Essay on Exclusion Crisis
Britain
was in a political chaos after being led by James II who has no legitimate
child. James II’s goal was to pattern his rule after his cousin Louis IX of
France. James II appointed the Catholic Church in England to redefine the
political structure of a nation dominated by Protestants. The redefined Divine
Right of King created a stir between the monarchy and the Parliament. The
conflict between the two political groups has led to the Exclusion Crisis. Because
the Parliament is getting concerned about the influence of the Catholics, it
enacted a law that rejected the doctrine of transubstantiation. In a more
deliberate act, the parliament passed the Exclusion Bill, which barred any
Catholic heirs from the throne. This led to a constitutional crisis juggling
the role of the Monarchy and the Parliament (Kenyon, 2000).
James
II ruled through Divine Rights that ignored English laws. He ordered the killing
of hundreds of civilians after Protestant Duke of Monmouth attempted to attack
James II’s forces. Catholic allies have gained political and military favours.
Also, schools that are traditionally Protestant-run were forced to accept
Catrholic doctrines. There also an
attempt to influence the parliament in Parliament to repealing the Test Acts
and the Penal Laws (Kenyon, 2000). The strategy of James II was to develop and
political culture considered an unnatural. The actions of John Locke through his treatise
were also considered as an act of revolution. The House of Whig only changed
the meaning of revolution in 1688 despite the fact that the Opposition and
Radical Whigs have already accepted that a revolution is at hand.
The
Glorious Revolutions has transformed the banking industry with the creation of
the Bank of England, which subsidized industries. Feudalism came to an end
because the property rights were also revised. Some of the other changes in the
focus of England included the establishment of the post office, implementation
of a much aggressive taxation scheme, and expanding of Britain colonies and
territories. The Glorious revolution successfully defeated the Divine Rights of
Kings and proceeded in limiting the Monarchy’s influence to the government.
Social changes were evident and there was a sense of progress ongoing after the
revolution. Another important legacy brought by the revolution was the passage
of the Bill of Rights in 1869. This practically ended the ambition to establish
a Catholic Monarchy and provided clear guidelines as to the power of the
Monarchs (Pincus and Robinson, 2010).
Unlike
other forms of uprising, the Glorious Revolution was never described as bloody.
Still, the element of a group seizing power from an incumbent was present. It
was viewed more as an invasion because James II was already weakened and has to
capacity to fight back. As the revolution takes place, James II suffered
several military defeats and causing his forces to become more limited. In an
attempt to recover his power, James asked the help of Irish Catholics and the
French Army for one final offensive. Unfortunately for James II the combined
forces of England, Scotland, Dutch, and Protestant colonist was just
unconquerable. Much of the violence during the revolution escalated in
Ireland. Several Irish individuals,
however, from all social classes have donated money for the revolutionary
cause. The bloodshed could have been limited has James II’s sympathizers
accepted their fate instead of causing sporadic trouble hoping to regain the
reigns.
The Exclusion Crisis is several ways
influenced the Glorious Revolution. The Whigs were reacting to the emergence of
Catholicism in British politics and the artificial evolution of the state. The
Exclusion Crisis and its political aftermath initiated a bloodless uprising
often described as ‘truly revolutionary’. History suggests that bloodshed is necessary
for any kind of revolution. The Glorious Revolution managed to commence and end
with minimal violence and was more of clash of ideals and values.
References
Kenyon, J. The Popish
Plot. New Haven, CT: Phoenix Press, Inc. 2000
Pincus, S. and Robinson, J. “What Really Happened During
the Glorious Revolution?”
Cambridge,
MA: Harvard University Press. 2010.
Vallance, E. “The Glorious Revolution.” BBC. 17 February
2007, from:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/civil_war_revolution/glorious_revolution_01.shtml
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