The Restoration and the Eighteenth Century (1660-1800)

THE GENEALOGY OF 
The House of Stuart

James I of England
James VI of Scotland
(1566-1625)

• James Charles Stuart was born on June 19, 1566 at Edinburg Castle in Scotland.
  

• Father, Lord Darnley, was murdered in early 1567 before young James was 1 year old. 
  

• Crowned King James VI of Scotland at the age of 13 months.
  

• Mother, Mary Queen of Scots, was imprisoned in England by her cousin Queen Elizabeth and 19 years later, in February of 1587, was executed for her part in the conspiracy to assassinate Queen Elizabeth. King James never knew his mother.
  

• King James spoke fluent Greek, Latin, French, English, and Scots and was schooled in Italian and Spanish.
  

• King James loved his wife, Anne of Denmark, and wrote beautiful poetry for her. Together they had nine children.
  

• As a Scotsman ruling over the English, the King endured much racism and slander--especially from the once powerful English Lords and Ladies who he replaced with his Scottish countrymen.
  

• The Catholic religion was also an enemy of King James.  There were several assassination attempts. Most notably, in 1605 Roman Catholic Guy Fawkes attempted to blow up Parliament when the king was to have been present. The conspiracy was discovered and all co-conspirators were executed. This failed attempt is celebrated on November 5 in England each year and is known as Guy Fawkes Night.
  

• James angered Parliament often--he believed in the divine right of kings.  
  

• As a lover of the theatre, King James became patron to the troop of one of his most famous subjects--William Shakespeare, the playwright. Shakespeare's troop came to be known as the King's Men.
  

• The first monarch to unite Scotland, England and Ireland--and call it--Great Britain.
  

• Commissioned (not wrote) what many consider to be the greatest piece of religious and literary work in the world--the Authorized King James Version of the Bible.  It is the best-selling book of all time.
  

• He was 59 years old when he died and was buried at Westminster Abbey. Unlike many Scottish monarchs, King James died in his bed at peace with his subjects and foreign countries. He also passed Royal power on, intact, to an adult son.  (Charles I)

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Charles I
(1600-1649)

• Charles was a shy, aloof man who lacked the qualities necessary to make him a successful ruler.
  

• He strongly believed in the divine right of kings and the authority of the Church of England--he was often angering parliament, and he wanted to rule without them.  These beliefs and conflicts led to civil war between Puritan-dominate parliament and supporters of the crown.  
  

• In January 1649 he was tried for waging war on his people.  Charles was accused of devising "a wicked design to erect and uphold in himself an unlimited and tyrannical power to rule according to his Will, and to overthrow the Rights and Liberties of the People".
  

• On behalf of the people of England, the King was impeached "as a Tyrant, Traitor, Murderer, and a public and implacable Enemy to the Commonwealth of England".
  

• He lost his head at Whitehall in London.

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Oliver Cromwell
"Lord Protector"
(1599-1658)

• Descendent of Thomas Cromwell. (Henry VIII)
  

• One of the most important leaders in the English Revolution, he was the principal commander of the rebel army that defeated the king's forces, and played a large role in the king's subsequent trial and execution.  He helped run Charles II into hiding before he could really take a strong hold on his claim to the throne.  
  

• A series of political experiments followed, as the country's rulers tried to redefine and establish a workable constitution without a monarchy.  Parliament was dissolved, and Cromwell took completely over.
  

• From 1653 to his death, Cromwell was "dictator" of England.  Taking the title of "Lord Protector," he refused the title of "king."  
  

• During this time, Charles I's son, Charles (later Charles II), was forced into foreign exile despite being accepted as King in Scotland.
  

• Oliver died in 1658 and his son, Richard, was named successor.  However, he couldn't retain power and Charles II returned from exile...just slightly ticked off...
  

• After the restoration of the monarchy with Charles in 1660, Oliver Cromwell's body was dug up from his grave and then hung as a traitor to England.  His head was put on a pole at Westminster Abby, and his body buried in a common pit at the foot of the gallows.

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Charles II
(1630-85)

• We call it "The Restoration" because of the restoration of the monarchy.
  

• Charles pursued a policy of political tolerance and power-sharing.
  

• Upon his return from exile, Charles reopened the London theatres.  Women now played the parts meant for them on the stage.    
  

• The early years of Charles's reign saw an appalling plague which hit the country in 1665 with 70,000 dying in London alone, and the Great Fire of London in 1666 left two thirds of its citizens homeless.  
  

• Charles had a number of illegitimate children but no legitimate heir, and was succeeded by his catholic brother James.

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James II
(1633-1701)

• James was a known Catholic, which did not go over well with many.  When he and his wife had a son--a Catholic heir--people really freaked out.  Pressure became so great that the family fled to France.  
  

• James was succeeded by his Protestant daughter, Mary (later Mary II), and her Dutch husband, William of Orange (later William III).  Ever since, rulers of England have been at least in name, Anglicans.  (The Church of England) 
  

• This overthrow of the monarchy has since been known as the "Glorious (and bloodless) Revolution."

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William (1650-1702, reigned 1689-1702)  
& Mary (1662-94, reigned 1689-94)

• William and Mary were crowned as joint rulers.  Mary governed as regent while William was campaigning in Ireland and on the Continent, but for the most part she simply carried out policies formulated by her husband.  William continued to rule alone after her death from smallpox.  Mary's sister Anne succeeded William.
  
• Never of robust health, William died as a result of complications from a fall while riding at Hampton Court in 1702.  

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