The term Glorious Revolution refers to the generally popular overthrow of James II of England in 1688. The event is sometimes referred to as the "Bloodless Revolution", but this name is not accurate; some modern historians prefer the more neutral "Revolution of 1688". King James VII and II ( 14 October 1633–16 September 1701 ) became King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 6 February 1685. ... // Events A high-powered conspiracy of notables, the Immortal Seven, invite William and Mary to depose James II of England. ...

History

During his three-year reign, King James II fell victim to the political battle in the British Isles between Catholicism and Protestantism, between the divine right of the Crown and the political rights of Parliament. James's greatest political problem was his Catholicism, which left him alienated from both parties in Parliament. Any attempts at reform by James were thus viewed with great suspicion. James also pursued a number of untenable policies, such as a desire for a standing army and a pursuit of religious toleration. The British Isles consist of Great Britain, Ireland and a number of much smaller surrounding islands. ... This article considers Catholicism in the broadest ecclesiastical sense. ... Protestantism is a movement within Christianity, representing a split from the Roman Catholic Church during the mid to late Renaissance in Europe —a period known as the Protestant Reformation. ... The Divine Right of Kings is a European political and religious doctrine of political absolutism. ... The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative institution in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories (it alone has parliamentary sovereignty). ... Freedom of religion is the individuals right or freedom to hold whatever religious beliefs he or she wishes, or none at all. ...

While his brother and predecessor, Charles II, had done the same, he had not been an overt Catholic like James. Matters came to a head in 1688 when James fathered a son; until then, the throne would have passed to his Protestant daughter, Mary: the prospect of a Catholic dynasty in Britain was now likely. Some leaders of the hitherto loyal Tory Party united with members of the opposition Whigs and set out to solve the crisis. Charles II (29 May 1630–6 February 1685) was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 30 January 1649 (de jure) or 29 May 1660 (de facto) until his death. ... // Events A high-powered conspiracy of notables, the Immortal Seven, invite William and Mary to depose James II of England. ... Prince James Francis Edward Stuart or Stewart (June 10, 1688 – January 1, 1766) was a claimant of the thrones of Scotland and England (September 16, 1701 – January 1, 1766) who is more commonly referred to as The Old Pretender. ... Mary II (30 April 1662–28 December 1694) reigned as Queen of England and Ireland from 13 February 1689 until her death, and as Queen of Scotland from 11 April 1689 until her death. ... The term Tory applied to the Tory Party, the ancestor of the modern UK Conservative Party. ... This article is about the British Whig party. ...

