The Puritan, Restoration and Augustan Age (1625-1776) Religious, Historical and Social Bac ground Britain 1625-17!

2 1. The religious make-up of Britain in the 17th century "n order to understand the #olitical, social and cultural de$elo#%ents in the Se$enteenth centur& British 'orld, one %ust (irst ha$e a clear idea o( the religious %a e-u# o( the countr&) The $ast %a*orit& o( the #o#ulation +elonged to one o( the (ollo'ing three religious grou#s, The Church of England (Anglican Protestants) This 'as the o((icial state -hurch as esta+lished +& Henr& .""" during the Re(or%ation) "t did not di((er greatl& (ro% the Ro%an -atholic -hurch and has an hierarchical structure go$erned +& arch+isho#s and +isho#s) To %an& /nglish #eo#le it 'as a li$ing s&%+ol o( their countr&0s inde#endence (ro% 'hat the& sa' as a corru#t Po#e in Ro%e)

The Roman Catholic Church (Catholics) A si1ea+le %inorit& did not acce#t the Re(or%ation and re%ained -atholic in the ho#e that the

Re(or%ation 'ould +e o$erturned and that their 1

religion 'ould +eco%e the religion o( the state as it had +een in the #ast)

Puritans, Pres yterians and !issenters These grou#s, also no'n as non-con(or%ists ac2uired the la+el +ecause their #ri%ar& goal 'as to purify the /nglish church +& re%o$ing all the traces o( Ro%an -atholicis% in doctrine and cere%on&) 3ost o( their theological $ie's 'ere the sa%e as orthodo4 -al$inis%) The& ad$ocated religious disci#line and #laced #ri%ar& e%#hasis on the Bi+le rather than on traditions de$elo#ed in the -hristian co%%unit&)

All these religious di((erence 'ere to ha$e an enor%ous in(luence on se$enteenth-centur& Britain)

". The !i#ine Right of the $ings

The autocratic attitude, instituted +& the Tudor %onarchs, that it 'as the ing or 2ueen 'ho ruled the countr& and not the

Parlia%ent, continued and 'as +rought e$en (urther +& %ames &. "t reached its highest #oint during the reign o( Charles & (1'"() 1'*+) 'ho strongl& +elie$ed that the ing is chosen +& 5od to rule and, there(ore, the di$init&) 2 ing0s acts 'ere ans'era+le onl& to

"n 1627 -harles co%#letel& dissol$ed the Parlia%ent and ruled (or ele$en &ears 'ithout one) The conse2uences o( his actions 'ere dra%atic) The Puritans re(used to +e su+*ected to s&ste%atic discri%ination) The House o( -o%%ons graduall& +eca%e a stronghold (ro% 'hich o##osition to the ing 'as organised) "n 168!, -harles 'as (orced to reo#en the Parlia%ent to as (or ta4es to (inance a 'ar in Scotland) The Parlia%ent re(used to hel# hi% and, %ore than that, insisted on ha$ing %ore in$ol$e%ent in the running o( the countr&) Since -harles0 'i(e 'as a -atholic, he 'as also accused o( not doing enough to su##ress -atholicis%) The +rea ing #oint +et'een the t'o sides ca%e 'hen Parlia%ent de%anded control o( the ar%&, in 1682) -harles0 re(usal 'as the starting #oint (or a -i$il 9ar)

,. -li#er Crom.ell

A Puritan ar%&, under the leadershi# o( -li#er Crom.ell 'as organi1ed to (ight against -harles " 'hose ar%& included lords, no+les and %e%+ers o( the Anglican -hurch) The Puritans 'ere #o#ularl& no'n as Roundheads +ecause the& had $er& short hair, 'hile the su##orters o( -harles 'ere no'n as -a$aliers) The 'ar ended 'ith a Puritan $ictor& and -harles 'as e4ecuted on :une 6!th 1687)

*. The Common.ealth 6

/ngland 'as #ro%#tl& #roclai%ed a (ree re#u+lic, 'hich +eca%e no'n as the Common.ealth. A(ter a +rie( e4#erience o( #urel& Parlia%entar& rule, ;li$er -ro%'ell, ha$ing declined the st&le o( < ing= 'as %ade <>ord Protector)= -ro%'ell 'as a charis%atic #olitical leader and a +rilliant %ilitar& strategist at the head o( the e((icient <?e' 3odel Ar%&)= His %ilitar& e4#loits included the su##ression o( re+ellions in "reland and Scotland and the de(eat o( +oth Holland and S#ain) ;n his death in 165@ the -o%%on'ealth (ell into decline and e$entuall& colla#sed in 166!)

