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- Description
About this Course
About the Course
In this course, we explore the reigns of three kings of England, and one queen: Charles II, James II, and William and Mary. Beginning with the Restoration of Charles II in 1660, we begin by exploring in some detail Charles’ long reign, and the efforts he made to ease some of the tensions that had led to the English Civil War—particularly those relating to religion. In the first three modules, we explore the Restoration itself, before examining Charles’ reign first through the lens of politics, and then through the lens of religion. In the fourth module, we turn to reign of James II, focusing in particular on how his pro-Catholic policies provoked increasing tensions in England, before turning in the final module to the Glorious Revolution and the joint reign of William and Mary.
About the Lecturer
David Smith is a Fellow, Lecturer and Director of Studies at Selwyn College, Cambridge. His research interests include British political, constitutional and legal history in the early modern period, especially in the seventeenth century, including the history of Parliament, the nature of monarchy and Royalism, and the career of Oliver Cromwell. He has written and co-edited a range of books on seventeenth century British history, including Royalists and Royalism during the Interregnum Manchester (Manchester University Press, 2010) and The Experience of Revolution in Stuart Britain and Ireland (Cambridge University Press, 2011)
