Question

Explain the events leading up to the glorious revolution. why was this revolution so significant?

From abeka world history and cultures

Answer 1

The threat of James I establishing a catholic dynasty in England and Scotland

Explanation:

James I came to the throne on the death of his brother Charles II, James was Roman Catholic in a country that was protestant since Henry VIII's reformation and had adopted a more radical Protestantism after the English Civil War of the 1640s

While James promoted religious tolerance he also promoted closer ties with France which the English Parliament were not happy about, the crisis erupted when James son was born and created the prospect of a catholic Stuart dynasty ruing England with the prospect of potential loss of religious freedom - James's son also displaced Mary (a protestant, married to William "king" of the United Provinces modern day Holland) in the line of succession

A significant proportion of Parliament was so alarmed at the prospect of this dynasty the secretly conspired with William and promised him support should he inade

William had also been so alarmed by the prospect of an Anglo-French Alliance (which would threaten Holland) that he had been considering military intervention into England anyway

Given the promise of internal support in England he landed troops in Torbay in 1688 and after a few minor clashes with troops loyal to James coupled with the eruption of anti catholic riots in many towns James;s regime collapsed and after an escape attempt was captured and eventually exiled to France

The revolutions significance is both economic and social

Economically it transferred over a relatively short time the dominance of Holland to England laying the foundations for global empire in the later centuries by ending Anglo Dutch enmity

Socially it stamped England as a permanently Protestant country and religious freedoms were curtailed and Catholics excluded from voting and civil affairs or commissions in the Army, the Monarch was expressly forbidden from being Catholic or marrying a Catholic a ruling that would have repercussions in the 1930 when Edward wished to Marry Mrs Simpson and was forced to abdicate or give her up