(. The Restoration A(ter t'ent& &ears o( #olitical stri(e, the /nglish #eo#le 'ere ha##& to 'elco%e +ac the %onarch& in the (or% o( Charles &&, 'ho had li$ed in e4ile in Arance) This #eriod is no'n as The Restoration +ecause the s&ste% o( go$ern%ent returned to 'hat it had +een +e(ore the -ro%'ellian re$olution) ;##osition (ro% -atholics and Puritans 'as su##ressed +ut -harles, %ind(ul o( the %ista es his #redecessors had %ade, 'as care(ul to consult the Parlia%ent +e(ore %a ing an& decision) Still his reign 'as considered scandalous) -harles 'as la1&, unscru#ulous, and lu4urious) His court 'as an elegant +rothel) His (oreign #olic& 'as igno+le and treacherous) Bet, -harles e#t his throne (or a 2uarter centur&) His +rother, %ames && (16@5-16@6) ca%e to throne and once again, religion 'as a catal&st (or con(lict) :a%es 'as a catholic and 'anted to re-esta+lish -atholicis% as the %ain 8

religion in the land) His #olic& o( a##ointing -atholics to to# go$ern%ent #ositions 'as a serious threat to the Protestants) His ne#he' and son-in-la', /illiam of -range also no'n as

/illiam &&&, (orced :a%es to (lee (ro% /ngland to "reland) 9illia% and his Protestant ar%& (ollo'ed :a%es "" across the "rish Sea and his $ictor& at the Battle o( the Bo&ne in 167! %ar ed the de(initi$e end to an& -atholic ho#es o( e$er gain acceding to the /nglish throne) 9illia%0s $ictor& is no'n as the 0lorious Re#olution +ecause he 'as the (irst %onarch to recogni1e the constitutional rights o( Parlia%ent) 9illia% 'as na%ed *oint so$ereign 'ith his 'i(e 3ar& (daughter o( :a%es "")

The Bill of Rights, an <Act Ceclaring the Rights and >i+erties o( the Su+*ects=(16@7), ?o la' could +e #assed or re#ealed 'ithout the a##ro$al o( Parlia%ent All ta4ation had to +e a##ro$ed +& Parlia%ent ?o ar%ed (orces could +e e#t 'ithin the ingdo% 'ithout the consent o( Parlia%ent) 9ith the #assing o( this +ill the era o( the di$ine right o( ings had (inall& co%e to an end)

'. The Economy and E#ery !ay 1ife The $ast %a*orit& o( the #o#ulation %ade a li$ing o(( the land) "n the second #art o( the centur&, ho'e$er, there 'as a 5

%ar ed i%#ro$e%ent in the econo%&, %ainl& than s to the ne'l&-created 'ealth +eing +rought +ac (ro% the colonies) The 'a& in 'hich s#ices 'ere used to #reser$e %eat is an e4a%#le o( ho' colonial e4#ansion i%#ro$ed the 2ualit& o( li(e in /ngland) The 'a& #eo#le s#ent their (ree ti%e 'as greatl& in(luenced +& the #olitical cli%ate) 9hen Puritans ca%e to #o'er, all (or%s o( #u+lic entertain%ent 'ere +anned and all theatres 'ere closed) A(ter the Restoration the theatres 'ere reo#ened, #eo#le started ha$ing (un again and >ondon +eca%e the countr&0s %ain social, #olitical and econo%ic centre des#ite t'o e$ents 'hich greatl& distur+ed the li(e o( the cit&, The 5reat Plague (1665), and the 5reat Aire (1666)) A(ter the (ire, the cit& 'as re+uilt on %ore i%#ressi$e scale) The 'or o( the great architect, Sir -hristo#her 9ren, +elongs to this #eriod)

7. England and the Rest of the /orld The econo%ic +oo% o( the second hal( o( the se$enteenth centur& 'as greatl& hel#ed +& colonial e4#ansions) A ne' econo%ic #olic& called 2ercantilism 'as #ut into #ractice) The ac2uisitions o( ne' colonies 'as encouraged +ecause the& #ro$ided chea# %aterials and ne' %ar ets (or goods #roduced in /ngland)

