The 17th Century

1
The 17th Century

• England and the Dutch Republic

2
"Golden Age" of the Dutch Republic

• History of the Dutch prior to Westphalia
• Rebellion against Philip II
• The Eighty Years War (1568-1648)
• Peace of Westphalia recognizes the independence
  of the United Provinces
• Internal dissension after independence two
  centers of political power

3
Politics in the Dutch Republic

• House of Orange
• Each province had a stadholder who was
  responsible for leading the army and maintaining
  order
• Starting with William of Orange, his house
  occupied the stadholderate in most of the 7
  provinces, which were
• Favored the development of a centralized
  government with them as heredity monarchs
• William II and his son
• The States General
• Assembly of representatives from every province
• Opposed the centralizing actions of the House of
  Orange
• Dominated Dutch politics throughout most of the
  late 17th century
• However, the States General was ill-equipped to
  handle the threat from France and Louis XIV

4
William of Orange

• In 1672, with threats from both France and
  England the States General turns again to the
  House of Orange, in the person of William to lead
  them
• Is able to stem the tide against France
• In 1688 gains the English crown and its resources
  in his battle against France
• Upon his death in 1702, the republican forces
  regain control over Dutch affairs

5
Economic Power of the Dutch

• Economic Prosperity
• The United Provinces, with its access to the
  Atlantic, become the major trading power of the
  17th century
• However, the wars with France and competition
  from England erode its economic strength and by
  1715 the Dutch experience an economic decline
  that would last into the 18th century
• Amsterdam as a Commercial Capital
• Center of the Dutch commercial empire
• Replaced Antwerp as financial and commercial
  capital of Europe
• Was also a manufacturing center producing woolen
  cloth, refined sugar and tobacco products, glass,
  beer, paper, books, jewelry, and leather goods
• Also important as a financial center
• Exchange Bank of Amsterdam, 1609
• Amsterdam Stock Exchange

6
England and the Stuarts

• With the death of Elizabeth in 1603, the Tudor
  line came to an end and was replaced by the
  Stuarts
• James VI of Scotland becomes James I of England

7
James VI becomes James I

• Knew little about the laws and traditions of
  England
• Believed in Divine Right of Monarchy
• This put him into conflict with Parliament which
  had grown accustomed to a balanced polity of
  rule
• Parliament expressed its displeasure with James
  by refusing to grant him the monies he requested
• Jamess religious policy also alienated many in
  Parliament
• Puritans wanted James to eliminate the Episcopal
  system, and replace it was a more Presbyterian
  model
• James refused because the bishops were an
  important prop for monarchical power
• With this setback, the Puritans become a strong
  opponent of the Stuart monarchy

8
Charles I

• Charles I (1625-49) believed even more strongly
  in divine right
• This would involve himself in a protracted
  conflict with Parliament resulting in Civil War
  and his death in 1649

9
Charles IPetition of Right (1628)

• Charles had to accept before any new taxes could
  be raised
• Prohibited taxation without Parliaments consent,
  arbitrary imprisonment, quartering of soldiers in
  private homes, and the declaration of martial law
  in peacetime
• Charles initially agrees, but reneges on the
  Petition because it limits the power of the
  monarch

10
Personal Rule, 1629-1640

• Result of the Petition controversy is that
  Charles decides he cannot work with Parliament
  and decides not to summon it
• Now Charles had to find ways to raise money
  without Parliament
• The Ship Money
• Applied to all of England and not just the coast
• Tax angers the Gentry

11
Personal Rule, 1629-1640Religious Policies

• Marries the sister of Louis XIII, Henrietta Maria
  
• Charles, along with Archbishop Laud, tries to
  introduce more ritual into the Church of England
• Tries to impose reforms on Scotland and they rise
  in revolt against Charles

12
The Long Parliament (1640-1660)

• To raise the funds needed to fight the Scots,
  Charles recalled Parliament, but 11 years had
  taken their toll
• In first session (Nov. 1640 Sept. 1641),
  Parliament takes several steps to limit the power
  of the king
• Abolition of arbitrary courts and the collection
  of the Ship Monies
• The Triennial Act
• Radical Parliamentarians wanted to push harder,
  especially to eliminate bishops
• Charles moves on Parliament
• Backfires as a group of Puritans led by John Pym
  decide the king had gone too far and England
  slips into Civil War

