THE GLORIOUS REVOLUTION
AND THE HANOVER KINGS
CHARLES II
* The “Merry Monarch”
* Mistresses, mistresses,
mistresses
* Conversion to
Catholicism
* Throne Passes to
Brother, James
JAMES II
* Catholic
* No Heirs…
James Edward –
Catholic!
* Upset Protestants
Invite William of
Orange (Holland) to be
King
Married to James II’s
daughter Mary
THE GLORIOUS REVOLUTION
Saving England
 “rescue the nation and the
religion” from the Catholic James
II
James’ Heir
 Reared as a Catholic
 Unacceptable
Invasion
 Not hostile, but excitement grew
as he marched on London
 James runs away to France
THE DECLARATION OF RIGHTS
(ENGLISH BILL OF RIGHTS)
Parliament
 Agree to put William and Mary on the throne if
they agreed to…
The Declaration of Rights
 No Catholic could become king or queen
 Taxes could not be raised without
Parliament’s consent
 No laws enacted without Parliamentary
approval
Foundation for the American Bill of Rights
WILLIAM AND MARY
Joint Monarchs
 First and only time in English history
 Lasts until Mary’s death by smallpox
 Mary II – loved by all!
William’s Intent
 Rules alone
 Stop French expansion
College of William and Mary
 Second oldest university in the United
States
 Houses the oldest college building in the
United States
 First law school in America
ANNE
William’s Death
 Mary’s sister and William’s
sister-in-law
 Anne establishes Britain as a
major European power.
Worn Out Queen
 Pregnant 18 times, 13
stillbirths
 5 living children – all die as
well
The Last Stuart Monarch
 Succession passes to the heirs
of Electress Sophia of
Hanover
GEORGE I (1714-1727)
Closest Living Protestant Relation
 Hanover, Germany, aged 54
 Unable to speak English and limited
knowledge of England
Marriage
 Sophia Dorothea
 Dislike, mistresses and affairs (Philip
von Konigsmarck)
Weak Government
 Had to trust associates, but couldn’t…
THE “PRIME” MINISTER
King’s (or Queen’s) Cabinet
 Several ministers who gave advice
 King presided over Cabinet meeting
 Reliance on Robert Walpole
 VIDEO – The First Prime Minister
“Prime” (First) Minister to the King
 Robert Walpole
 10 Downing Street
 Essentially runs government for
George I
THE JACOBITE UPRISING – PART I
Jacobite
 Latin Jacobus – James; Who do they
support?
The 1715 Uprising
 Scotland
 Place James Edward Stuart - “The Old
Pretender” on the throne
 Easily crushed
The 1745 Uprising
 James II supporters
 60 years after exile
 Charles Edward Stuart – Bonnie Prince
Charlie “The Young Pretender”
THE JACOBITE UPRISING – PART II
Battle of Culloden
 Utter defeat, thought English would
rally…
 No quarter given…
Destruction of the Jacobites
 Prisoners shot, neglected to starvation,
executed publicly, or sold as slaves to
American plantations.
 Scottish Clan chiefs stripped of rights
 Lord Lovat, 80 year-old Scottish man, last
person to be beheaded in public in
England
GEORGE II (1727-1760)
Wars, Wars, and Wars
 War of Jenkins’ Ear (Spain)
 War of the Austrian Succession (France)
 Seven Years’ War (France)
 Battle of Dettingen (France)
 Last British king to lead troops in battle
Marriage
 Caroline casts a “blind eye”
 On her deathbed – tells him to remarry,
George refuses
British Expansion
 North America (Georgia), India, and Canada
GEORGE III (1760-1820)
First Hanover Monarch Born in
England
 Conscientious ruler, took role seriously
 Ability to speak to average people
Napoleon and the American
Revolution
Marriage
 Met Charlotte, six hours later, married!
 Faithful throughout – 15 children
 “They did not fall in love and marry;
they married and fell in love.”
MAD KING GEORGE
Porphyria
 “purple pigment”
 Blood disorder which causes mental
disturbances
 In-breeding
 VIDEO – George III’s Mad Doctor
Continued Illness
 Son, Prince George, rules as Regent
 Permanent derangement and
blindness for the last nine years
GEORGE IV (1820-1830)
Ruled as Regent
 Finally made king after George III’s death
Marriage
 Secret wife – Maria FitzHerbert
 Act of Settlement
 Forced wife – Caroline
 Wants divorce - infidelity
Rule as King
 Grant Catholics rights!
 Slowly, they begin gaining them again…
 Wild Guy – health suffers, overweight, and
virtual recluse at Windsor
IN SUMMARY…
VIDEO – The Georges – LIVE!