A conspiracy (see the Immortal Seven) was launched to depose James and replace him with his daughter Mary and her husband, William of Orange — both Protestants. William was stadtholder of the Netherlands, then in the early stages of a war with the French: the War of the Grand Alliance. Jumping at the chance to add England to his alliance, William and Mary laid careful plans for an invasion over a number of months. Landing at Brixham, Devon on November 5, 1688 with a large Dutch army where they were greeted with much popular support and local men joined his army. Meanwhile in the North many nobles also declared for William. James's forward forces gathered at Salisbury and James went to join them on November 19. It rapidly became apparent that the troops were not eager to fight and the loyalties of many of James's commanders were doubtful. A skirmish at Wincanton, Somerset around this time saw the first bloodshed with Royalist troops defeating a small party of scouts and then retreating, with a total body count of approximately 15 from both sides. In Salisbury a worried James was afflicted by a sudden serious nose bleed, taken as an evil omen helping him decide to order a general retreat of his army. On November 23 Duke of Marlborough one of James's chief commanders deserted to William followed a few days later by James’s own daughter Princess Anne both serious losses. James returned to London on November 26. By December 4 William's forces were at Salisbury then by December 7th at Hungerford where they met with the King's Commissioners to negotiate. In reality James was, by that time, simply playing for time as he already had decided to flee abroad. As he was convinced that his army was unreliable, he thus sent orders to disband it. December 10th saw the second engagement between the two sides with The Reading Fight a defeat for the King’s men. The Immortal Seven were seven notable English citizens who issued the Invitation to William, a document asking William of Orange to depose James II in favour of Williams wife Mary, culminating in the Glorious Revolution. ... William III King of England, Scotland and Ireland William III and II (14 November 1650–8 March 1702; also known as William Henry and William of Orange) was Prince of Orange from his birth, King of England and Ireland from 13 February 1689, and King of Scotland from 11 April... A stadtholder (Dutch: stadhouder meaning representative, a literal translation of the French lieutenant or the Latin locum tenans) was the person who ruled an area in the name of the land owner, in the Netherlands (which includes present-day Belgium) from the 15th to the 18th century. ... The War of the Grand Alliance (also known as the War of the League of Augsburg, the War of the English Succession, and the Nine Years War) was a major war fought in Europe and America from 1688 to 1697, between France and the League of Augsburg (which, by 1689... Brixham is a small town in the county of Devon in the southwest of England. ... Devon is a county in South West England, bordering on Cornwall to the west, Dorset and Somerset to the east. ... November 5 is the 309th day of the year (310th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 56 days remaining. ... // Events A high-powered conspiracy of notables, the Immortal Seven, invite William and Mary to depose James II of England. ... Salisbury Cathedral from the Cathedral Yard High Street Market Great West Front of Salisbury Cathedral Salisbury (pronounced Solsbree or Sauls-bree) is a small cathedral city in Wiltshire, England. ... November 19 is the 323rd day of the year (324th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Wincanton is a town in south Somerset, south-west England. ... Somerset is a county in the south-west of England. ... This article is about Omens as divinatory portents. ... November 23 is the 327th day of the year (328th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 38 days remaining. ... John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, in his Garter robes John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough (May 26, 1650 – June 16, 1722), in full The Most Noble Captain-General John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, Earl of Marlborough, Baron Churchill of Sandridge, Lord Churchill of Eyemouth, KG, PC (in addition... Queen Anne ( 6 February 1665 – 1 August 1714 ) became Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. ... November 26 is the 330th day (331st on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... December 4 is the 338th day (339th on leap years) of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 7 is the 341st day (342nd on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see: Hungerford (disambiguation) Hungerford is a market town by the River Kennet in the English county of Berkshire. ... December 10 is the 344th day (345th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Reading Fight 1688 Reading saw the only substantial military action on mainland Britain during the Glorious Revolution. ...

December 11th saw James attempt to escape and dropping The Great Seal in the Thames on the way. However, he was captured by fishermen at near Sheerness, on the Isle of Sheppey. The same night witnessed mass panic in London in what was later termed Irish night. Rumours of an impending Irish army attack on London gripped the capital and mobs demolished 'popish mass houses', there was rioting and looting of the houses of catholics and several foreign embassies. Upon returning to London a few days later, James was welcomed by cheering crowds. He took heart at this, and attempted to recommence government, even presiding over a meeting of the privy council. Then he received a request from William to remove himself from London. James went under Dutch guard to Rochester in Kent on December 18 just as William entered London. James then escaped to France on December 23. The lax guard on James and the decision to allow him so near the coast indicates William might have hoped that a successful escape would avoid the difficulty of deciding what to do with him especially with the memory of the execution of Charles I still being strong and many still supporting James. By fleeing James helped ensure that William’s grip was secure. December 11 is the 345th day (346th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Map sources for Sheerness at grid reference TQ919749 Sheerness is a town on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, England. ... Map sources for Isle of Sheppey at grid reference TQ9670 The Isle of Sheppey is a small (36 square miles, 94 km²) island off the northern coast of Kent in the Thames Estuary, some 25 miles (40km) to the east of central London. ... In English literary history, the name Rochester refers to John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester. ... Kent is a county in England, south-east of London. ... December 18 is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... December 23 is the 357th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (358th in leap years). ... Charles I (19 November 1600–30 January 1649) was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 27 March 1625, until his death. ...

