Omar Bennett
James II of England, also known as James VII, was king of England, Scotland and Ireland from 1685 until he was deposed in the 1688 Glorious Revolution. James is described as a constitutional monarch because his power was limited by the laws of Parliament and the Magna Carta. This is in contrast to an absolute monarch, who has no constraints on their power. James' reign was marked by conflicts over religion, as well as struggles over the principles of absolutism and the divine right of kings. The Glorious Revolution of 1688 and the subsequent English Bill of Rights further established the power of Parliament over the Crown, confirming the shift towards constitutional monarchy.
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What You'll Learn
- James II was a constitutional monarch because his power was limited by laws of Parliament and the Magna Carta
- The Glorious Revolution of 1688 ended a century of political and civil strife
- James' deposition confirmed the primacy of Parliament over the Crown
- The English Bill of Rights, passed in 1689, set out the limits of royal authority
- James' reign was marked by conflicts over religion and the principles of absolutism
James II was a constitutional monarch because his power was limited by laws of Parliament and the Magna Carta
James II of England, also known as James VII, was the King of England, Scotland and Ireland. He was the last Catholic monarch of these countries and his reign is remembered for conflicts over religion. James II was a constitutional monarch because his power was limited by laws of Parliament and the Magna Carta.
The English Civil War and the subsequent execution of King Charles I were followed by a period when England was a republic under Oliver Cromwell. The monarchy was restored in 1660 with Charles II on the throne. However, Charles II ruled by royal decree and relied on the Royal Prerogative, which allowed him to pass measures that could be withdrawn at his discretion, rather than by Parliament. This led to concerns that Charles II intended to create an absolute monarchy, resulting in the Exclusion Crisis of 1679-1681.
After the deposition of James II in the 1688 Glorious Revolution, the English Bill of Rights was passed in 1689, which set out the limits of royal authority and defined the rights of Parliament. This bill established Parliament as the supreme governing authority in England, limiting the powers of the monarchy. James II's power was thus constrained by laws of Parliament, making him a constitutional monarch.
In addition to the laws of Parliament, James II's power was also limited by the Magna Carta, a historical political document. This further qualifies him as a constitutional monarch, as his power was constrained by both Parliament and an important historical document.
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The Glorious Revolution of 1688 ended a century of political and civil strife
The Glorious Revolution of 1688, also known as the Bloodless Revolution, ended a century of political and civil strife in England. The revolution involved the overthrow of the Catholic King James II, who was replaced by his Protestant daughter Mary and her Dutch husband, William of Orange.
James II was a constitutional monarch, in that his power was constrained by the laws of Parliament and the Magna Carta. This is in contrast to an absolute monarch, who has no constraints on their power. James's reign was marked by conflicts over religion and struggles over the principles of absolutism and the divine right of kings. He supported the freedom of worship for Catholics and appointed Catholic officers to the army, which caused tension with the Protestant majority in England and Scotland. James also attempted to reduce the Anglican monopoly on education, offending Anglicans by allowing Roman Catholics to hold important positions at Oxford University.
The revolution of 1688 was not an isolated event but was influenced by the changes and upheavals of the mid-17th century, including the English Civil War and the Interregnum, when England was a republic under Oliver Cromwell. The ideas accompanying the Glorious Revolution were rooted in these earlier events, and the revolution itself was a response to the specific policies and actions of James II. For example, James required potential MPs to be approved by their local Lord Lieutenant, and he purged local governments and town corporations to create an obedient electoral machine, further alienating his supporters.
The Glorious Revolution ended a century of political and civil strife by confirming the primacy of Parliament over the Crown in England and Scotland. The revolution transformed England from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy, as the Bill of Rights defined, wrote down, and limited the power of the monarch for the first time. The event changed how England was governed, giving Parliament more power over the monarchy and paving the way for a political democracy.
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James' deposition confirmed the primacy of Parliament over the Crown
James II of England, also known as James VII of Scotland, was deposed in the 1688 Glorious Revolution, confirming the primacy of Parliament over the Crown. James's deposition ended a century of political and civil strife, as his reign was marked by conflicts over religion and struggles over the principles of absolutism and the divine right of kings.
James's deposition was a result of his failure to maintain the support of the landed gentry, who were predominantly Protestant in England and Scotland. Despite accepting his personal religious beliefs, his supporters expected him to uphold the primacy of the Protestant Church of England and the Church of Scotland. However, his policies appeared to undermine the existing political and religious order, leading to the alienation of his English and Scottish backers and the destabilization of Ireland.
The Glorious Revolution, led by William and Mary, established a constitutional monarchy and a bill of rights, limiting the power of the monarch. The English Bill of Rights, passed in 1689, set out the limitations on royal authority and defined the rights of Parliament. This bill stipulated that Parliament had to approve certain laws and taxes, preventing the monarch from governing solely by royal decree.
