History of England — Spring

In 1603, the long reign of Elizabeth I came to an end and a new king brought a new dynasty to the English throne. The moment was filled with excitement and the promise of progress in a new century with new freedoms in a more open atmosphere than the controlled society dominated by the grand old queen. The new king was James, King of Scotland, who is shown at the right in the excellent 1606 portrait by John de Critz now in the National Portrait Gallery in London.

LECTURE NOTES

At the right you will find Lecture Notes containing James I Biography and Seventeenth Century Chronology.

RECOMMENDED READING

John Donne (1572-1631)
The life and work of John Donne is one of the most illuminating sources for understanding the transition in the English world as the English experienced the end of the long reign of Elizabeth I and the beginning of the Stuart era. It was a new world both exciting and frightening. Many Englishmen had never known another monarch other than Good Queen Bess. People looked to the Stuarts for a new beginning with both anticipation and fear.

LECTURE NOTES:
At the right you will will find a link to a one-page Chronology for the Seventeenth Century, which will be useful for the whole quarter.

And also a copy of one of John Donne's most famous works, "An Anatomie of the World" with meditations on the state of England at this moment when the old world of Elizabeth is passing and a new unknown world is ahead.

BRING YOUR COPY OF JOHN DONNE'S POETRY TO CLASS THIS WEEK SO WE CAN READ IT.

REQUIRED READING:

RECOMMENDED READING:

In 1603, the long reign of Elizabeth I came to an end and a new king brought a new dynasty to the English throne. The moment was filled with excitement and the promise of progress in a new century with new freedoms in a more open atmosphere than the controlled society dominated by the grand old queen. There is a new book on the last years of Elizabeth and the coming to the throne of James:

Our lecture tonight concerns the Puritans. This group had been forming for decades during the Elizabethan era, and they were already a problem for the government of the Virgin Queen. But it was in the Stuart era that this extremely energetic and cohesive group came to prominence and evolved into a political as well as a religious force. In order for us all to enter in to the world of English Puritans, I have assigned Paul Seaver's brilliant book Wallington's World. There is nothing better in all the literature of Puritanism. Paul Seaver was my professor at Stanford for Tudor-Stuart History and thus he is the guiding light behind our plan for these two Tudor-Stuart quarters of our course. Paul was not only a brilliant historian and fine writer, but he is also one of the finest human beings I have ever known. His kindness to me and to Bruce Thompson when we were both at Stanford working on our Ph.D.s (we both did Tudor-Stuart History as our secondary fields) changed our whole grad school experience. As Bruce and I listened to other History grad students complaining about their life and their advisors and all their problems, we would smile as we realized that our grad school experience was wonderful with much of that good feeling traceable to Paul Seaver. I will never forget the thoughtfulness that Paul showed to me as I approached the terrifying experience of Ph.D. orals. I can remember him saying to me: "You will get through this." It was all I needed to hear in order to keep going. And he was right; I got through it.

RECOMMENDED READING:

Paul Seaver's field was Tudor-Stuart history and within that field he was especially knowledgeable about the Puritans. He discovered and then published the massive and spectacular musings of a man named Wallington and with the text of that 17th century London diarist, Paul opened up the world of the Puritans as no other document ever has. I encourage you to read just a sample of it. I have collected many paperback copies because it is sometimes difficult to get, and I am happy to loan out my copies to any of you who would like to take a little journey into the wondrous world of a 17th century London Puritan.

Charles I (November 19, 1600 – January 30, 1649) was King of England, Scotland, and Ireland, from March 27, 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles is one of the most exasperating and tragic of all royal figures in the history of England. In one short reign he destroyed everything his Tudor predecessors had created. His execution was the most shocking event in the whole of the seventeenth century.

English Civil War Chronology at the right.

The portrait of King Charles is by Anthony Van Dyke.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RECOMMENDED READING:

Here is a fine biography of Charles.

