19/07/2025
QUESTION 7
AN EVALUATION OF THE GLORIOUS REVOLUTION
* HOW THE REVOLUTION WAS GLORIOUS
The revolution of 1688 was referred to as glorious because of the following reasons:
- The revolution was accomplished without bloodshed, no civil war and no massacre nor the damage of properties. This means that the change of leadership was very peaceful.
The revolution ended the long- standing religious conflicts between the Anglicans and the Catholics.
The succession question was settled in favour of the Anglicans for by the Bill of Rights, no Roman Catholic or anybody married to a Roman Catholic could succeed the English throne. Consequently, England was free from succession disputes.
The revolution also guaranteed the basic freedoms of the English such as freedom of press, worship and trial by jury which had been denied them in the past.
It brought a change in English system of government from an absolute Monarchy to a constitutional Monarchy where parliamentary supremacy was established over the crown. Parliamentary supremacy over the king was established through the Bill of Rights of 1689, the Triennial Act 1694 and the Act of Settlement 1701. The Divine Rights of Kings became a matter of the past. All these were accomplished without bloodshed thereby making the revolution glorious.
Furthermore, the revolution provided an atmosphere of peace and stability for the economic take off in England. It is for this reason that England took the lead in the Agrarian and Industrial revolutions.
This was quite beneficial to the English people and the world at large.
The fact that James Il turned down the military and moral support from the French King Louis XIV (his cousin) during the revolution was clear prove that he wanted to settle the matter peacefully thereby making the revolution glorious.
- In addition, the revolution was glorious because not all of James' soldiers deserted him in the course of the revolution for a few loyal forces mobilized to fortify the East coast against the invaders. For example, some soldiers, fought against William's forces at Torbay because of their desire to protect the sovereignty of England and maintain James on the throne.
- The fact that William III knew of the escape of James Il to France but never attempted to stop him equally indicated that he wanted a peaceful settlement thereby making the revolution glorious.
* HOW THE REVOLUTION WAS INGLORIOUS
Despite the glorious aspects of the revolution, it equally had some inglorious aspects because of the following reasons;
- There was some degree of bloodshed. This bloody incident was registered at Torbay in the East coast of England when William's forces confronted the loyal forces of James Il in November 1688. Even so, when William and Mary ascended the English throne as King and Queen, some Scottish chiefs refused to take the oath of allegiance and William and Mary were forced to take military action against them leading to the Glencoe Massacre of 1692. Fewer lives were equally lost during the Monmouth rebellion.
- The "Warming Pan Theory" rendered the revolution inglorious. In fact most plotters of the overthrow of James Il spread the force rumour that the Prince of Wales (James Edward) was a bastard and that he was not James' biological son but had been smuggled into the palace through a "Warming Pan'".
'. This was in a bid to discredit the young prince and make the accession of William and Mary legitimate. Most of James' closest collaborators supported this baseless allegation thereby making the revolution inglorious.
- In addition, the fact that James' close collaborators like Sunderland and George Churchill pretended to support him but secretly plotted for his overthrow made the revolution far from being glorious.
They even deserted James at the time he highly needed their assistance.
- Besides, the revolution can be considered inglorious because when matters became worst, Mary and Anne joined in the conspiracy against their own father. This was indeed a shock to James for the behaviour of his daughters. Equally, it was abnormal and unthinkable for Mary to fight to depose his father and for William to defy his father-in-law. Where then was the gloriousness of the revolution?
- Moreover, the attitude of James Il during the revolution rendered it inglorious. To have dropped the Great Seal (symbol of the State) in the River Thames on his way to France and to have destroyed the