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Constitutionalism in Great Britain. The Restoration (1660-1688) ► King Charles II (r. 1660-1685)  Parliament in 1660 reelected according to old franchise:

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Presentation on theme: "Constitutionalism in Great Britain. The Restoration (1660-1688) ► King Charles II (r. 1660-1685)  Parliament in 1660 reelected according to old franchise:"— Presentation transcript:

1 Constitutionalism in Great Britain

2 The Restoration (1660-1688) ► King Charles II (r. 1660-1685)  Parliament in 1660 reelected according to old franchise: Anglicans back in power  Charles II “The Merry Monarch” (1660-1685): Stuarts restored to the throne  Declaration of Breda: Charles agreed to abide by Parliament’s demands  The Clarendon Code, 1661: Anglicans excluded Dissenters (Puritans) from politics.  Declaration of Indulgence, 1673: Charles II granted free worship to Catholics.

3 The Restoration (1660-1688) ► Test Act of 1673: all officeholders must take communion in Anglican Church  Was Anglican response to Declaration of Indulgence ► Habeas Corpus Act (1679): no arbitrary arrest and speedy trial ► Parliament was split and fragmented into two political parties  Tories: king’s supporters, nobles  Whigs: middle-class and merchants; also high aristocracy

4 The Restoration (1660-1688) ► King James II (r. 1685- 1688)  sought to Catholicize England in Declaration of Liberty of Conscience.  Second wife (Catholic) bears a son, fear of Catholic succession  He is forced to abdicate.  Leads to rebellions in Scotland and Ireland.

5 Glorious Revolution (1688) ► William III (William of Orange) and Mary Stuart (daughter of James II form first marriage): Protestantism secured in England  Act of Toleration: granted religious freedom (except to Catholics, Jews, and Unitarians

6 Bill of Rights (1689) Act of Parliament (one of the bases of the “British Constitution”) that includes: ► freedom from royal interference with the law ► freedom from taxation by royal prerogative, without agreement by Parliament ► freedom to petition the King ► freedom from a peace-time standing army, without agreement by Parliament ► freedom to elect members of Parliament without interference from the Sovereign ► the freedom of speech in Parliament. ► freedom from cruel and unusual punishments, and excessive bail.

7 Locke v. Hobbes ► Thomas Hobbes: Leviathan (1651): Justified strong government. Life was "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short" ► John Locke: Two Treatises on Government (1689): Right to overthrow tyrannical rulers; Social contract; philosophical argument for supremacy of Parliament.

8 Queen Anne & Act of Union ► Act of Settlement (1701): only Anglican could succeed to the throne ► Queen Anne (1702-1714): ► Act of Union (1707) – English and Scottish Parliaments merged = United Kingdom of Great Britain  Royal veto used for last time  On her death the Elector of Hanover, George I took the throne.

9 The Jacobites ► Beginning in the 1690s and through the 1740s, revolts in Highland Scotland broke out in support of Stuarts (James II and Bonnie Prince Charlie). ► These ended in 1745-46 with the Battle of Culloden and the Highland Clearances.

10 Parliamentary Government ► Cabinet System of preparing laws for Parliament developed during early 18 th century ► Party system (Whigs and Tories) become prominent. ► Prime minister became leader of cabinet and responsible to majority party in the House of Commons. ► Robert Walpole (1721- 1742) became first prime minister


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