Wars against neighboring countries, power struggles between kings and Parliament, religious uproars, civil war, and even dictatorship. This is not the beginning of a synopsis for a great new movie, but a small glimpse at how life was in England during the 17th century. From Kings James I, Charles I, Charles II, and the dictator Oliver Cromwell Parliament faced an uphill struggle to retain its power and try to bring an end to absolutism. In 1658 upon the death of Cromwell, his son Richard succeeded him, only to be ousted by the return of Charles II in 1660. He would rule over England for twenty five years until 1685, a period known as the restoration. When Charles II died in 1685 he had no heirs to succeed him subsequently leaving his brother James, who was a catholic, to become king. Rather than have a catholic king, Parliament convened in 1688 resulting in a unanimous decision to solicit William of Orange to invade England. As William was invited to invade he met no opposition upon his arrival, with no one willing to fight for James he quickly left England and fled to France leaving the throne and its power to William. Because James had essentially been overthrown by an act of Parliament and there was no bloodshed, this change of rulers became known as the glorious revolution (Hooker 1996a).
One of if not the most important events that took place in the seventeenth century that effectively help shape the colonies was the development of the Glorious Revolution in England in 1688. Though the vast majority of news that reached the colonies took a great deal of time and many times was inaccurate, the colonists immediately saw the connection between the revolution and their situation (Hooker 1996b).
The colonists suffered immensely under the rule of James II, perhaps even more so than their English companions. James refused recognition of colonial charters, he did not allow for colonists to represent themselves to give say over new laws or taxes, and his rule over the colonies seemed to be based merely on personal gain (Hooker 1996b). The colonies had already fallen prey to heavy agricultural interest from England which in turn slowed down the development of plantations. Several Navigation acts had been passed through Parliament that greatly increased colonial frustration towards England, such as the Navigation Act of 1660 which prohibited the colonies to import into or export from the British colonies any goods except in English or colonial ships. It also banned an assortment of goods such as tobacco, sugar, cotton, wool, and dyeing woods to be shipped to any country, except to England or other English colonies. Many other commodities were later added to the list during the latter years of Charles II and James II. In the years leading up to the Glorious Revolution the colonist became highly burdened with an ever increasing tax on these goods weather sold to England or from colony to colony. Implemented largely for the benefit of certain individuals, these acts would eventually become fuel on the fire for later revolts by the colonists (Blackburn 1997).
James was also a Catholic and with the colonists for the most part being Protestant, the vast majority radicals, when he issued the Declaration of Indulgence which established the freedom of worship for Catholics all of the colonies with the exception of Maryland became very concerned. Even more troubling to the colonies was the way in which James seemed to be showing indications that he planned on replacing Protestant churches with Catholic churches. The colonists saw such great danger in this simply because they had seen France, which was a Catholic country become an absolute monarchy under the rule of Louis XIV, in their eyes Catholicism meant absolutism. In fact, by the time of the Glorious Revolution over half of the colonies with essentially independent governments fell under the direct control of the English monarch, a direct reflection of James’ ever growing independence from Parliament (Hooker 1996b).
Though the Glorious Revolution was an intense event for the English, it was beyond doubt, mind boggling for the colonists. With very little knowledge as to what actually happened in England and the simple fact that when William of Orange had become King of England his directives did not reach the colonies with any speed, by 1689 a sequence of revolts began taking place. The revolts began in Boston quickly sweeping through to Plymouth, New York, and Maryland subsequently forcing the Kings government, called the Dominion, to give independent power back to the colonists. Though for the most part the English were disgusted by and saw absolutely no connection amid the Glorious Revolution and the colonists’ desire for power over their own affairs, a great division between the colonies and England had been made, one which would have the belief of colonial independence become the stamina behind a great deal of the colonists and the events that took place throughout the next century (Hooker 1996b).
The revolutionary events that took place in 1688 and carried into 1689 changed the colonial’s political environment with King William dismantling his government, the Dominion and allowing the reestablishment of a colonial legislative government. Governors were once again directed to hold annual assemblies thus allowing colonial elites to gain control over their local affairs. Religious freedom for Protestants was also made certain through the outcome of events. The colonies began to see what independence looked like and though for nearly another century they would live under a great deal of tyranny with new and harsher Navigation Acts coupled with higher taxes, as each day passed the cry for independence that was set in motion by the Glorious Revolution grew stronger.
References
Blackburn, Robin (1997). The making of New World slavery: from the Baroque to the modern,
1492-1800, Brooklyn, NY. Verso
Hooker, Richard (1996a). The European Enlightenment, the case of England, Retrieved July
21, 2009 from http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/ENLIGHT/ENGLAND.HTM
Hooker, Richard (1996b). The idea of America, the American Enlightenment, Retrieved July 21,
2009 from http://www.wsu.edu:8001/~dee/AMERICA/ENLIGHT.HTM
