Editing History of England (section)

==17th century==
{{main|Early modern Britain}}

===Union of the Crowns===
[[File:JamesIEngland.jpg|thumb|[[King James I of England]]]]

When Elizabeth died, her closest male Protestant relative was the [[King of Scots]], [[James VI and I|James VI]], of the [[House of Stuart]], who became King James I of England in a [[Union of the Crowns]], called James I and VI. He was the first monarch to rule the entire island of Britain, but the countries remained separate politically. Upon taking power, James made peace with Spain, and for the first half of the 17th century, England remained largely inactive in European politics. Several assassination attempts were made on James, notably the [[Main Plot]] and [[Bye Plot]]s of 1603, and most famously, on 5 November 1605, the [[Gunpowder Plot]], by a group of Catholic conspirators, led by [[Robert Catesby]], which caused more antipathy in England towards Catholicism.

===Colonies===
{{further|English overseas possessions}}

In 1607 England built an [[Jamestown, Virginia|establishment at Jamestown]]. This was the beginning of colonialism by England in North America. Many English settled then in North America for religious or economic reasons. Approximately 70% of English immigrants to North America who came between 1630 and 1660 were [[indentured servant]]s. By 1700, [[Chesapeake Bay|Chesapeake]] planters transported about 100,000 indentured servants,<ref>"[https://www.pbs.org/race/000_About/002_04-background-02-03.htm Africans, Slavery, and Race]". Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).</ref> who accounted for more than 75% of all European immigrants to Virginia and Maryland.<ref>"[http://www.virtualjamestown.org/essays/horn_essay.html Leaving England: The Social Background of Indentured Servants in the Seventeenth Century]", The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.</ref>

===English Civil War===
{{further|English Civil War}}
[[File:Battle of Marston Moor 1644 by John Barker.png|thumb|First English Civil War at the Battle of Marston Moor, 1644]]
[[File:English civil war map 1642 to 1645.JPG|thumb|Maps of territory held by [[Cavalier|Royalists]] (red) and [[Roundhead|Parliamentarians]] (green) during the [[English Civil War]] (1642–1645)]]
[[File:King Charles I after original by van Dyck.jpg|thumb|[[Charles I of England|King Charles I]], who was beheaded in 1649]]
The [[First English Civil War]] broke out in 1642, largely due to ongoing conflicts between James' son, [[Charles I of England|Charles I]], and [[Parliament of England|Parliament]]. The defeat of the Royalist army by the [[New Model Army]] of Parliament at the [[Battle of Naseby]] in June 1645 effectively destroyed the king's forces. Charles surrendered to the Scottish army at Newark. He was eventually handed over to the English Parliament in early 1647. He escaped, and the [[Second English Civil War]] began, but the New Model Army quickly secured the country. The capture and trial of Charles led to the [[execution of Charles I]] in January 1649 at [[Whitehall]] Gate in London, making England a republic. This shocked the rest of Europe. The king argued to the end that only God could judge him.

The New Model Army, commanded by [[Oliver Cromwell]], then scored decisive victories against Royalist armies in Ireland and Scotland. Cromwell was given the title [[Lord Protector]] in 1653, making him 'king in all but name' to his critics. After he died in 1658, his son [[Richard Cromwell]] succeeded him in the office but he was forced to abdicate within a year. For a while it seemed as if a new civil war would begin as the New Model Army split into factions. Troops stationed in Scotland under the command of [[George Monck]] eventually marched on London to restore order.

According to [[Derek Hirst]], outside of politics and religion, the 1640s and 1650s saw a revived economy characterised by growth in manufacturing, the elaboration of financial and credit instruments, and the commercialisation of communication. The gentry found time for leisure activities, such as horse racing and bowling. In the high culture important innovations included the development of a mass market for music, increased scientific research, and an expansion of publishing. All the trends were discussed in depth at the newly established coffee houses.<ref>[[Derek Hirst]], "Locating the 1650s in England's seventeenth century" ''History'' (1996) 81#263 pp 359–83 [https://www.jstor.org/stable/24423269 online]</ref>

===Restoration of the monarchy===
[[File:Charles II by John Michael Wright.jpg|thumb| [[Charles II of England|King Charles II]] ]]
[[File:Great Fire London.jpg|thumb|The Great Fire London, 1666.]]

The monarchy was restored in 1660, with King [[Charles II of England|Charles II]] returning to London. However, the power of the crown was less than before the Civil War. By the 18th century, England rivaled the Netherlands as one of the freest countries in Europe.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sandifer |first1=Preston |title=Perspectives on 17th Century West European History |date=2011 |publisher=McNash |location=New York |page=1229}}</ref>

In 1665, London was swept by the [[Great Plague of London|plague]], and in 1666 by the [[Great Fire of London|Great Fire]] for 5 days which destroyed about 15,000 buildings.

===Glorious Revolution===
In 1680, the [[Exclusion Crisis]] consisted of attempts to prevent accession of James, heir to Charles II, because he was Catholic. After Charles II died in 1685 and his younger brother, [[James II and VII]] was crowned, various factions pressed for his Protestant daughter [[Mary II of England|Mary]] and her husband [[William III of England|Prince William III of Orange]] to replace him in what became known as the [[Glorious Revolution]].

In November 1688, William [[William III of England#Invasion of England|invaded England]] and succeeded in being crowned. James tried to retake the throne in the [[Williamite War]], but was defeated at the [[Battle of the Boyne]] in 1690.

In December 1689, one of the most important constitutional documents in English history, the [[Bill of Rights 1689|Bill of Rights]], was passed.<ref name=vdk114>Van der Kiste, 114–115</ref> The Bill, which restated and confirmed many provisions of the earlier [[Declaration of Right, 1689|Declaration of Right]], established restrictions on the [[royal prerogative]]. For example, the Sovereign could not suspend laws passed by Parliament, levy taxes without parliamentary consent, infringe the right to petition, raise a standing army during peacetime without parliamentary consent, deny the right to bear arms to Protestant subjects, unduly interfere with parliamentary elections, punish members of either House of Parliament for anything said during debates, require excessive bail or inflict cruel and unusual punishments.<ref name="davies">[[Norman Davies|Davies, Norman]], ''The Isles: A History'' (1999) {{ISBN|0-19-513442-7}}, p.614.</ref> William was opposed to such constraints, but chose to avoid conflict with Parliament and agreed to the statute.<ref>Troost, 212–214</ref>

In parts of Scotland and Ireland, Catholics loyal to James remained determined to see him restored to the throne, and staged a series of bloody uprisings. As a result, any failure to pledge loyalty to the victorious King William was severely dealt with. The most infamous example of this policy was the [[Massacre of Glencoe]] in 1692. [[Jacobite rebellions]] continued into the mid-18th century until the son of the last Catholic claimant to the throne, [[James III and VIII]], mounted a [[Jacobite rising of 1745|final campaign in 1745]]. The Jacobite forces of Prince [[Charles Edward Stuart]], the "Bonnie Prince Charlie" of legend, were defeated at the [[Battle of Culloden]] in 1746.