The Spring Quarter of "History of England" is devoted to the seventeenth century and the story of the Stuarts. The Scotish royal family, the Stuarts, also carried English royal blood descended from Henry VIII's sister Margaret. Her marriage to the King of Scotland meant that the royal family of Scotland had an important claim to the throne of England. And in the later years of the reign of Elizabeth, it was generally acknowledged that the legal heir to Elizabeth was her Scottish cousin James. James had been King of Scotland ever since his mother, Mary Queen of Scots, had been driven out of Scotland in the chaotic aftermath of the murder of James' father, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. Now in 1603, in the absence of all other legitimate Tudor heirs, James was called to England to succeed Elizabeth I. What he knew about government and politics came from the strange, violent world of Scotland and it was a poor preparation for his years as King of England. James never really understood his difficult, independent English subjects and they never really understood him either. And things got much worse when his son Charles succeeded him in 1625. The sad, tragic story of the Stuarts and the English is the subject of our last quarter in "History of England."
Week 21: "John Donne" Wednesday March 30, 2011
John Donne (1572-1631)
The life and work of John Donne is one of the most illuminating sources for understanding the transition in the English world as the English experienced the end of the long reign of Elizabeth I and the beginning of the Stuart era. It was a new world both exciting and frightening. Many Englishmen had never known another monarch other than Good Queen Bess. People looked to the Stuarts for a new beginning with both anticipation and fear.BRING YOUR COPY OF JOHN DONNE'S POETRY TO CLASS THIS WEEK SO WE CAN READ IT.
REQUIRED READING:
RECOMMENDED READING:
In 1603, the long reign of Elizabeth I came to an end and a new king brought a new dynasty to the English throne. The moment was filled with excitement and the promise of progress in a new century with new freedoms in a more open atmosphere than the controlled society dominated by the grand old queen. There is a new book on the last years of Elizabeth and the coming to the throne of James:
From Publishers Weekly:
"Queen Elizabeth famously refused to marry, causing a foreign-born king to ascend to the English throne in 1603. In her first book, Lisle nimbly examines Elizabeth's waning months and the introduction of James VI of Scotland as James I of England, demonstrating that the transition was anything but smooth or preordained. The aging Elizabeth remained unwilling to name her successor for fear that courtiers would abandon her to curry favor with the next ruler. Indeed, prominent statesmen and courtiers had, years earlier, had opened channels of communication with the presumptive successor. Lisle presents a memorable cast of characters striving to mold the transition. Scots feared losing their king and their independence, while Englishmen saw a flood of key appointments and titles go to foreign favorites. Various alternative candidates to the throne were favored by Catholics and Puritans, as well as the rulers of France, Spain and Venice according to their perceived stances on religion. James's greatest desire was to mediate religious reconciliation, but in the end, he made neither side happy and Englishmen began to remember fondly their good queen Bess. Lisle uses this brief period as a lens through which to view the key issues of both reigns, while commenting subtly on the nature of historical reputations. 24 pages of color illus. (Jan. 31)" Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Week 22: "King James I" Wednesday April 6, 2011
In 1603, the long reign of Elizabeth I came to an end and a new king brought a new dynasty to the English throne. The moment was filled with excitement and the promise of progress in a new century with new freedoms in a more open atmosphere than the controlled society dominated by the grand old queen. There is a new book on the last years of Elizabeth and the coming to the throne of James:
Week 23: "The King James Bible" Wednesday April 13, 2011
This week we will examine the creation of the King James Bible and its contribution to the evolution of the English language.