13
The English Civil WarFirst Phase, 1642-1646

• Royalists vs. Parliamentarians (Roundheads)
• Important Battles
• Marston Moor, 2 July 1644
• Naseby, 14 June 1645
• Parliament is successful
• Main reason for success was the New Model Army
  led by Oliver Cromwell
• New Model Army was mainly composed of the extreme
  Puritans that Cromwell forged into a well
  disciplined and effective military force

14
The English Civil WarSecond Phase, 1648

• With the capture of the King, a split occurred
  among the parliamentary forces
• Presbyterian majority wanted to disband the army
  and restore Charles with a Presbyterian church
• The Independents, comprising most of the army,
  opposed this and marched on London in 1647 and
  began negotiations with the king
• Charles takes advantage of the split and flees to
  Scotland

15
The English Civil WarSecond Phase, 1648

• Cromwell and the army are enraged and wage war
  against the king once again
• Cromwell defeats and captures the king and
  determines to impose the armys point of view
• Cromwell purges the Presbyterian members of
  Parliament leaving a rump of 53
• They try Charles for treason and have him
  executed in January of 1649

16
Oliver Cromwell and the Commonwealth

• With the execution of the king, the Rump
  Parliament abolished the monarchy and the House
  of Lords
• England is declared a republic or commonwealth
• Rebellion in Ireland
• Political difficulties
• The Levellers
• Cromwell dismisses the Rump Parliament in April
  1653

17
Oliver Cromwell and the Commonwealth

• Creation of the Instrument of Government
• Englands first only written constitution
• Executive power is rested in the Lord Protector,
  which Cromwell is appointed to
• Cromwell again encounters problems with
  Parliament
• Dismissal in 1655 and the Major Generals
• Cromwell now leads a military dictatorship with
  policies no better than Charles Is
• Cromwell dies in 1658 with rule passing to his
  son
• Commonwealth cannot be maintained and the Stuarts
  are restored in the person of Charles II

18
The Stuart Restoration andCharles II

• Charles II (1660-85) is restored to the throne
  after 11 years of exile
• Charles is a carefree monarch
• However, Parliament kept most of the powers it
  gained during the Civil Wars

19
Reign of Charles II

• Religion continues to create controversy
• Anglican Church was restored with Parliament
  passing laws to force Catholics and Puritan
  Dissenters to conform
• Charles sympathy toward Catholicism
• 1672 Charles issues Declaration of Indulgences,
  suspending the religious laws passed by
  Parliament
• Parliament responds by forcing Charles to suspend
  the declaration and passing the Test Act of 1673
• Imaginary plot to assassinate Charles so James
  could take the throne forces Parliament to pass a
  law to exclude James
• Those who favor exclusion are called Whigs
  supporters of James known as Tories
• Charles dismisses Parliament in 1681 and rules
  without it through French subsidies

20
James II and the "Glorious Revolution"

• James succeeds his brother in 1685
• Open and devout Catholic, James tries to overturn
  all the anti-Catholic policies of Parliament
• Contrary to the Test Act, James appoints
  Catholics to high governmental and military
  positions
• Parliamentary outcries are muted because James is
  old and his heirs are his two Protestant
  daughters
• However, in June of 1688 a son was born and the
  specter of a Catholic monarchy rose again

21
William and Mary and the Bill of Rights

• In response, a group of seven prominent English
  nobleman invite William of Orange, husband of
  Mary, Jamess eldest daughter to invade England
  and rid them of James
• Williams sails to England and with little
  bloodshed, James flees to Europe
• William and Mary are installed as monarchs

22
Results of the Glorious Revolution

• The Bill of Rights
• Affirmed Parliaments right to make laws levy
  taxes
• Standing armies could only be raised with the
  support of Parliament
• Elections and debates of Parliament had to be
  free without interference from the King
• Did not completely settle the religious problems
  Toleration Act of 1689 gave Puritan Dissenters
  the right of free worship, but they did not have
  full civil and political equality as the Test Act
  was not repealed

23
Results of the Glorious Revolution

• Essentially, the Glorious Revolution completed
  the 17th century struggle between King and
  Parliament
• Parliament demolished the Divine Right theory as
  William was king by their grace
• However, Parliament did not have complete control
  of the government, but it now had an unquestioned
  role in the affairs of state