2015-10-22
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With the restoration of Monarchy Parliament became weak again. Charles the 2nd wanted to rule the country alone. The first political parties appeared. They were “The Whigs” and “the Tories”.
James the 2nd became the king after his brother’s death in 1685. He was a catholic. He tried to revive the importance of the Catholic Church and give Catholics important position in government and Parliament. The Tories united with the Whigs against James. Parliament invited William the Orange, the protestant ruler of Holland to invade England. In 1688 William entered London and the event was called the Glorious Revolution. In 1689 the Bill of Rights was written. According to it Parliament became much more powerful. In 1707 the Union of Scotland and England was completed. The State got a new name: Great Britain.
Britain in 18th century
Changes in Political Life
In 1714 George Hanover ascended the English Throne. The power of the Government was increased because the new king didn’t seem very interested in his kingdom. The greatest political leader of that time was Robert Walpole Britain’s first prime minister. He insisted that the power of the king should be limited by the constitution. The limits were:
- The king would not be a Catholic
- The king could not remove or change laws
- The king depended on Parliament for his money and for his army.
The war with France broke out in 1756 and went all over the world. In Canada the British took Quebec and Montreal. This gave the British control of the important fish, fur and wood trades. Soon Britain controlled most of India. British international trade increased rapidly. The American’s war for Independence lasted from 1775 to/till 1783. The result was a complete defeat of the British forces. Britain lost all its colonies in America except Canada.
The Industrial Revolution
By the 18th century simple machines have been already invented. But the first achievements were in the production of agricultural products due to the new farming techniques. In the middle of the century Britain became the leading iron and steel producer in Europe. Increased iron production made it possible to manufacturing new machines/machinery for other industries. One invention led to another and increased the production in different industries. A lot of canals linked the main ports of England. Roads were improved.
