Objectives for next two days:
Absolutism
• Define Absolutism
• Define Divine Right
• Trace development of absolutism in
England and why it ultimately failed.
• Determine the cause of the Glorious
Revolution and how England became a
Constitutional Monarchy as a result of
it.
What is Absolutism?
• Absolute Monarch: king or queen who
believes all the power rests in their hands / no
limit to their power
• Divine Right: belief that God created the
monarchy and the king/queen
was God‘s representative on earth
• Absolute Power + Theory of Divine Right of
Kings = Absolute Divine Right Monarchy
Absolutism
European Nations and Absolutism
•
•
•
•
England
Spain
France
Russia
What factors led to Absolutism?
• Decline of feudalism
• Break down of church authority…
What factors led to the breakdown of church authority?
L’ etat
c’est moi!
“I am the
State”
• Growth of national kingdoms /
central authority
• Growing middle class who
supported an absolute ruler
• Social unrest
Why might a king desire absolute rule
during a period of social unrest?
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Absolutism v. Constitutionalism
17th and 18th Century European Politics
Power in Divine Right
Absolute Monarchy
God
King
Law
People
HW
Poder in system of
“Rule of Law” or
Constitutionalism
• Read 5:5 in Textbook and complete
handout: Due Tomorrow.
Law
King/Government/People
English Bill of
Rights [1689]
Absolutism and Constitutionalism
Clash in England
Magna Carta 1215
(Latin for ―Great Charter‖ --literally ―great paper‖
• Signed by King John I of England
in 1215
• The Magna Carta is the basis for
the rule of constitutional law today.
• Stated the King was not above the
law and must consult a council of
advisor when making decisions.
• Guaranteed that All people had
Habeas Corpus (no unlawful
imprisonment without due
process)
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Magna Carta laid the basis for the
development of Parliament
• Legislative and Executive
Authority of the United
Kingdom
• Current Prime Minister is
Gordon Brown
– Debate between PM Gordon
Brown (Labour) and
Conservative Party leader
David Cameron clip
House of Tudor
Name
Claim to the throne
Accession date
Death date
Henry VII
Right of succession
Crowned October 30,
1485
Henry VIII
--6 wives
Son of Henry VII
Crowned June 24, 1509
January 28,
1547
Edward VI
Son of Henry VIII by Jane
Seymour
Crowned February 20,
1547
July 6, 1553
Great Granddaughter of Henry
VII's
Crowned July 10, 1553
Later, not recognized
February 12,
1554
Daughter of Henry VIII by
Catherine of Aragon
Crowned October 1, 1553
November
18, 1558
Daughter of Henry VIII by
Anne Boleyn
Crowned January 15, 1559
March 24,
1603
Jane I
(9 day reign) –later
executed by
Mary
April 21,
1509
Mary I
(Catholic) ―Bloody
Mary‖ Later
Married Philip
of Spain
Elizabeth I
Queen Elizabeth—Last Tudor
• Died in 1603 & had no children.
• Her nearest relative was her cousin
James Stuart (already king of Scotland)
who became James I of England.
James I (r. 1603-1625) Stuart
James I (r. 1603-1625) Stuart
• A Protestant who Supported Divine
Right Absolutism:
– ―Kings are justly called gods, for that they
exercise a manner or resemblance of divine
power upon earth.‖
James I [r. 1603-1625]
James I’s speech to the
House of Commons:
King James
Bible,
1611
“I am surprised that my
ancestors should ever be
permitted such an
institution to come into
existence. I am a stranger,
and found it here when I
arrived, so that I am
obliged to put up with what
I cannot get rid of!”
3
King James I
Stuart Kings of England
James I and V for Vendetta?
• BIG QUESTION: How much
power should Parliament have?
– Parliament vs. absolute monarchs
– Arguments over money, religion,
etc.
King Charles I
The Gunpowder Plot
• On November 5 1605, a group of
Catholic conspirators, led by Guy
Fawkes, attempted to blow up
the Houses of Parliament in
Westminster when the
Protestant James I of England his
eldest sons, and the majority of
the English Parliament were
within its walls.
• The Plot was foiled
• The conspirators were later
tortured and executed.
• Many Catholics never
recognized Henry VIII‘s
break with the church
and the subsequent
Church of England.
Guy Fawkes Night—Nov. 5
– “Remember, remember the Fifth of
November”
• An annual celebration on the
evening of November 5th
primarily in the United
Kingdom.
• It celebrates the foiling of the
Gunpowder Plot.
• The celebrations involve
fireworks displays and the
building of bonfires, on which
"guys", or dummies,
representing Guy Fawkes are
burned in effigy.
