Countries that are ruled by kings and queens Reading Focus

Identify Cause and Effect

What were some effects of the English Civil War?

• Answer(s): temporarily ended monarchy and House of Lords, restricted English social life in certain ways

• Pepys: “Great joy all yesterday at London, and at night more bonfires that ever, and ringing of bells…every body seems to be very joyfull in the business…”

• Hobbes’s ideas reflected the fact that many people were unhappy under Cromwell, especially when he dismissed Parliament to rule alone—like a king. Attitudes were changing so much that a return to monarchy became possible.

• 1658, Cromwell died; son took place; Richard Cromwell lacked father’s leadership abilities
• His government collapsed
• Eventually Parliament reconvened, voted to bring back monarchy—event known as the Restoration

• The Restoration

• The Monarchy Returns

• Spring 1660, Parliament invited son of Charles I to be new king
• Parliament laid out certain conditions which Charles accepted
• Was crowned as Charles II
• People shouted their good wishes

• The New King

• Positive and Negative
• Charles reopened theaters, flowering of English drama resulted
• Habeas Corpus Act passed, guaranteeing someone accused of a crime had right to appear in court to determine if should be held, released
• 1665, bubonic plague returned; following year Great Fire of London
• After fire, Charles supported public construction projects

• The Reign of Charles II
• Charles had to address many issues—conflict with Dutch continued; religious tensions remained; role of Parliament still being developed
• Charles supported religious toleration for Catholics, but Parliament insisted on laws to strengthen the Church of England
• Restoration years, mixture of positive, negative events

• Later in Charles’s reign the question of who would succeed him remained. His brother James was next in line, but he was a Catholic.

• James married to Catholic princess, whose Catholic son would outrank James’s Protestant daughters from first marriage
• 1685, Charles died, James crowned king
• Many wondered if another destructive war would follow
• James not popular; believed in right to rule as absolute monarch
• English did not tolerate that belief

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