RECOMMENDED READING:
From Amazon.com:
"In the Beginning is Alister McGrath's history of the King James Bible, and as the subtitle explains, his explanation of "How It Changed a Nation, a Language, and a Culture." McGrath's story begins with the development of the printing press, describes the forces (before, during, and after the Reformation) fueling the demand for English vernacular translations of the Bible, and considers the impact of the King James Version on Western worship and politics. McGrath deftly blends an arch and charming, donnish argot with breezy, tough, brass-tacks directness. Of the ongoing process of creating new biblical translations, he writes, "It has yet to end; indeed, it will not end, until either history is brought to a close or English ceases to be a living language." Elsewhere, describing the cultural influence of the Authorized Version, he explains, "Without the King James Bible, there would have been no Paradise Lost, no Pilgrim's Progress, no Handel's Messiah, no Negro spirituals, and no Gettysburg address.") A professor of historical theology at the University of Oxford, McGrath has written a number of popular books about Christianity (including Theology for Amateurs). In The Beginning continues his work of making complex matters of theological thought and history accessible to a wider audience. --Michael Joseph Gross --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.From Publishers Weekly:
"The peculiar history of the King James Bible highlights the power of marginal notations to destabilize a nation and command the anxious attention of a monarch. McGrath, professor of historical theology at Oxford University, recounts the production of this translation, the forces that allowed for its genesis and its influence on modern English, the history of England and the faith of millions since its 1604 publication. Although his "great men" emphasis on "doing" history offers few new insights and is embedded in a narrative that scans in overly broad strokes the intriguing circumstances of the Bible's production, this remains an engaging chronicle. McGrath frames the context for the KJV in phenomena such as the English church during and after Henry VIII's reign, the incendiary creativity of the translation process, the explosive force for change unleashed by the technological breakthrough of the printing press and the rise of nationalism. McGrath also situates the KJV as more immediately provoked by the English-language Geneva Bible, produced by self-exiled "radical" English Protestants in that republican city, during the reign of the Catholic Mary Tudor. As McGrath explains, prefaces to each book of Scripture and extensive interpretive notes offered in "plain English" account largely for the popularity the Bible enjoyed among laypersons hungry to read the word of God. This is a tale ripe for the telling; one wishes the execution were more satisfying. (Apr.)
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc."RECOMMENDED READING
Week 24: "King Charles I" Wednesday April 20, 2011
Charles I (November 19, 1600 – January 30, 1649) was King of England, Scotland, and Ireland, from March 27, 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles is one of the most exasperating and tragic of all royal figures in the history of England. In one short reign he destroyed everything his Tudor predecessors had created. His execution was the most shocking event in the whole of the seventeenth century.
RECOMMENDED READING:
Here is a fine new biography of Charles.
First Sentence of the book:
"Charles's entry into this world was far less noteworthy than the manner in which he left it."
Reader reaction from Amazon.com:
Reviewer: Ron Hoon "rnrhoon" (Mesa, Arizona USA):
"I bought this book after a trip to England, trying to figure out how Charles had so mismanaged his relationship with the House of Commons that he became the only British King to literally be killed by it. This book takes you on an amazing journey. Charles disguises himself and slips out of England, going to Madrid to check out a potential bride in Spanish Royalty. It doesn't work out, and soon after he marries Henrietta Maria of France. She speaks French, and is Catholic. He, of course, is the great defender of the Church of England. Yet they grow to love each other. But in these Puritan times, there are many who are anti-Catholic, and who think that Charles will make the island nation Catholic. The Scots want him to make it Presbyterian.
His fights with the House of Commons lead to the English Civil War, which the Royalists lose. But when the radicals in Parliament can't get what they want; approval of a court (with no legal footing) to try and then execute Charles, they do something that seems unthinkable today: they kick out everyone who voted against them. Now the fix is in, yet the judges summoned by Commons to participate, refuse. Still, as the drama builds, that does not stop those intent on killing the king. Amazing Charles handles his last months of life with great dignity, once turning his back to his advisors so they will not see his tears fall. The day before his beheading, he is allowed to see his children, in scene that is emotional for any parent to read. What happened in London in a bleak January in 1649, and all the events leading up to it, create a story that should be read by everyone in the United States and Great Britain."
Week 25: "The English Civil War" Wednesday April 27, 2011
From Wikipedia:
"The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations which took place between Parliamentarians and Royalists from 1642 until 1651. The first (1642 - 1645) and second (1648 - 1649) civil wars pitted the supporters of King Charles I against the supporters of the Long Parliament, while the third war of (1649 - 1651) saw fighting between supporters of King Charles II and supporters of the Rump Parliament. The Civil War ended with the Parliamentary victory at the Battle of Worcester on 3 September 1651.
The Civil War led to the trial and execution of Charles I, the exile of his son Charles II, and the replacement of the English monarchy with the Commonwealth of England (1649 - 1653) and then with a Protectorate (1653 - 1659): the personal rule of Oliver Cromwell. The monopoly of the Church of England on Christian worship in England came to an end, and the victors consolidated the already-established Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. Constitutionally, the wars established a precedent that British monarchs could not govern without the consent of Parliament although this would not be cemented until the Glorious Revolution later in the century."
