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Glorious Revolution

Although not characterized by the dramatic elements of battle and beheading, the Glorious Revolution that put William and Mary on the throne was as important as the English Civil War nearly fifty years before that had attempted to bring about the same ideals of change.
By the end of the reign of James I all the optimism that had preceded his ascension to the throne—that of Parliament and of the king—had been lost. To ensure a Protestant throne, Parliament asked James I to find his son Charles, who was to become king, a Protestant wife. In defiance, James tried to negotiate a marriage between Charles and a Spanish princess who was Catholic. Although that union did not come to pass, Charles did marry Henrietta Marie, a devout Catholic, who was French. While Parliament was relieved to see the end of James I’s reign, they were apprehensive about Charles who, while more forthright and honest than his father, was a devout believer in the divine right of kings.
The uneasy u...

Posted by: Sean Wilson

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