Halloween and Guy Fawkes Night
4
Charles I [r. 1625-1649]
Televised Clip
Execution of Charles
Charles I (r. 1625-1649)
• Son of James I
• Advocate of Divine Right of Kings
– Let to ultimate conflict with English Parliament
• Speech to crowd:
– “I must tell you that the
liberty and freedom [of the
people] consists in having a
government…It is not for
having a share in
government. Sir, that is
nothing pertaining to them.”
• Conflict with Parliament led to two civil wars.
• Charles was put in prison awaiting trial in 1648.
– Charles refused to enter a plea, claiming Parliament
had no right to try him for he was only accountable to
God.
– Charles convicted of high treason and executed on
January 30, 1649.
– The monarchy was then abolished and a republic
called the Commonwealth of England was declared.
His last words were, "I go from a corruptible
to an incorruptible Crown, where no
disturbance can be."
• Oliver Cromwell took control
Oliver Cromwell [1599-1658]
The ―Interim‖ Period [1649-1660]
† After Charles I Execution, power passed
to Parliament and eventually to military
commander Oliver Cromwell.
† The Commonwealth (Republic)
(1649-1660)
† Republic in name only
King Charles II [r. 1660-1685]
a
Had charm, poise, & political
skills. Attempted to work with
Parliament.
a
Favored religious toleration.
a
Had secret Catholic
sympathies.—Converted to
Catholicism on his deathbed
a
Realized that he could not repeat
the mistakes his father had made.
† By 1653, Cromwell had established himself as
military dictator.
† With is death in 1660, Parliament restored
the Monarchy with the son of Charles I—
Charles II.
† This was known as the “Restoration”
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King James II [r. 1685-1688]
King James II [r. 1685-1688]
a
a
a
a
Brother of Charles II
Was a convert to
Catholicism and openly
showed it
Believed in Absolute
Monarchy, like his
father Charles I, who
had been executed.
Why might his
Catholicism be a
problem in England?
Parliament offered the throne jointly
to James II’s daughter Mary Stuart
[raised a Protestant] & her husband,
William of Orange.
 James II fled to France where he
was provided a safe haven by Louis
XIV
English Bill of Rights [1689]
a
a
a
a
Attacked Anglican control of the
universities.
a
Claimed the power to suspend or
dispense with Acts of Parliament.
a
When James had a son (who was
baptized Catholic) members of
Parliament conspired to overthrow
James.
The “Glorious” Revolution: 1688
a
James II overthrow paved the way for
Parliamentary reforms.
a
Upon accepting the thrown, William and
Mary agreed to a Constitutional
Monarchy, which became the English
Parliamentary Democracy (Constitutional
Monarchy) of today.
a
No blood was spilled in this revolution
a
Parliament drew up a “Bill or Rights,”
which was latter used as a model for the
American Bill of Rights.
a
For these reason, this revolution has
become known as the “Glorious Revolution”
 William was a Protestant and a
vigorous enemy of Louis XIV, who
James was allied with.
 William invaded to a welcoming
Parliament.
Introduced Catholics into the High
Command in both the military as well
as his political advisors
 He extended religious toleration
without Parliament’s approval or
support.
The “Glorious” Revolution: 1688
a
a
English Bill of Rights [1689]
Main provisions:
It settled all of the
major issues between
King & Parliament.
1. The King could not suspend the operation of laws.
It served as a model
for the U. S. Bill of
Rights.
4. Freedom of speech in Parliament.
It also formed a base
for the steady
expansion of civil
liberties in the 18c and
early 19c in England.
2. The King could not interfere with the ordinary course of justice.
3. No taxes levied or standard army maintained in peacetime without
Parliament’s consent.
5. Sessions of Parliament would be held frequently.
6. Subjects had the right of bail, petition, and freedom from excessive fines
and cruel and unusual punishment.
7. The monarch must be a Protestant.
1. no Catholic would henceforth be permitted to ascend to the English throne,
nor could any English monarch marry a Catholic.
8. Freedom from arbitrary arrest.
9. Censorship of the press was dropped.
10. Religious toleration (sort of)
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British Commonwealth-2007
British Commonwealth nations that
are Constitutional Monarchies
under Queen Elizabeth II
Constitutional Monarchies
around the Globe
• Three portraits of Queen Elizabeth II illustrating
her different positions as sovereign.
• Left: as Queen of New Zealand
• center: as Queen of Canada
• right: as Queen of the United Kingdom
• Constitutional monarchies with representative parliamentary systems are
shown in red. Other constitutional monarchies (shown in violet) have
monarchs who continue to exercise political influence, albeit within certain
legal restrictions. Constitutional monarchies in beige (currently only one
nation, Thailand) are constitutional monarchies in which the constitution has
been suspended.
So, why do the English Call this
this ―Glorious Revolution‖?
• A Constitutional Monarchy with a
strong parliament was established as
well as the English Bill of Rights
• No blood was spilled during this
‗revolution‘
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