 

 

The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations which took place between Parliamentarians and Royalists from 1642 until 1651. The first (1642 - 1645) and second (1648 - 1649) civil wars pitted the supporters of King Charles I against the supporters of the Long Parliament, while the third war of (1649 - 1651) saw fighting between supporters of King Charles II and supporters of the Rump Parliament. The Civil War ended with the Parliamentary victory at the Battle of Worcester on 3 September 1651. The Civil War led to the trial and execution of Charles I, the exile of his son Charles II, and the replacement of the English monarchy with the Commonwealth of England (1649 - 1653) and then with a Protectorate (1653 - 1659): the personal rule of Oliver Cromwell. The monopoly of the Church of England on Christian worship in England came to an end, and the victors consolidated the already-established Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. Constitutionally, the wars established a precedent that British monarchs could not govern without the consent of Parliament although this would not be cemented until the Glorious Revolution of 1688 later in the century.(Wikipedia)

During our week dedicated to the events of the English Civil War we will also examine the fascinating historiographical debate that has flourished especially since World War II.

RECOMMENDED READING:

John Milton, 1608-1674, was the most important writers of seventeenth-century England and an important politician as well. His Paradise Lost (1667) is viewed as one of the greatest epic poems of all time. We will read some of his essays.

If you would like to read the opening book of Paradise Lost, you can find a link over on the right side of this page within the sidebar. In the first paragraph, Milton refers to the Sinai mountain top and to the Shepherd. Here he is referring to Moses receiving the commandments on Mount Sinai (Book of Leviticus).

SIDEBAR NOTES:

At right on the Sidebar, with chronologies etc., you will find Book I of Paradise Lost.
John Milton Biography
English Civil War Chronology
Paradise Lost Book One

REQUIRED READING:

RECOMMENDED READING:

For those of you who would like your own copy of Paradise Lost, here is an excellent edition:

Oliver Cromwell.
The fall of the monarchy.
The advent of a Puritan republic.
England in the mid-seventeenth century.

SIDEBAR NOTES:

English Civil War Chronology at right.

RECOMMENDED READING:

Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was the King of England, King of Scots, and King of Ireland from 30 January 1649 (de jure) or 29 May 1660 (de facto) until his death. His father Charles I had been executed in 1649. Following the English Civil War; the monarchy was then abolished and England, and subsequently Scotland and Ireland became a united republic under Oliver Cromwell, the Lord Protector, albeit with Scotland and Ireland under military occupation and de facto martial law. In 1660, shortly after Cromwell's death, the monarchy was restored under Charles II. He was popularly known as the 'Merry Monarch' in reference to his cheerful disposition.(Wikipedia)

RECOMMENDED READING:

Is there anything better than a royal biography written by the royalty of English biography writing Lady Antonia Fraser? This is a great biography and a fascinating life.

As England entered the 1680's it faced a constitutional crisis as grave as that which had split the nation in the 1640's. King Charles II had no son or daughter to succeed him and therefore the only legitimate successor was the king's brother James, Duke of York. James had complicated such a succession by secretly converting to Roman Catholicism and thereby confronting the Parliament with the possibility of the first Roman Catholic monarch since Queen Mary I. Parliamentary leaders were unalterably opposed to this and for the next several years the issue would be argued in the series of "Exclusionary" bills all of which were vetoed by King Charles.

RECOMENDED READING:

Samuel Pepys Diary is one of the finest examples of private memoires to come down to us from the beginning of the Modern Age. Our enjoyment of the Diary will be augmented by our experience with other writers of private recollections such as Cicero, Abelard, Heloise, Alessandra degli Strozzi, Castiglione, Veronica Franco and others.

June 30, 1688- A high-powered conspiracy of notables, the "Immortal Seven", invite William and Mary to depose James II of England.
October 27 - King James II of England fires minister Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland
November 5 - Glorious Revolution begins: William of Orange lands at Brixham but James II of England is prevented from meeting him in battle because many of his officers and men desert to the other side.
November - Hearing that William has landed in England, Louis XIV declares war on the Netherlands. He does not attack the Netherlands but instead strikes at the heart of the Holy Roman Empire with about 100,000 soldiers.
December 11 - After a series of defeats King James II of England flees England for France.
William rides into London greeted by delirious crowds.