In 1689, the Convention Parliament convened and declared that James' flight amounted to abdication. William and Mary were offered the throne as joint rulers, an arrangement which they accepted. On February 13 1689 Mary II and William III jointly acceded to the throne of England. Although their succession to the English throne was relatively peaceful, an uprising occurred in support of James in Scotland, the first Jacobite rebellion, and in Ireland, where James used local Catholic feeling to try to regain the throne in the Williamite war in Ireland from 1689–1691. It can thus be seen as much more of a coup d'état than an authentic revolution. England stayed calm throughout, the uprising in the Scottish Highlands was quelled despite the Jacobite victory at the Battle of Killiecrankie, and James was expelled from Ireland following the Battle of the Boyne. Events Louis XIV of France passed the Code Noir, allowing the full use of slaves in the French colonies. ... The term Convention Parliament has been applied to three different English Parliaments, of 1399, 1660 and 1689. ... Abdication (from the Latin abdicatio, disowning, renouncing, from ab, from, and dicare, to declare, to proclaim as not belonging to one), the act whereby a person in office renounces and gives up the same before the expiry of the time for which it is held. ... February 13 is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is not about the Jacobite Orthodox Church, nor is it about Jacobinism or the earlier Jacobean period. ... For the context of this war see Jacobitism and Glorious Revolution. ... Events Louis XIV of France passed the Code Noir, allowing the full use of slaves in the French colonies. ... Events March 5 - French troops under Marshal Louis-Francois de Boufflers besiege the Spanish-held town of Mons March 29 - Siege of Mons ends to the city’s surrender October 3 - Treaty of Limerick which guaranteed civil rights to catholics was signed. ... A coup détat (pronounced /ku de ta/), or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, usually done by a small group that just replaces the top power figures. ... The Scottish Highlands are the mountainous regions of Scotland north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault. ... This article is not about the Jacobite Orthodox Church, nor is it about Jacobinism or the earlier Jacobean period. ... Battle of Killiecrankie Conflict Jacobite Rising Date July 27, 1689 Place Killiecrankie Scotland Result Royalist Victory The Battle of Killiecrankie was fought between Highland clans supporting James II and English troops (though mostly lowland Scots) supporting William of Orange on July 27, 1689 during the Glorious Revolution. ... William III King of England, Scotland and Ireland, Stadtholder of the Netherlands The Battle of the Boyne was a turning point in the Williamite war in Ireland between the deposed King James II of England and VII of Scotland and his son-in-law and successor, William, for the English...

Legacy

The Revolution of 1688 was one of the most important events in the long evolution of powers possessed by Parliament and by the Crown in England. With the passage of the Bill of Rights it stamped out any final possibility of a Catholic monarchy, and ended moves towards monarchical absolutism in the British Isles by circumscribing the monarch's powers. Since 1689, England, and later the United Kingdom, has been governed under a system of constitutional monarchy, which has been uninterrupted. The Bill of Rights 1689 is an English Act of Parliament with the long title An Act Declaring the Rights and Liberties of the Subject and Settling the Succession of the Crown and known colloquially in the UK as the Bill of Rights. ... Absolute monarchy is an idealized form of government, a monarchy where the ruler has the power to rule his or her country and citizens freely with no laws or legally-organized direct opposition telling him or her what to do, although some religious authority may be able to discourage the... A constitutional monarchy is a form of government established under a constitutional system which acknowledges a hereditary or elected monarch as head of state. ...

The success of the revolution came three years after the failure of the Monmouth Rebellion to overthrow the king. The Monmouth Rebellion of 1685, also known as the Pitchfork Rebellion, was an attempt to overthrow the King of England, James II, who became king when his elder brother, Charles II, died on 6 February 1685. ...

References

• Jones, J. R. (1972). The Revolution of 1688 in England. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.
• Prall, Stuart (1972). The Bloodless Revolution. Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company

External links

• BBC History: Charles II
• The Glorious Revolution of 1688