English
Revolution
England in 1603
Society
⁃ The population had doubled between 1500 and 1600 to about 5 million
⁃ Industry and agriculture struggled to keep up with inflation which led to
unemployment
,⁃ Rents also increased as there was higher demand for housing
⁃ Common people rioted by attacking tithe bars to put pressure on
parliament to alleviate some stress, a tactic that was partially successful
⁃ People strongly believed in the Great Chain of being and it was possible to
move up social class (especially for young businessmen)
Court
⁃ The collection of people that surrounded and advised the king on his day-
to-day duties
⁃ The privy council were his closest advisors, but the king rarely listened to
them
⁃ The housing of the royals or nobles was separated into public outer
chambers where people wanting to meet with the nobleman would wait,
and privy lodgings, which were the increasingly more private areas of the
noblemen.
⁃ At the end of the privy lodgings would be the bedchamber, which would be
the most private room, set aside for the King and his attendants (known as
gentlemen of the chamber)
The King
⁃ The undisputed head of the political system and the church of England
⁃ The royal prerogative was the Kings duty to control money, land and
policies
⁃ Strong belief in the Divine Right of Kings at this time
Parliament
⁃ MPs were booming more outspoken at this time (especially against royals)
and were particularly aware of their right to free speech
⁃ House of Commons were ‘elected’ landowners who were responsible for
voting subsidies
⁃ House of Lords were made up of Nobles and Bishops they were the most
important bit of parliament in 1603. MPs could refuse to grant the King
‘subsidies’ (the main form of taxation) is they disagreed.
James and Religion
Religious beliefs
Act of Supremacy (1559) - Queen Elizabeth became supreme governor of the
church
Act of Uniformity (1559) - New Elizabethan prayer book and recusancy fines
were introduced
,39 Articles (1563) - New religious doctrine of the Church, based on the
teachings of John Calvin
Calvinism - Based on the teaching of John Calvin. A branch of Protestant
faith. Predestination ✅
Arminianism - Based on the ideas of Jacob’s Arminian. Still protestant but
more accepting of catholic ideas. Predestination ❌
Crypto-Catholics - Worshipped as Protestants but were secretly Catholic
Predestination - God has chosen who he wishes to save
Episcopacy - Hierarchy of the church, using bishops.
Key Bishops:
John Whitgift: Led a vigorous campaign against heresy - particularly against
Puritanism, and he pushed non-conforming bishops and publicly burnt
unorthodox texts. Was also a member of the privy council.
Richard Bancroft: Anti-Puritan and the overseer of the King James Bible
(1611)
George Abbott: A puritan minister that’s greatly disliked, but was anti-
Catholic and created the ‘Book of sports’
Religious events
1603 - The Bye and Main plots
• The Bye Plot - A group of Catholics plotted to capture the king and compel
him to make concessions to the Catholics
• The Main Plot - Replace James with his Protestant cousin Arabella Stuart
1603 - The Millenary Plots
• 1000 Puritan ministers petitioned to remove certain practices which they
felt were too catholic (wearing surplices and making the cross sign during
baptism)
, 1604 - The Hampton Court Conference
• As a result of the millenary petition, James I oversaw this conference, with
the privy council and John Whitgift in attendance
• He allowed puritan ‘prophesyings’ which had been banned by Elizabeth and
also published the King James Bible in 1611
1605 - Gunpowder plot
• Robert Catesby, Guy Fawkes and other Catholics tried to blow up
parliament to then replace them with a catholic government
• They were caught and executed for treason
1617 - Book of Sports
• Puritans calling for the sabbath to be made Holy
• So, James made a list of things that were permissible on Sunday and
published it in the ‘Book of sports’
• It included: Morris dancing, may poles, vaulting and dancing
• You could only take part in the festivities if you attend an Anglican Church
service before hand
1618 - The five articles of Perth
• 5 Episcopal and roman catholic practices that were forced on the Scottish
church to try and make English and Scottish religion more integrated. They
were:
⁃ Kneeling rather than sitting at the Lords Supper
⁃ Private communion
⁃ Baptism not withheld longer than one day
⁃ Confirmation by bishops
⁃ Observance of holy days (Christmas and Easter)
1620 - The Puritan Migration
• 80,000 people left inland for various destinations about the globe where
they could freely practice puritanism.
• Pilgrim fathers arrived in Massachusetts to found New Plymouth
1623 - The Spanish Match
• Charles I (then the prince of Wales) travelled with the Duke of Buckingham
(George Villiers) to Spain to try and win the hand of the Spanish Infantana
(Princess) Maria Anna. James I had initially intended for the match to be
made between Maria and his eldest son Henry, but after Henry’s death, he
continued to pursue it with Charles instead. However, he had failed to
secure the match diplomatically.
• Charles refused to convert to Catholicism and was shocked by how the
Spanish treated him, which ultimately led to the failure of the match
• Upon returning, Charles demanded that James declare war on Spain, which
he did.