"n 1652 a series o( na$al 'ars 'ith Holland too #lace) A(ter t'o &ears, the Cutch 'ere de(eated and no shi#s challenged the /nglish trade $essel on the seas) E34ansion 'as +oth to'ards the east and 'est) 3igrations to the ?e' 9orld continued throughout the centur&) B& 168!, the Puritans had started o$er t'el$e to'ns, ho%e to 15!!! #eo#le, %ainl& along the eastern coast) "n the /ast, although $er& (e' /nglish #eo#le actuall& settled in "ndia in the 17th centur&, the (oundation 'as laid (or colonial e4#ansion in the (ollo'ing centuries) The /ast "ndia -o%#an& set in %otion a high #ro(ita+le trade in tea, s#ices and other goods) "n conclusion, although the 17th centur& Britain 'as one o( constant religious and #olitical (ights, it 'as also an age that esta+lished the relationshi#s +et'een the -hurch and state, +et'een the 3onarch& and the Parlia%ent, in a 'a& that guaranteed a solid +ase (or (urther econo%ic and colonial e4#ansion)

Britain 1702-1776
1. Political and Economical life The results o( the 5lorious Re$olution, that had li%ited the #o'er o( the %onarch in (a$our o( the Parlia%ent, 'ere consolidated during the 1@th centur& and led to the creation o( a constitutional %onarch&) 7

"t 'as Dueen Anne, the daughter o( :a%es "" and also the last o( the Stuart d&nast&, that de$elo#ed the t'o #art& s&ste% o( go$ern%ent, the Tor& #art& and the 9higs) The old aristocrac& and the -hurch o( /ngland tended to su##ort the Tor& #art&, 'hile the e%erging %iddle class generall& su##orted the 9higs) 9hile Parlia%ent ran the countr&, the %onarch& re%ained a #o'er(ul s&%+ol o( British identit& and a lin to the #ast) A(ter the reign o( Dueen Anne, 5eorge ", the great-grandson o( :a%es ", ca%e to the throne and started the d&nast& o( Hano$er, 'hich lasted until 1@67) The %ost i%#ortant (igure in the reign o( the (irst t'o 5eorges is Sir Ro+ert 9al#ole, 'ho 'as #ri%e-%inister (ro% 1721-1782) His %otto 'as Let sleeping dogs lie. He is regarded to +e the (irst #ri%e-%inister in British histor&)

Important events: The uni(ication o( /ngland and Scotland in 17!7 'as not uni$ersall& acce#ted) This led to :aco+ite re$olts in Scotland, +oth in 1715 and in 1785) All the atte%#ts to regain Scottish inde#endence (ailed) Aollo'ing 'ars 'ith Arance and S#ain, -anada and Alorida in ?orth A%erica, Senegal in A(rica and 5renada in 9est "ndies +eca%e /nglish #ossessions) , 'hile the /ast "ndia -o%#an& consolidated its %ono#ol& o$er trade in the /ast) Although Arance and S#ain did their ut%ost to th'art British @

a%+itions, the nu%+er o( colonies continued to gro') The& su##lied chea# and #lenti(ul su##lies o( (ur, sugar, tea, co((ee, s#ices, to+acco and sil , 'hile ca#tain :a%es -oo o#ened ne' hori1ons 'hen he +eca%e the (irst 'hite %an to set (oot in Australia in 177!) The (irst +lo' to British colonial e4#ansion occurred in 1776, 'hen the A%erican colonies declared their inde#endence (ro% the %other countr&) This #ro$ed to +e a %inor set+ac in the econo%ic and social de$elo#%ent o( the countr&) The "ndustrial Re$olution, the Agricultural Re$olution and the strengths o( British trade %ade a solid (oundation (ro% 9hich Britain could set its sights on +eing a %a*or 'orld #o'er) 1iterature Puritanism 5 #oetr& E:ohn Conne Andre' 3ar$ell :ohn 3ilton (Paradise >ost)

Augustan Age)#oetr&-Ale4ander Po#e -Tho%as 5ra& - dra%a- ;li$er 5olds%ith (She Stoo#s to -on2uer) - (iction-Caniel Ce(oe (Ro+inson -rusoe) -:onathan S'i(t (5ulli$er0s Tra$els) - Sa%uel Richardson (Pa%ela) -Henr& Aielding (To% :ones) ->aurence Sterne (Tristra% Shand&) 7

Restoration 5dra%a-9illia% -ongre$e (The 9a& o( the 9orld) -

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