Restoration And Revolution In Britain

Charles II was restored to the rule of England, Scotland and Ireland in 1660, less than twelve years after the execution of his father, Charles I, and the ensuing republican experiment in government. Popular at first, the Restoration nevertheless failed to provide lasting settlement in any of the British kingdoms. Restoration and Revolution in Britain examines the political history of these kingdoms, from the Interregnum through Britain's eighteenth-century rise to power. Written especially for students approaching the Restoration for the first time, this essential introduction: - Assesses the reasons for the failure of settlement in the reigns of Charles and of his brother, James II - Integrates the histories of Charles's different realms - Examines the many connections between politics and Protestant religious disagreements - Provides helpful historical context for understanding a range of contemporary authors such as Bunyan, Locke and Milton - Concludes with an examination of the Glorious Revolution of 1688-89 and explains why settlement was finally achieved through revolution rather than through restoration

Charles II was restored to the rule of England, Scotland and Ireland in 1660, less than twelve years after the execution of his father, Charles I, and the ensuing republican experiment in government. Popular at first, the Restoration nevertheless failed to provide lasting settlement in any of the British kingdoms. Restoration and Revolution in Britain examines the political history of these kingdoms, from the Interregnum through Britain's eighteenth-century rise to power. Written especially for students approaching the Restoration for the first time, this essential introduction: - assesses the reasons for the failure of settlement in the reigns of Charles and of his brother, James II - integrates the histories of Charles's different realms - examines the many connections between politics and Protestant religious disagreements - provides helpful historical context for understanding a range of contemporary authors such as Bunyan, Locke and Milton - concludes with an examination of the Glorious Revolution of 1688-89 and explains why settlement was finally achieved through revolution rather than through restoration.

To an extraordinary extent everyone in Britain still lives under the shadow of the 'Glorious Revolution' of 1688. It was a massive, brutal and terrifying event, which completely changed the governments of England, Scotland and Ireland and which was only achieved through overwhelming violence. Revolution brilliantly captures the sense that this was a great turning point in Britain's history, but also shows how severe a price was paid to achieve this.

The Restoration of the monarchy in 1660 seemed to promise a return to the stability and order of pre-Civil War England, away from the social and political turbulence of the past twenty years. It was soon evident, however, that the wars had exacerbated the deep conflicts in English government, religion and society that already existed, and had encouraged the growth of several new ones. This book examines those conflicts and shows how, in 1688, they came to produce a remarkable political revolution. Yet it also describes England's burgeoning commercial and military power and the creation of a new international system which formed the basis of her eighteenth-century pre-eminence.

Dr Bliss’s pamphlet discusses in detail the Restoration settlement as both an expedient solution to the problems facing Charles II and the political nation in 1660 and as a basis for a long term solution to the problems of relations between crown and parliament, public, finance and religion. These are the principle recurring themes of this, but explicit attention is also given to foreign policy, to relations between central and local government, and to the structure of central government itself. The book combines a broadly narrative approach with concentration on certain problems, e.g. finance, which the author has identified as particularly significant.

The late seventeenth century was a period of extraordinary turbulence and political violence in Britain, the like of a which has never been seen since. Beginning with the Restoration of the monarchy after the Civil War, this book traces the fate of the monarchy from Charles II's triumphant accession in 1660 to the growing discontent of the 1680s. Harris looks beyond the popular image of Restoration England revelling in its freedom from the austerity of Puritan rule under a merry monaach and reconstructs the human tragedy of Restoration politics where people were brutalised, hounded and exploited by a regime that was desperately insecure after two decade of civil war and republican rule.