 

In 1603, the long reign of Elizabeth I came to an end and a new king brought a new dynasty to the English throne. The moment was filled with excitement and the promise of progress in a new century with new freedoms in a more open atmosphere than the controlled society dominated by the grand old queen. The new king was James, King of Scotland, who is shown at the right in the excellent 1606 portrait by John de Critz now in the National Portrait Gallery in London.

LECTURE NOTES

At the right you will find Lecture Notes containing James I Biography and Seventeenth Century Chronology.

RECOMMENDED READING

John Donne (1572-1631)
The life and work of John Donne is one of the most illuminating sources for understanding the transition in the English world as the English experienced the end of the long reign of Elizabeth I and the beginning of the Stuart era. It was a new world both exciting and frightening. Many Englishmen had never known another monarch other than Good Queen Bess. People looked to the Stuarts for a new beginning with both anticipation and fear.

LECTURE NOTES:
At the right you will will find a link to a one-page Chronology for the Seventeenth Century, which will be useful for the whole quarter.

And also a copy of one of John Donne's most famous works, "An Anatomie of the World" with meditations on the state of England at this moment when the old world of Elizabeth is passing and a new unknown world is ahead.

BRING YOUR COPY OF JOHN DONNE'S POETRY TO CLASS THIS WEEK SO WE CAN READ IT.

REQUIRED READING:

RECOMMENDED READING:

In 1603, the long reign of Elizabeth I came to an end and a new king brought a new dynasty to the English throne. The moment was filled with excitement and the promise of progress in a new century with new freedoms in a more open atmosphere than the controlled society dominated by the grand old queen. There is a new book on the last years of Elizabeth and the coming to the throne of James:

Our lecture tonight concerns the Puritans. This group had been forming for decades during the Elizabethan era, and they were already a problem for the government of the Virgin Queen. But it was in the Stuart era that this extremely energetic and cohesive group came to prominence and evolved into a political as well as a religious force. In order for us all to enter in to the world of English Puritans, I have assigned Paul Seaver's brilliant book Wallington's World. There is nothing better in all the literature of Puritanism. Paul Seaver was my professor at Stanford for Tudor-Stuart History and thus he is the guiding light behind our plan for these two Tudor-Stuart quarters of our course. Paul was not only a brilliant historian and fine writer, but he is also one of the finest human beings I have ever known. His kindness to me and to Bruce Thompson when we were both at Stanford working on our Ph.D.s (we both did Tudor-Stuart History as our secondary fields) changed our whole grad school experience. As Bruce and I listened to other History grad students complaining about their life and their advisors and all their problems, we would smile as we realized that our grad school experience was wonderful with much of that good feeling traceable to Paul Seaver. I will never forget the thoughtfulness that Paul showed to me as I approached the terrifying experience of Ph.D. orals. I can remember him saying to me: "You will get through this." It was all I needed to hear in order to keep going. And he was right; I got through it.

RECOMMENDED READING:

Paul Seaver's field was Tudor-Stuart history and within that field he was especially knowledgeable about the Puritans. He discovered and then published the massive and spectacular musings of a man named Wallington and with the text of that 17th century London diarist, Paul opened up the world of the Puritans as no other document ever has. I encourage you to read just a sample of it. I have collected many paperback copies because it is sometimes difficult to get, and I am happy to loan out my copies to any of you who would like to take a little journey into the wondrous world of a 17th century London Puritan.

Charles I (November 19, 1600 – January 30, 1649) was King of England, Scotland, and Ireland, from March 27, 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles is one of the most exasperating and tragic of all royal figures in the history of England. In one short reign he destroyed everything his Tudor predecessors had created. His execution was the most shocking event in the whole of the seventeenth century.

English Civil War Chronology at the right.

The portrait of King Charles is by Anthony Van Dyke.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RECOMMENDED READING:

Here is a fine biography of Charles.

