During the reign of Charles II of England, the Exclusion Bill crisis ran from 1678 till 1681. Its purpose was the exclusion of the king's brother, James, the Duke of York (later King James II and VII) from the thrones of England, Ireland and Scotland because he was a Roman Catholic. The Tories were those who opposed this exclusion, while the "Country party", soon to be the Whigs, supported it. Charles II (29 May 1630–6 February 1685) was the King of England, King of Scots, and King of Ireland from 30 January 1649 (retrospectively de jure) or 29 May 1660 (de facto) until his death. ... Events August 10 - Treaty of Nijmegen ends the Dutch War. ... Events March 4 - Charles II of England grants a land charter to William Penn for the area that will later become Pennsylvania. ... James II of England and VII of Scotland ( 14 October 1633–16 September 1701 ) became King of England, King of Scots, and King of Ireland from 6 February 1685. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: England Travel guide to England from Wikitravel English language English law English (people) List of monarchs of England – Kings of England family tree List of English people Angeln (region in northern Germany, presumably the origin of the Angles for whom England is named) UK... Travel guide to Scotland from Wikitravel Transport in Scotland Timeline of Scottish history Caledonia List of not fully sovereign nations Subdivisions of Scotland National parks (Scotland) Traditional music of Scotland Flower of Scotland Wars of Scottish Independence National Trust for Scotland Historic houses in Scotland Castles in Scotland Museums in... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... This article is about the British Whig party. ...

In 1670 James had declared openly that he was a Roman Catholic. His secretary, Edward Coleman, had been named by Titus Oates during the Popish Plot as a conspirator to subvert the kingdom. Members of the Protestant English establishment could see that in France a Catholic king was ruling in an absolutist way, and a movement gathered strength to avoid the scenario recreating itself in England, as many feared it would, if James were to succeed his brother Charles, who had no legitimate heir. 1670 was a common year beginning on a Saturday in countries using the Julian calendar and a Wednesday in countries using the Gregorian calendar. ... Titus Oates. ... The Popish Plot was an alleged Catholic conspiracy. ... Subversion is an overturning or uprooting. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... Absolutism is a political theory which argues that one person (generally, a monarch) should hold all power. ... Charles II (29 May 1630–6 February 1685) was the King of England, King of Scots, and King of Ireland from 30 January 1649 (retrospectively de jure) or 29 May 1660 (de facto) until his death. ...

The occasion that brought these sentiments to a head was the impeachment of Thomas Osborne, Earl of Danby as a scapegoat for the scandal by which Louis XIV bought the neutrality of Charles' government with an outright bribe. Charles dissolved Parliament, but the new Parliament returned in March 1679 was more hostile to the king and his unfortunate minister than ever. Danby was committed to the Tower. Thomas Osborne, 1st Duke of Leeds (February 20, 1631 - July 26, 1712), English statesman, commonly known also by his earlier title of Earl of Danby, served in a variety of offices under Kings Charles II and William III of England. ... The scapegoat was a goat that was driven off into the wilderness as part of the ceremonies of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, in Judaism during the times of the Temple in Jerusalem. ... Louis XIV King of France and Navarre By Hyacinthe Rigaud (1701) Louis XIV (Louis-Dieudonné) (September 5, 1638–September 1, 1715) reigned as King of France and King of Navarre from May 14, 1643 until his death. ... An aerial view of Parliament of India at New Delhi. ... The Tower of London, seen from the river, with a view of the water gate called Traitors Gate. ...

On May 15, 1679, Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury introduced a bill into the Commons with the intention of excluding James from the succession. A fringe group even backed Charles' illegitimate but Protestant heir, Monmouth. The Court party, the "Abhorrers" in the political cant of the hour, meaning those who found the Exclusion Bill abhorrent, would develop into the Tories, whilst the "Petitioners", those who backed the Petition in Parliament that was the Exclusion Bill, became the Whigs. As it was likely that the bill would become law, Charles exercised his Royal prerogative to dissolve Parliament. Successive Parliaments attempted to pass a bill, and were similarly dissolved. May 15 is the 135th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (136th in leap years). ... Events January 24 - King Charles II of England disbands Parliament August 7 - The brigantine Le Griffon, which was commissioned by René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, is towed to the southern end of the Niagara River, to become the first ship to sail the upper Great Lakes. ... Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury ( July 22, 1621– January 21, 1683) was a prominent English politician of the Interregnum and during the reign of King Charles II. Cooper, born in Dorset County, suffered the death of both his parents at a young age and was raised by relatives... Succession to the British Throne has generally been according to the rules of male-preference primogeniture. ... James Crofts, later Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, 1st Duke of Buccleuch (April 9, 1649–July 15, 1685) recognised by some as James II of England and James VII of Scotland, was born in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, the son of Charles II and his mistress, Lucy Walter, who had... // The Royal Prerogative is a body of customary authority, privilege, and immunity, recognised in common law jurisdictions possessing a monarchy as belonging to the Crown alone. ...

Shaftesbury's party (beginning to be known as the “Whigs”) involved the whole country in a mass movement, primarily by keeping alive the fears raised by the Popish Plot. Every November on the anniversary of Elizabeth I's accession, they organised huge processions in London in which the Pope was burnt in effigy. The King's supporters (the “Tories”) were able to muster their own propaganda in the form of memories of the equally tyrannical regime of the Commonwealth government and its austerities. Above all, the Crown was always able to label the Whigs as subversives and closet nonconformists. By 1681, the mass movement had died down, and the bill was dropped. Elizabeth I (7 September 1533 – 24 March 1603) Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. ... The pope is the Patriarch of the West and Bishop of Rome, and leader of the Catholic Church. ... A nonconformist is an English or Welsh Protestant of any non-Anglican denomination, chiefly advocating religious liberty. ... Events March 4 - Charles II of England grants a land charter to William Penn for the area that will later become Pennsylvania. ...

See also

• Religion in the United Kingdom
• British monarchy
• Popery