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Reluctant revolutionaries : Englishmen and the revolution of 1688

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  • Author: Speck, W. A.
    Date:
    Created
    1989
    Summary:

    In 1688 the Catholic James II was removed from the throne and replaced by Protestant monarchs, first William III, and then Mary. The importance of this "glorious revolution," long seen as a crucial shift in Britain from absolutism to constitutional monarchy, has recently been questioned by historians. This wide-ranging book takes a fresh look at the people and events of 1688. Challenging recent work and arguing that 1688 did see a decisive, though not inevitable, movement toward mixed, constitutional monarchy, Speck provides a vivid picture of politics and society in the Glorious Revolution. He explores the nature of the late Stuart monarchy, and its likely development without the "accident" of James II; the personality of James himself, and the significance of his flight; the nature of the conspiracy to invite William of Orange to England and place him on the throne; and the Revolution's constitutional importance and long-term social and religious implications.

    Original Publisher: Oxford, New York, Oxford University Press
    Language(s): English
    ISBN: 0192851209