Revolution
England in 1603
Society
⁃ The population had doubled between 1500 and 1600 to about 5 million
⁃ Industry and agriculture struggled to keep up with inflation which led to
unemployment
,⁃ Rents also increased as there was higher demand for housing
⁃ Common people rioted by attacking tithe bars to put pressure on
parliament to alleviate some stress, a tactic that was partially successful
⁃ People strongly believed in the Great Chain of being and it was possible to
move up social class (especially for young businessmen)
Court
⁃ The collection of people that surrounded and advised the king on his day-
to-day duties
⁃ The privy council were his closest advisors, but the king rarely listened to
them
⁃ The housing of the royals or nobles was separated into public outer
chambers where people wanting to meet with the nobleman would wait,
and privy lodgings, which were the increasingly more private areas of the
noblemen.
⁃ At the end of the privy lodgings would be the bedchamber, which would be
the most private room, set aside for the King and his attendants (known as
gentlemen of the chamber)
The King
⁃ The undisputed head of the political system and the church of England
⁃ The royal prerogative was the Kings duty to control money, land and
policies
⁃ Strong belief in the Divine Right of Kings at this time
Parliament
⁃ MPs were booming more outspoken at this time (especially against royals)
and were particularly aware of their right to free speech
⁃ House of Commons were ‘elected’ landowners who were responsible for
voting subsidies
⁃ House of Lords were made up of Nobles and Bishops they were the most
important bit of parliament in 1603. MPs could refuse to grant the King
‘subsidies’ (the main form of taxation) is they disagreed.
James and Religion
Religious beliefs
Act of Supremacy (1559) - Queen Elizabeth became supreme governor of the
church
Act of Uniformity (1559) - New Elizabethan prayer book and recusancy fines
were introduced
,39 Articles (1563) - New religious doctrine of the Church, based on the
teachings of John Calvin
Calvinism - Based on the teaching of John Calvin. A branch of Protestant
faith. Predestination ✅
Arminianism - Based on the ideas of Jacob’s Arminian. Still protestant but
more accepting of catholic ideas. Predestination ❌
Crypto-Catholics - Worshipped as Protestants but were secretly Catholic
Predestination - God has chosen who he wishes to save
Episcopacy - Hierarchy of the church, using bishops.
Key Bishops:
John Whitgift: Led a vigorous campaign against heresy - particularly against
Puritanism, and he pushed non-conforming bishops and publicly burnt
unorthodox texts. Was also a member of the privy council.
Richard Bancroft: Anti-Puritan and the overseer of the King James Bible
(1611)
George Abbott: A puritan minister that’s greatly disliked, but was anti-
Catholic and created the ‘Book of sports’
Religious events
1603 - The Bye and Main plots
• The Bye Plot - A group of Catholics plotted to capture the king and compel
him to make concessions to the Catholics
• The Main Plot - Replace James with his Protestant cousin Arabella Stuart
1603 - The Millenary Plots
• 1000 Puritan ministers petitioned to remove certain practices which they
felt were too catholic (wearing surplices and making the cross sign during
baptism)
, 1604 - The Hampton Court Conference
• As a result of the millenary petition, James I oversaw this conference, with
the privy council and John Whitgift in attendance
• He allowed puritan ‘prophesyings’ which had been banned by Elizabeth and
also published the King James Bible in 1611
1605 - Gunpowder plot
• Robert Catesby, Guy Fawkes and other Catholics tried to blow up
parliament to then replace them with a catholic government
• They were caught and executed for treason
1617 - Book of Sports
• Puritans calling for the sabbath to be made Holy
• So, James made a list of things that were permissible on Sunday and
published it in the ‘Book of sports’
• It included: Morris dancing, may poles, vaulting and dancing
• You could only take part in the festivities if you attend an Anglican Church
service before hand
1618 - The five articles of Perth
• 5 Episcopal and roman catholic practices that were forced on the Scottish
church to try and make English and Scottish religion more integrated. They
were:
⁃ Kneeling rather than sitting at the Lords Supper
⁃ Private communion
⁃ Baptism not withheld longer than one day
⁃ Confirmation by bishops
⁃ Observance of holy days (Christmas and Easter)
1620 - The Puritan Migration
• 80,000 people left inland for various destinations about the globe where
they could freely practice puritanism.
• Pilgrim fathers arrived in Massachusetts to found New Plymouth
1623 - The Spanish Match
• Charles I (then the prince of Wales) travelled with the Duke of Buckingham
(George Villiers) to Spain to try and win the hand of the Spanish Infantana
(Princess) Maria Anna. James I had initially intended for the match to be
made between Maria and his eldest son Henry, but after Henry’s death, he
continued to pursue it with Charles instead. However, he had failed to
secure the match diplomatically.
• Charles refused to convert to Catholicism and was shocked by how the
Spanish treated him, which ultimately led to the failure of the match
• Upon returning, Charles demanded that James declare war on Spain, which
he did.
