Page 3 - History 2020

Part 1 - Stability: London

How Britain evolved a revolutionary form of constitutional and parliamentary
government while pretending to be restoring past glories

Session 1: the outbreak of political stability

Britain’s “long Revolution”
In 1830 French liberal politician and historian Francois Guizot said that there had
been “an English Revolution” which had brought us “peace, power and plenty.” If he

was right, then it was a “long revolution”, incorporating many events and
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developments during the 18 and early 19 centuries. Its outcome was the
emergence of our distinctive parliamentary system. But its beginnings lie in the late
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17 century, with the so-called “Glorious Revolution of 1688.”

What was the significance of the Glorious Revolution of 1688?
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On its 300 anniversary, commemoration speeches in the House of Commons
praised the “Glorious Revolution of 1688” (it was dubbed this at the time) as the
foundation for our parliamentary system and modern democratic freedoms. Mrs.
Thatcher said, it “established the tradition that political change should be sought and
achieved through Parliament. This saved us from the violent revolutions which shook
our continental neighbours and made the revolution of 1688 the first step on the road
which led to the establishment of universal suffrage and full parliamentary
democracy.”

Do the events of 1688 bear out these grand claims? These events are straightforward
enough. They can be baldly summarized in a sentence: The Catholic King James II
(Charles II’s brother) was replaced by his Protestant daughter Mary.

What was the background to 1688?
As this suggests, religion played a key role, as it had throughout the earlier part of the
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17 century, a period of massive political instability and conflict. The death of
Elizabeth I (1601) ended the Tudor dynasty. James I, first of the Stuarts, tried to unite
Britain’s various religious factions by commissioning a new translation of the Bible,
the “Authorized Version” (or “King James Bible”), but he and his Parliament only
narrowly survived Guy Fawkes’ Catholic assassination plot (5 November, 1605).
James’ son Charles I was suspected of undesirable tendencies, towards absolute
monarchy (like France and Spain) and Catholicism (ditto). This alienated Parliament
and triggered Civil War (1642), the victory of Oliver Cromwell (1645), the capture of
Charles I, then Charles’ escape, recapture, trial and finally execution in 1649.

Cromwell turned down kingship, ruling as Lord Protector instead, but being governed