Absolutism Objectives for next two days:

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? European Nations and Absolutism

Absolute Monarch: king or queen who
England
believes all the power rests in their hands / no
Spain
limit to their power
France
Divine Right: belief that God created the Russia
monarchy and the king/queen
was Gods representative on earth
Absolute Power + Theory of Divine Right of
Kings = Absolute Divine Right Monarchy

Absolutism What factors led to Absolutism?

Decline of feudalism
Break down of church authority
What factors led to the breakdown of church authority?
L etat Growth of national kingdoms /
central authority
cest moi!
Growing middle class who
supported an absolute ruler
I am the Social unrest
State 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 Read 5:5 in Textbook and complete
Constitutionalism handout: Due Tomorrow.

Law

King/Government/People
English Bill of
Rights [1689]

Absolutism and Constitutionalism Magna Carta 1215

(Latin for Great Charter --literally great paper
Clash in England
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 House of Tudor
development of Parliament Name Claim to the throne Accession date Death date

Crowned October 30, April 21,

Henry VII Right of succession
Legislative and Executive 1485 1509
Authority of the United Henry VIII January 28,
Kingdom --6 wives
Son of Henry VII Crowned June 24, 1509
1547

Current Prime Minister is Edward VI

Son of Henry VIII by Jane Crowned February 20,
July 6, 1553
Gordon Brown Seymour 1547
Jane I
Debate between PM Gordon (9 day reign) later Great Granddaughter of Henry Crowned July 10, 1553 February 12,
Brown (Labour) and executed by
Mary
VII's Later, not recognized 1554
Conservative Party leader Mary I
David Cameron clip (Catholic) Bloody Daughter of Henry VIII by
Crowned October 1, 1553
November
Mary Later
Married Philip Catherine of Aragon 18, 1558
of Spain

Daughter of Henry VIII by March 24,

Elizabeth I Crowned January 15, 1559
Anne Boleyn 1603

Queen ElizabethLast Tudor

Died in 1603 & had no children. James I (r. 1603-1625) Stuart
Her nearest relative was her cousin
James Stuart (already king of Scotland)
who became James I of England.

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 Is speech to the
House of Commons:

King James I am surprised that my

ancestors should ever be
Bible, permitted such an
institution to come into
1611 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!

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 King James I
James I and V for Vendetta?
Stuart Kings of England
BIG QUESTION: How much
power should Parliament have?
Parliament vs. absolute monarchs
Arguments over money, religion,
etc.

Many Catholics never

recognized Henry VIIIs
break with the church
and the subsequent
King Charles I Church of England.

The Gunpowder Plot Guy Fawkes NightNov. 5

Remember, remember the Fifth of
On November 5 1605, a group of November
Catholic conspirators, led by Guy An annual celebration on the
Fawkes, attempted to blow up evening of November 5th
the Houses of Parliament in primarily in the United
Westminster when the
Protestant James I of England his Kingdom.
eldest sons, and the majority of It celebrates the foiling of the
the English Parliament were Gunpowder Plot.
within its walls. The celebrations involve
The Plot was foiled fireworks displays and the
The conspirators were later building of bonfires, on which
tortured and executed. "guys", or dummies,
representing Guy Fawkes are
burned in effigy.

Halloween and Guy Fawkes Night

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 Charles I [r. 1625-1649]
Televised Clip

Charles I (r. 1625-1649) Execution of Charles

Son of James I
Speech to crowd:
Advocate of Divine Right of Kings
I must tell you that the
Let to ultimate conflict with English Parliament
liberty and freedom [of the
Conflict with Parliament led to two civil wars. people] consists in having a
Charles was put in prison awaiting trial in 1648. governmentIt is not for
Charles refused to enter a plea, claiming Parliament having a share in
had no right to try him for he was only accountable to government. Sir, that is
God.
Charles convicted of high treason and executed on
nothing pertaining to them.
January 30, 1649.
The monarchy was then abolished and a republic His last words were, "I go from a corruptible
called the Commonwealth of England was declared. to an incorruptible Crown, where no
Oliver Cromwell took control disturbance can be."

Oliver Cromwell [1599-1658] King Charles II [r. 1660-1685]

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
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
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.

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 King James II [r. 1685-1688]
a Brother of Charles II
a Was a convert to
Catholicism and openly
showed it
a Believed in Absolute
Monarchy, like his
father Charles I, who
had been executed.
a Why might his
Catholicism be a
problem in England?
The Glorious Revolution: 1688
a Parliament offered the throne jointly
to James IIs daughter Mary Stuart
[raised a Protestant] & her husband,
William of Orange.
William was a Protestant and a
vigorous enemy of Louis XIV, who
James was allied with.
William invaded to a welcoming
Parliament.
James II fled to France where he
was provided a safe haven by Louis
XIV
English Bill of Rights [1689]
a It settled all of the
major issues between
King & Parliament.
a It served as a model
for the U. S. Bill of
Rights.
a It also formed a base
for the steady
expansion of civil
liberties in the 18c and
early 19c in England.
King James II [r. 1685-1688]
a Introduced Catholics into the High
Command in both the military as well
as his political advisors
a Attacked Anglican control of the
universities.
a Claimed the power to suspend or
dispense with Acts of Parliament.
He extended religious toleration
without Parliaments approval or
support.
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
English Bill of Rights [1689]
Main provisions:
1. The King could not suspend the operation of laws.
2. The King could not interfere with the ordinary course of justice.
3. No taxes levied or standard army maintained in peacetime without
Parliaments consent.
4. Freedom of speech in Parliament.
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 nations that
British Commonwealth-2007 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