 

 

The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations which took place between Parliamentarians and Royalists from 1642 until 1651. The first (1642 - 1645) and second (1648 - 1649) civil wars pitted the supporters of King Charles I against the supporters of the Long Parliament, while the third war of (1649 - 1651) saw fighting between supporters of King Charles II and supporters of the Rump Parliament. The Civil War ended with the Parliamentary victory at the Battle of Worcester on 3 September 1651. The Civil War led to the trial and execution of Charles I, the exile of his son Charles II, and the replacement of the English monarchy with the Commonwealth of England (1649 - 1653) and then with a Protectorate (1653 - 1659): the personal rule of Oliver Cromwell. The monopoly of the Church of England on Christian worship in England came to an end, and the victors consolidated the already-established Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. Constitutionally, the wars established a precedent that British monarchs could not govern without the consent of Parliament although this would not be cemented until the Glorious Revolution of 1688 later in the century.(Wikipedia)

During our week dedicated to the events of the English Civil War we will also examine the fascinating historiographical debate that has flourished especially since World War II.

RECOMMENDED READING:

John Milton, 1608-1674, was the most important writers of seventeenth-century England and an important politician as well. His Paradise Lost (1667) is viewed as one of the greatest epic poems of all time. We will read some of his essays.

If you would like to read the opening book of Paradise Lost, you can find a link over on the right side of this page within the sidebar. In the first paragraph, Milton refers to the Sinai mountain top and to the Shepherd. Here he is referring to Moses receiving the commandments on Mount Sinai (Book of Leviticus).

SIDEBAR NOTES:

At right on the Sidebar, with chronologies etc., you will find Book I of Paradise Lost.
John Milton Biography
English Civil War Chronology
Paradise Lost Book One

REQUIRED READING:

RECOMMENDED READING:

For those of you who would like your own copy of Paradise Lost, here is an excellent edition:

Oliver Cromwell.
The fall of the monarchy.
The advent of a Puritan republic.
England in the mid-seventeenth century.

SIDEBAR NOTES:

English Civil War Chronology at right.

RECOMMENDED READING:

Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was the King of England, King of Scots, and King of Ireland from 30 January 1649 (de jure) or 29 May 1660 (de facto) until his death. His father Charles I had been executed in 1649. Following the English Civil War; the monarchy was then abolished and England, and subsequently Scotland and Ireland became a united republic under Oliver Cromwell, the Lord Protector, albeit with Scotland and Ireland under military occupation and de facto martial law. In 1660, shortly after Cromwell's death, the monarchy was restored under Charles II. He was popularly known as the 'Merry Monarch' in reference to his cheerful disposition.(Wikipedia)

RECOMMENDED READING:

Is there anything better than a royal biography written by the royalty of English biography writing Lady Antonia Fraser? This is a great biography and a fascinating life.

As England entered the 1680's it faced a constitutional crisis as grave as that which had split the nation in the 1640's. King Charles II had no son or daughter to succeed him and therefore the only legitimate successor was the king's brother James, Duke of York. James had complicated such a succession by secretly converting to Roman Catholicism and thereby confronting the Parliament with the possibility of the first Roman Catholic monarch since Queen Mary I. Parliamentary leaders were unalterably opposed to this and for the next several years the issue would be argued in the series of "Exclusionary" bills all of which were vetoed by King Charles.

RECOMENDED READING:

Samuel Pepys Diary is one of the finest examples of private memoires to come down to us from the beginning of the Modern Age. Our enjoyment of the Diary will be augmented by our experience with other writers of private recollections such as Cicero, Abelard, Heloise, Alessandra degli Strozzi, Castiglione, Veronica Franco and others.

June 30, 1688- A high-powered conspiracy of notables, the "Immortal Seven", invite William and Mary to depose James II of England.
October 27 - King James II of England fires minister Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland
November 5 - Glorious Revolution begins: William of Orange lands at Brixham but James II of England is prevented from meeting him in battle because many of his officers and men desert to the other side.
November - Hearing that William has landed in England, Louis XIV declares war on the Netherlands. He does not attack the Netherlands but instead strikes at the heart of the Holy Roman Empire with about 100,000 soldiers.
December 11 - After a series of defeats King James II of England flees England for France.
William rides into London greeted by delirious crowds.