The topic of this term paper is the „Glorious Revolution“ and how it influenced the development of English democracy. In this text I want to try to answer a few complicated Questions like if it really was a “glorious“ revolution. Was it a revolution or a well hidden invasion? What had the English constitution, the „Bill of Rights 1689“ to do with the events? What is the „Bill of Rights 1689“? What influence did it have on the constitutions of other countries? Does this particular revolution still influence countries of our time?
Table of contents
1 Introduction
2 A short summary
2.1 Who did participate?
2.2 When and where did it occur?
2.3 Why did it happen?
3 Revolution or Invasion?
4 Changes to the government in 1689
5 The influence on the democracy
5.1 Influence on other constitutions
6 Conclusion
7 Source Disclosures
1 Introduction
The topic of this term paper is the „Glorious Revolution“ and how it influenced the development of English democracy. In this text I want to try to answer a few complicated Questions like if it really was a “glorious“ revolution. Was it a revolution or a well hidden invasion? What had the English constitution, the „Bill of Rights 1689“ to do with the events? What is the „Bill of Rights 1689“? What influence did it have on the constitutions of other countries? Does this particular revolution still influence countries of our time?
2 A short summary
The „Glorious Revolution“, also called „Revolution of 1688“ or „Bloodless Revolution“ describes the events of 1688-89 that resulted in the accession of the Protestant Mary ll and her Dutch husband William of Orange and the deposition of her father the Catholic King James ll.
2.1 Who did participate?
Participants were the English, Welsh, Irish and Scottish society and the Dutch forces. Key people were: William lll, James ll, Mary ll, Thomas Osborne 1st Duke of Leeds, Charles Talbot Duke and 12th Earl of Shrewsbury, Henry Sidney Earl of Romney, George Legge 1st Baron Dartmouth, John Murray 2nd Marquess and 1st Duke of Atholl and William Cavendish 1st Duke of Devonshire.
2.2 When and where did it occur?
The „Glorious Revolution“ occurred in the years of 1688 to 1689.
It took place in various locations but all of them were located on the British Isles. The two most mentioned are Devon, also known as Devonshire, a county of England and England’s capital, London itself.1
2.3 Why did it happen?
The „Glorious Revolution“ stemmed from political and religious conflicts. Catholic supremacy and royal absolutism loomed of a protestant England. Events like the English Civil War and the ‘Papist‘ „Gunpowder Plot of 1605“ haunted the national memory. King James ll was catholic. He was the first catholic king in over a century. With his accession English fears were heightened further when his cousin King Louis XlV revoked an edict granting tolerance to French Protestants in 1885. By that time ‘Popery‘ and despotism appeared synonymous. James ll’s actions put im at odds with the non-Catholic population but also with others who disapproved. In 1687 he issued a Declaration of Indulgence suspending penal laws against Nonconformists and Recusants. In 1688 he ordered a second Declaration of Indulgence to be read on two successive Sundays from every pulpit. He was tolerated by many only because they thought the throne would be passed to his protestant daughter Mary. They became alarmed when a son, a catholic heir was born. This promised an indefinite continuance of his policy.2
3 Revolution or Invasion?
Several Englishmen took actions into their own hands and invited William of Orange, Mary’s husband, to invade England. Williams main concern was to check the overgrowth of French power in Europe. The emperor Leopold l’s preoccupation with a Turkish advance to Vienna and England’s impotence had allowed King Louis XlV of France to seize Casale Monferrato, Luxembourg, Strasbourg and other places vital to the defence of the German Rhineland, Spanish Netherlands and northern Italy, between 1679 and 1684. A European coalition had begun to form by 1688 to call for a hold to aggressions. It’s prospects depended partly on England. William accepted their invitation having been in close touch with the leading English malcontents for more than a year. On November 5th he landed in a town called Brixham in Devon southwestern England on Tor Bay. He was accompanied by a fleet of about 40000 Men and 463 ships. Among those were 49 warships, 28 galliots, 9 fireships, 76 fluids to carry soldiers, 120 small transports to carry 5000 horses, about 70 supply vessels and 60 fishing vessels serving as landing craft. As support fell away from James ll, William advanced to London. As he did that, desertions reduced the 30000 strong Royal Army to 4000. Anne, James‘ daughter and John Churchill, his best general were among the deserters to Williams camp. Shortly after that, James went into exile in France, but not before ordering his last few thousand soldiers disbanded.
4 Changes to the government in 1689
After James‘ flight, William was asked to summon a Parliament and to carry on the government. This Convention Parliament met on January 22nd 1689. After some debate they agreed to tread James‘ flight as an abdication. They offered the crown to William and Mary jointly, with an accompanying Declaration of Rights. They both accepted conditions and gift. The Convention became a proper Parliament and large parts of the Declaration turned into the Bill of Rights. This bill gave Anne, Mary’s Sister the succession. Anne then barred Roman Catholics from the throne, abolished the crown power to suspend laws, condemned the power of dispensing with laws and declared a standing army illegal in time of peace, in default of issue from Mary. For Whig views this settlement marked a considerable triumph. No kingship could be unconditional, if no Roman Catholic could be king.3
5 The influence on the democracy
After the events of 1688 to 1689 a relatively liberal and moderate political culture ensued in England. The influence of Parliament increased and the threat to royal absolutism on the British Isles were stifled. In December 1689 the „Bill of Rights“ was enforced. It’s full title is: „The Bill of Rights 1689: An act declaring the Rights and Liberties on the subject and settling the succession of the Crown“. It established the principles of frequent parliaments, free elections and freedom of speech within Parliament. Today known as Parliamentary Privilege. It includes no right of taxation without Parliaments agreement, freedom from government interference, the right of petition and just treatment of people by courts. England then was called a constitutional monarchy a so called ‘king-controlled-by-parliament‘. It was still no complete democracy, because the upper classes and the king remained in control. The middle and labouring classes still did not have the vote and had very little say in politics. No women were allowed to vote not even from the upper classes. Only on the 21st of November 1918 Women were allowed to be elected into Parliament after the Parliament Act 1918 was passed. In 1928 the People Act was represented, as a result Women in England, Wales and Scotland received the vote in general elections on the same terms as men. At that time England became a democracy.
5.1 Influence on other constitutions
The „Bill of Rights“ was used as a model for the „US Bill of Rights“ from 1789. It also influenced the „United Nations Declaration of Human Rights“ from 1948, the „European Convention of Human Rights“ from 1950 and the „French Declaration of the Rights of Man“ from 1789.4
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1 https://www.en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glorious_Revolution https://www.britannica.com/event/Glorious-Revolution https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/what-was-the-glorious-revolution
2 https://www.britannica.com/event/GloriousRevolution https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/what-was-the-glorious-revolution https://www.en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glorious_Revolution
3 https://www.en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glorious_Revolution https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/evolutionofparliament/parliamentaryauthority/revolution/collections1/collections-glorious-revolution/billofright/ https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zbtg87h/revision/1
4 https://www.en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glorious_Revolution https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/evolutionofparliament/parliamentaryauthority/revolution/collections1/collections-glorious-revolution/billofright/ https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zbtg87h/revision/1
- Quote paper
- Anonymous,, 2020, What did the "Glorious Revolution" mean for the development of English democracy?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/1341303