History Civi (Primary source assignment)

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182 A World in Transition

The French Revolution, which began in 1789, had a greater impact than the English revolutions. More social groups - peasants, urban workers, and women - participated, and it inspired more people around the globe. More important, the French Revolution went beyond liberalism and constitutionalism. It champi- oned the democratic principles that every person, irrespective of social standing, should have a voice in government and that all people should be treated equally before the law. It also aroused the first nationalist movements in Europe and inspired disaffected groups throughout the world to seek political and social change through revolution.

The Foundations of Parliamentary Supremacy in England

TTT

42 T ENGLISH BILL OF RIGHTS The acceptance of the English Bill of Rights in 1689 ended a clash between the Crown and Parliament that had convulsed English politics for almost a century. During the reigns of the first two Stuart kings, James I (r. 1603-1625) and his son Charles I (r, 1625-1649), the landowners, merchants, and lawyers who dominated the House of Commons fought the monarchy over religious, economic, diplo- matic, and political issues that all centered on the fundamental question of Parlia- ment's place in England's government.

A political impasse over new taxes led to civil war between Parliamentarians and Royalists in 1642. After a triumphant Parliament ordered the execution of Charles I in 1649, a faction of Puritans led by Oliver Cromwell seized power and for the next eleven years sought to impose its strict Protestant beliefs on the Eng- lish people. The Puritans' grip on England loosened after the death of Cromwell in 1658 and was lost altogether when a newly elected Parliament restored the Stu- arts in 1660.

Charles II (r. 1660-1685) and his brother James II (r. 1685-168~), however, alienated their subjects through pro-French and pro-Catholic policies and disre- gard for Parliament. James II was a professed Catholic, and when a male heir was born in 1688, it raised the possibility of a long line of English Catholic kings. Most of his predominantly Protestant subjects found this unacceptable, and the result was the Glorious Revolution of 1688-1689. In a change that resembled a coup d'etat more than a revolution, Parliament offered the Crown to James's Protestant daughter Mary and her husband William of Orange of Holland. After James mounted only token resistance and then fled the country, his son-in-law and daughter became King William III and Queen Mary II after signing the English Bill of Rights, presented to them by Parliament in 1689. By doing so they accepted parliamentary limitations on royal authority that became a permanent part of Eng- land's constitution.

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Chapter 5 Europe and the Americas in an Age of Science, Economic Growth, and Revolution 183

QUESTIONS FOR ANALYSIS

1. What abuses of royal power seem to have most disturbed the authors of the English Bill of Rights?

2. Were the authors most concerned with political, economic, or religious issues?

3. What role does the Bill of Rights envision for the English Crown? 4. When the Bill of Rights speaks of "rights," to whose rights does it refer? 5. In what ways might the common people of England benefit from the Bill of

Rights?

Whereas the late King James the Second, by the assistance of diverse evil counselors, judges and ministers employed by him, did endeavor to subvert and extirpate the Protestant religion and the laws and liberties of this kingdom;

By assuming and exercising a power of dis- pensing with and suspending of laws and the execution oflaws without consent of Parliament;

By committing and prosecuting diverse wor- thy prelates for humbly petitioning to be excused from concurring to the said assumed power;

By issuing and causing to be executed a com- mission under the great seal for erecting a court called the Court of Commissioners for Ecclesias- tical Causes;'

By levying money for and to the use of the Crown by pretense of prerogative for other time and in other manner than the same was granted by Parliament;

By raising and keeping a standing army within this kingdom in time of peace without consent of Parliament, and quartering soldiers contrary to law;

By causing several good subjects being Protes- tants to be disarmed at the same time when papists were both armed and employed contrary to law;

By violating the freedom of election of mem- bers to serve in Parliament; ...

And whereas of late years partial corrupt and

IA special royal court established to try religious cases. 2Pive maritime towns in southeast England that during the Middle Ages gained the right to send representatives to

unqualified persons have been returned and served on juries in trials, and particularly diverse jurors in trials for high treason which were not freeholders;

And excessive bail hath been required of per- sons committed in criminal cases to elude the benefit of the laws made for the liberty of the subjects;

And excessive fines have been imposed; And illegal and cruel punishments inflicted; And several grants and promises made of fines

and forfeitures before any conviction or judg- ment against the persons upon whom the same were to be levied;

All which are utterly and directly contrary to the known laws and statutes and freedom of this realm;

And whereas the said late King James the Sec- ond having abdicated the government and the throne being thereby vacant, his Highness the prince of Orange (whom it hath pleased Al- mighty God to make the glorious instrument of delivering this kingdom from popery and arbi- trary power) did ... cause letters to be written to the Lords Spiritual and Temporal being Prot- estants, and other letters to the several counties, cities, universities, boroughs and cinque ports," for the choosing of such persons to represent them as were of right to be sent to Parliament, to meet and sit at Westminster upon the two

Parliament in recurn for aiding the naval defense of the realm.

184 A World in Transition

and twentieth day of January in this year one thousand six hundred eighty and eight," in order to make such an establishment as that their reli- gion, laws and liberties might not again be in danger of being subverted, upon which letters elections having been accordingly made;

And thereupon the said Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons," pursuant to their re- spective letters and elections, being now as- sembled ... , taking into their most serious consideration the best means for attaining the ends aforesaid, do in the first place (as their ancestors in like case have usually done) for the vindicating and asserting their ancient rights and liberties declare;

That the pretended power of suspending of laws or the execution of laws by regal authority without consent of Parliament is illegal;

That the pretended power of dispensing with laws or the execution of laws by regal authority, as it hath been assumed and exercised of late, is illegal;

That the commission for erecting the late Court of Commissioners for Ecclesiastical Causes, and all other commissions and courts of like nature, are illegal and pernicious;

That levying money for or to the use of the Crown by pretense of prerogative, without grant of Parliament, for longer time, or in other man-

3Until the eighteenth century the English new year began on Match 25, not January 1; by modern reckoning the year should be 1689. 4The lords Spiritual were rhe prelates of the Anglican Church who sat in the House of lords; the lords Temporal

ner than the same is or shall be granted, is illegal; That it is the right of the Subjects to petition

the king, and all commitments and prosecutions for such petitioning are illegal;

That the raising or keeping a standing army within the kingdom in time of peace, unless it be with consent of Parliament, is against law;

That the subjects which are Protestants may have arms for their defense suitable to their con- ditions and as allowed by law;

That election of members of Parliament ought to be free;

That the freedom of speech and debates or proceedings in Parliament ought not to be im- peached or questioned in any court or place out of Parliament;

That excessive bail ought not to be required, nor excessive fines imposed nor cruel and un- usual punishments inflicted;

That jurors ought to be duly impaneled and returned, and jurors which pass upon men in tri- als for high treason ought to be freeholders;"

That all grants and, promises of fines and for- feitures of particular persons before conviction are illegal and void;

And that for redress of all grievances, and for the amending, strengthening and preserving of the laws, Parliaments ought to be held fre- quently ....

were tided peers who sat in the House of lords; Commons refers to the House of Commons, to which nontirled Eng- lishmen were elected. 5Property holders.

A Program for Revolutionary Change In France TTT

43 T CAHIER OF THE THIRD ESTATE OF THE CITY OF PARIS

The French Revolution began because of a problem that has plagued rulers since the beginning of organized government - King Louis XVI (r, 1774-1792) and his ministers could not b:uance their budget. Having exhausted every other solution,