The Restoration

Britain – Charles II, James II and the Glorious Revolution, 1660-88

In this course, we explore the reigns of three kings of England, and one queen: Charles II, James II, and William and Mary. Beginning with the Restoration of Charles II in 1660, we begin by exploring in some detail Charles’ long reign, and the efforts he made to ease some of the tensions that had led to the English Civil War—particularly those relating to religion. In the first three modules, we explore the Restoration itself, before examining Charles’ reign first through the lens of politics, and then through the lens of religion. In the fourth module, we turn to reign of James II, focusing in particular on how his pro-Catholic policies provoked increasing tensions in England, before turning in the final module to the Glorious Revolution and the joint reign of William and Mary.

The Restoration

In this module, we focus on the Restoration of Charles II, and the moves made by Charles to ensure a smooth transition from Republicanism to Monarchy. In particular, we consider the terms of the Declaration of Breda, the Indemnity and Oblivion Act and the Act of Uniformity, three documents that set the terms on which Charles would rule Britain for the next twenty-five years.