New
New
Year 8
James II's troubled early reign
I can explain why James II's early reign was so troubled.
New
New
Year 8
James II's troubled early reign
I can explain why James II's early reign was so troubled.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- In 1685, the Catholic James II succeeded Charles II; his succession was smooth despite England being Protestant.
- Soon after, James II had to defeat the Monmouth Rebellion which sought to depose him due to his Catholic beliefs.
- James II expanded the size of the army and appointed Catholics to important positions without Parliament's agreement.
- James II also attempted to bring greater freedoms to Catholics in England through the Declaration of Indulgence in 1687.
- The birth of James' son in 1688 scared his opponents about a possible Catholic succession.
Common misconception
Only children of the monarch are next in line for the throne, not siblings.
As Charles II did not have any legitimate children, his heir was his brother, James II.
Keywords
Parliament - an assembly of people with authority to make laws for a country
Anglican - a person who believes in the faith and practices of the Church of England
Rebellion - an act of armed resistance to an established government or leader
Students could research James II's role in the trade of enslaved Africans through his involvement in the Royal African Company in order to help make links with other important events at this time.
Teacher tip
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
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Starter quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
Which word describes an act of armed resistance to an established government or leader?
parliament
reign
succession
Q2.
Which word describes an assembly of people with authority to make laws for a country?
rebellion
heir
reign
Q3.
Which of the following was very important to early modern societies?
social media
television
Q4.
Put the following events and time periods in chronological order.
Q5.
In 1685, James II became King of England. What century did this happen in?
Q6.
Put the following English monarchs in order of who reigned earliest.
Exit quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
Which keyword describes a person who believes in the faith and practices of the Church of England?
Q2.
What religion was James II when he came to the throne in 1685?
Q3.
Complete the sentence with the missing two words: James II had to defeat both the __________ Rebellion in Scotland and __________ Rebellion in the south of England in June 1685.
Scottish
Charles'
Q4.
What did the Declaration of Indulgence in 1687 introduce?
punished people who did not publicly support the Catholic Church
did not allow non-Anglicans to gain employment in the government
Q5.
What was significant about 10th June 1688?
James' wife gave birth to a Protestant male heir.
James' wife gave birth to a Protestant female heir.
James' wife gave birth to a Catholic female heir.
Q6.
How many rebels were executed following the 1685 rebellions?
150
800
2500
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