During our week dedicated to the events of the English Civil War we will also examine the fascinating historiographical debate that has flourished especially since World War II.RECOMMENDED READING:
Reviews:
"Contains much the best all-round analysis of the causes of the English Revolution that we have. It synthesizes and makes sense of the research of a whole generation of scholars. It is packed not only with judicious and well-founded generalizations but also with stimulating ideas, expressed with verve and wit."
- Times Literary Supplement"... the books outstanding qualities [are] the skill and assiduity with which it teases out both the immediate occasions of the great seventeenth century cataclysm and its ultimate roots extending deep down into the mid-Tudor soil; and its brilliant use of the conceptual tools of modern political science in analysing the anxieties and aspirations of citizens on every level of the social pyramid." - Martin Fagg, Times Education Supplement
"A remarkable and fascinating summary, probably the best there is of recent research and a striking example of the value of an inter-disciplinary approach to the problems of history." - Tablet
"One of the most brilliant exercises in historical analysis we have, an intellectual tour de force and a model of its kind. A brilliant compression of the results of a lifetimes research, history sculpted down to the very bone." - John Kenyon, Observer
Week 26: "John Milton" Wednesday May 4, 2011
John Milton, 1608-1674, was the most important writer of seventeenth-century England and an important politician as well. His Paradise Lost (1667) is viewed as one of the greatest epic poems of all time. We will read some of his essays.
REQUIRED READING:
RECOMMENDED READING:
For those of you who would like your own copy of Paradise Lost, here is an excellent edition:
Week 27: "Oliver Cromwell and the Republic" Wednesday May 11, 2011
Oliver Cromwell.
The fall of monarchy.
The advent of a Puritan republic.
England in the mid-seventeenth century.RECOMMENDED READING:
Lady Antonia Fraser's biography of Cromwell is one of the truly great biographies in the English language.
Amazon.com:
"In Cromwell, award-winning biographer Antonia Fraser tells of one of England's most celebrated and controversial figures, often misunderstood and demonized as a puritanical zealot. Oliver Cromwell rose from humble beginnings to spearhead the rebellion against King Charles I, who was beheaded in 1649, and led his soldiers into the last battle against the Royalists and King Charles II at Worcester, ending the civil war in 1651. Fraser shows how England's prestige and prosperity grew under Cromwell, reversing the decline it had suffered since Queen Elizabeth I's death."
Week 28: "King Charles II and the Restoration" Wed May 18, 2011
From Wikipedia:
"Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was the King of England, King of Scots, and King of Ireland from 30 January 1649 (de jure) or 29 May 1660 (de facto) until his death. His father Charles I had been executed in 1649. Following the English Civil War; the monarchy was then abolished and England, and subsequently Scotland and Ireland became a united republic under Oliver Cromwell, the Lord Protector, albeit with Scotland and Ireland under military occupation and de facto martial law. In 1660, shortly after Cromwell's death, the monarchy was restored under Charles II. He was popularly known as the 'Merry Monarch' in reference to his cheerful disposition."
RECOMMENDED READING:
Is there anything better than a royal biography written by the royalty of English biography writing Lady Antonia Fraser?
Reader reaction on Amazon.com:
"If you enjoy biographical works that are not only full of information but convey a sense of the actual character, this book is for you. Immensely readable account of a king with more than the usual share of strengths and weaknesses, surprisingly varied interests, and even a sense of humor as well as irony. Admittedly I find Restoration England to be one of the single most historical periods and Charles II is its poster child. This books is an excellent means to getting a broad view of the period and this interesting ruler."
Week 29: "Samuel Pepys (1633-1703)" Wednesday May 25, 2011
Samuel Pepys Diary is one of the finest examples of private memoires to come down to us from the beginning of the Modern Age. Our enjoyment of the Diary will be augmented by our experience with other writers of private recollections such as Cicero, Abelard, Heloise, Alessandra degli Strozzi, Castiglione, Veronica Franco and others.
REQUIRED READING:
Week 30: "James II and the Glorious Revolution" Wed June 1, 2011
June 30, 1688- A high-powered conspiracy of notables, the "Immortal Seven", invite William and Mary to depose James II of England.
October 27 - King James II of England fires minister Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland
November 5 - Glorious Revolution begins: William of Orange lands at Brixham but James II of England is prevented from meeting him in battle because many of his officers and men desert to the other side.
November - Hearing that William has landed in England, Louis XIV declares war on the Netherlands. He does not attack the Netherlands but instead strikes at the heart of the Holy Roman Empire with about 100,000 soldiers.
December 11 - After a series of defeats King James II of England flees England for France.
