of James II
• Examples of areas that supported William


  Cheshire, Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire
• What was the general reaction of the population to William’s invasion?


  not to get involved as if it was a revolution, it was a ‘revolution from above’.
• Why was William’s success not guaranteed?

  • James had control of London and a standing army
  • Reluctancy to depose James actively, even among his leading critics
• Why did James fail?

  failed to take action and his army suffered desertions
• What did James' 11th Dec 1688 departure from London lead to?


  Allowed many bishops and peers who were reluctant to support William choose to support him as James had ‘withdrawn himself’ from kingship
• • 11-13th December: London experienced 3 nights of anti-Catholic riots
  • 23rd December: James flees to France
  • 24th December: The Assembly of Peers organised to run England in James’ absence invited William to take over government.
• 22nd January 1689: the Convention Parliament met to discuss and justify deposing one monarch for another. 
• How many Whigs and how many Tories was the 1689 Convention Parliament formed of?

  319 Whigs and 232 Tories
• What did the Whigs in the Convention Parliament (1689) argue?


  James had ‘broken the fundamental laws of the constitution’ and thereby forfeited the throne
• What did the Tories in the Convention Parliament (1689) argue?


  James was ‘incapacitated’ so William and Mary should only rule as regents, or Mary ruled alone with William as consort
• What did William do on 3rd February 1690?

  warned, in a secret meeting with peers, that he would go back to Holland unless he was made King. 
• What provisions did the Lords set when agreeing to make William king?

  • His wife, Mary, would share the title of monarch, although without the power
  • If Mary died and William married again, any children from this second marriage would be behind Anne, Mary’s sister, in the line of succession.
• What was the Declaration of Rights?


  produced by a parliamentary committee, also stated that Catholics were never to inherit the throne (NOT made a condition of giving William the throne). 
• • 13th February 1690: formal ceremony offering the Crown to William and Mary
  • 11th April: Coronation of William and Mary
• Significance of William and Mary swearing a different coronation oath to previous monarchs


  indicated their different position and that of Parliament - accepted they were ‘beneath’ the rule of law (Historian William Speck). 
• What legislation did Parliament pass in the wake of the Glorious Revolution?

  • Mutiny Act of March 1689 - prevented the creation of a standing army without Parliament’s consent
  • Toleration Act of May 1689 - exempted dissenters from penal laws if they swore an oath of allegiance
  • January 1690: watered down Declaration of Rights was passed as the Bill of Rights
• What did the Bill of Rights state?

  • Parliament had to consent to all taxation
  • No Catholic was to inherit the throne or marry a monarch
  • No monarch could have a standing army
  • Suspending and dispensing powers of the monarch were declared unconstitutional
• Importance of the Bill of Rights


  while significant as it was not very tolerant to dissenters, had limited constitutional force as it was not a binding or fixed contract between Crown and people and could be replaced 
• 20th March 1690: a revenue of £1.2 million a year was settled for the Crown.
• What was the Crown revenue to be used for?

  half for civil government and half for war
• 14th March 1689: William summoned the Convention of Estates, a meeting of the Scottish elite (Scottish Jacobites (supporters of James II) refused to attend).
• Why was the revolution in Scotland more revolutionary?

  • they outright voted that James II had forfeited his throne and that it was vacant
  • religion-wise, William agreed to the abolition of bishops
• When did William and Mary accept the throne of Scotland?

  11 May 1689