617c literature.pptVIP

The Earlier 17th Century : English Literature Important Events 1614 James I succeeded Elizabeth.? 1625 Charles I succeeded James I.? 1642 Civil War broke out between the king’s forces and armies loyal to the House of Commons.? The conflict ended with Charles’s defeat and beheading in 1649. 1650s Oliver Cromwell wielded power nearly as autocratically as Charles had done.? 1660 Parliament invited the old king’s son, Charles II, home from exile.? The Clashes Between the King and Parliament The major parliamentary clashes of the early 17th century were over monopolies, the means by which the monarchy attempted to control commercial activity in the interests of the court. The king granted monopolies on such and such merchandises to his favourites, and then nobody could sell them without purchasing the permission of the monopoly holders. At last the Parliament declared that monopolies without its consent were illegal. Charles I dissolved it in 1629. James I Kings, James believed, derived their power from God rather than from the people.?He saw Parliament as his servant, but the parliament refused to take his orders. The king ruled his country for 7years.Yet James was successful in keeping England out of European wars, and encouraging colonial projects in the New World and economic growth at home.? The most important religious event of James’s reign was a newly commissioned translation of the Bible. Charles I For eleven years Charles ruled the country with an absolute government. He relied upon the prerogative courts (the Star Chamber, etc.) as the instruments of his policy. Thus arose the demand for a new government on the part of the English bourgeoisie. The Outburst of the English Revolution The civil war broke out in 1642 and lasted till 1649. At first, the Royalists had certain military advantages. Then Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658), the famous opposition leader, reorganized the Parliamentary force