The shift towards constitutional monarchy was a significant transition from absolute monarchy, where the monarch's power was constrained, and the role of elected representatives was amplified. The concept of a contract between the ruler and the people was introduced, challenging the ideology of divine right. The Declaration of Right, issued by the Convention Parliament in February 1689, denounced James for abusing his power and proclaimed limitations on royal authority, including the suspension of the Test Acts, the prosecution of bishops, the establishment of a standing army, and the imposition of cruel punishments.
James's deposition and the subsequent establishment of a constitutional monarchy confirmed the primacy of Parliament over the Crown, marking a pivotal moment in the history of English and Scottish governance.
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The English Bill of Rights, passed in 1689, set out the limits of royal authority
James II is described as a constitutional monarch because he was a king who inherited power through heredity but was constrained by the laws of Parliament and the Magna Carta. This is in contrast to an absolute monarch, who has no constraints on their power. James II's reign marked the end of political and civil strife by confirming the primacy of the English Parliament over the Crown.
The English Bill of Rights, passed in 1689, was a significant factor in establishing the constitutional monarchy in England. This bill set out the limits of royal authority and defined the rights of Parliament. The bill was enacted during the reign of King Charles II, who is also described as a constitutional monarch because he accepted the limitations on his power imposed by the bill. The bill established Parliament as the supreme governing authority in England, limiting the powers of the monarchy.
The English Bill of Rights of 1689 was an Act of the Parliament of England that set out certain basic civil rights and changed the succession to the English Crown. It established the principle of parliamentary sovereignty, declaring that the king or queen must govern with the consent of the people as represented in Parliament. The bill also set out a number of individual rights, including the prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment and the right not to pay taxes levied without parliamentary approval.
The bill also listed several abuses of power by James II, including the suspension of the Test Acts, the prosecution of the Seven Bishops for petitioning the Crown, the establishment of a standing army, and the imposition of cruel punishments. The bill declared that no Roman Catholic was permitted to ascend the English throne and that no English monarch could marry a Roman Catholic. This was significant given the conflicts over religion during James II's reign, as he was the last Catholic monarch of England, Scotland, and Ireland.
The English Bill of Rights of 1689 remains a crucial statute in English constitutional law and has been invoked in legal cases as recently as 1976. It also served as a model for other important human rights documents, including the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights.
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James' reign was marked by conflicts over religion and the principles of absolutism
James II's reign was marked by conflicts over religion and the principles of absolutism. James was the last Catholic monarch of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and his reign was primarily remembered for conflicts over religion. He was deposed in the 1688 Glorious Revolution, which ended a century of political and civil strife by confirming the primacy of the English Parliament over the Crown.
James's attempts to impose his views on Catholicism by absolutist decrees, as a matter of his divine right, met with opposition. He issued a Declaration of Indulgence, which suspended the penal laws against Nonconformists, but this was seen by some as a ploy to encourage conversions to Catholicism and a dangerous abuse of power. James also offended Anglicans by allowing Roman Catholics to hold important positions in Christ Church and University College, two of Oxford's largest colleges. He further provoked opposition by attempting to force the Fellows of Magdalen College to elect a man of ill repute, believed to be a Roman Catholic, as their President.
In 1688, James ordered the Declaration to be read from the pulpits of every Anglican church, which further alienated the Anglican bishops against the Supreme Governor of their church. The Established Church, traditionally an ally of the monarchy, was forced to erode its privileges. James's suspension of the Test Acts, prosecution of the Seven Bishops, establishment of a standing army, and imposition of cruel punishments were seen as abuses of power.
The birth of James's son and heir in June 1688 raised the prospect of a Catholic dynasty, excluding his Protestant daughters and their husbands. This, along with the prosecution of the Seven Bishops, led to a general feeling that only James's removal could prevent another civil war. Leading members of the English political class invited William to assume the English throne, and when William landed in Brixham in November 1688, James's army deserted him. James went into exile in France, where he spent the rest of his life.
While contemporary opponents often portrayed James as an absolutist tyrant, some modern historians have praised him for advocating religious tolerance. However, others have argued that his main concern was to increase the power of the crown, and his methods were essentially a means to that end.
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Frequently asked questions
James II is described as a constitutional monarch because he was a king whose power was limited by laws such as the Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights.
The English Bill of Rights was passed in 1689 and established Parliament as the supreme governing authority in England, limiting the powers of the monarchy.
The Glorious Revolution of 1688 resulted in James II being deposed and going into exile in France. This event confirmed the primacy of the English Parliament over the Crown and established the principle of parliamentary sovereignty.
