Textbook Account
James II and the Glorious Revolution. … Seven members of Parliament
invited William and Mary to overthrow James for the sake of Protestantism.
When William led his army to London in 1688, James fled to France. This
bloodless overthrow of King James II is called the Glorious Revolution.
Source: World History: Patterns of Interaction, published by McDougal
Littell, 2009.
Questions:
1. According to the textbook, why did the members of Parliament
encourage William to invade England?
2. Why do the textbook authors call the revolution “glorious”?
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Document A: English Bill of Rights (Excerpt)
The five rights in the left column were among the thirteen rights outlined by the
English Bill of Rights. The right column summarizes each right.
Original Text Summary
. . . the pretended power of dispensing with A king or queen can’t make or
laws or the execution of laws by regal enforce laws without
authority . . . is illegal; Parliament.
. . . That the subjects which are Protestants Protestants have the right to
may have arms for their defence suitable to own weapons.
their conditions and as allowed by law;
. . . the election of members of Parliament A king or queen can’t interfere
ought to be free; with Parliamentary elections.
. . . the freedom of speech and debates or Speech can’t be limited in
proceedings in Parliament ought not to be Parliament, and members of
impeached or questioned in any court or Parliament can’t be punished
place out of Parliament; for what they say there.
. . . excessive bail ought not to be required, If a law is broken, the
nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and government can’t issue overly
unusual punishments inflicted; harsh punishments, fines, or
bail.
Source: An Act Declaring the Rights and Liberties of the Subject and Settling the
Succession of the Crown, 1689.
Vocabulary
regal: royal
arms: weapons
impeached: charged with misconduct
bail: something given by a person accused of a crime to secure release from jail
until they stand trial
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Document B: George Trevelyan
This is from a book on the Glorious Revolution by George Trevelyan, an
influential British historian who taught at Cambridge University. His book
helped shape historians’ beliefs about the Glorious Revolution for decades.
[The Revolution] did not consist in any deed of arms, in any signal acts of
heroism on the part of Englishmen. … The true “glory” of the British
Revolution lay in the fact that it was bloodless, that there was no civil war,
no massacre, no proscription, and above all that a settlement by consent
was reached of the religious and political differences that had fiercely
divided men and parties.
Source: The English Revolution: 1688-1689, G. M. Trevelyan, 1938.
Vocabulary
deed of arms: armed conflict, fighting
signal: major, big
proscription: death or banishment
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Document C: Edward Vallance
This is an excerpt from a book about the Glorious Revolution by Edward
Vallance, a historian who teaches at the University of Roehampton in
England.
[Except for] a few minor skirmishes, the Revolution in England had been a
largely bloodless affair. The absence of armed conflict would later form an
important part of the mythology of the “sensible revolution” (a mythology
which glossed over the overly martial nature of William’s “expedition”).
However, in James II’s other kingdoms of Ireland and Scotland, the
Revolution unleashed waves of warfare, sectarian violence and bloody
clan rivalry.
Source: The Glorious Revolution: 1688 – Britain’s Fight for Liberty, Edward
Vallance, 2006.
Vocabulary
mythology: beliefs that are widely held but untrue
martial: warlike, violent
sectarian violence: violence between different groups of people, in this
case, between Catholics and Protestants
clan: a group of close-knit families in Scotland
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Document D: Steven Pincus
This is an excerpt from a book by Steven Pincus, a professor of history at
Yale University.
Though we have come to view the Glorious Revolution as bloodless … and
consensual, the actual event was none of these things. The Revolution of
1688–89 was, of course, less bloody than the violent revolutions of the
twentieth century, but the English endured a scale of violence against
property and persons similar to that of the French Revolution at the end of
the eighteenth century. English men and women throughout the country
threatened one another, destroyed each other’s property, and killed and
maimed one another throughout the revolutionary period. English men and
women, from London to Newcastle, from Plymouth to Norwich, experienced
violence or threats of violence, or lived in terrifying fear of violence. This
was not a tame event.
Source: 1688: The First Modern Revolution by Steven Pincus, 2009.
Vocabulary
consensual: voluntary, agreed to by everyone
French Revolution: revolution in France (1789-1799) that saw significant
violence
maimed: severely injured
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Document E: Jeremy Corbyn
This is from a speech by Jeremy Corbyn to the British Parliament during a
special session about the 300th anniversary of the Glorious Revolution.
Corbyn joined Parliament in 1983, and his politics are viewed as very
liberal in Britain. He typically supports policies aimed at helping people in
need.
[The] revolution was all about the corruption of the state by the power of the
landowners and the power of wealth. It was about the maneuverings of
Lord Shaftesbury … to bring over William and Mary to take over the crown.
William and Mary would forever guarantee the powers of the landowning
classes as well as bringing with them the Protestant religion and the
discrimination against Catholics that followed. There is no historical basis
for the selection of William and Mary except that it suited the landowning
classes of the time to have a Protestant King and Queen and to guarantee
their own power.
Source: A speech delivered on July 7, 1988, and published in Hansard, the
official public record of what was said in Parliament.
Vocabulary
landowners/landowning classes: British aristocracy, usually wealthy
maneuverings: series of skilled moves
suited: to be good or convenient for
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Document F: Margaret Thatcher
This is from a speech by Margaret Thatcher to Parliament. Thatcher was
the Prime Minister and the leader of the Conservative Party. Thatcher
favored conservative policies, like tax cuts, fewer government regulations,
and less spending on government programs to help the poor. Thatcher also
promoted British nationalism, a proud belief in the goodness of Britain and
a strong promotion of its interests.
[T]he glorious revolution established qualities in our political life which have
been a tremendous source of strength: tolerance, respect for the law and
for the impartial administration of justice, and respect for private property.
It also established the tradition that political change should be sought and
achieved through Parliament. It was this which saved us from the violent
revolutions which shook our continental neighbours and made the
revolution of 1688 the first step on the road … to the establishment of
universal suffrage and full parliamentary democracy.
Source: A speech delivered on July 7, 1988, and published in Hansard, the
official public record of what was said in Parliament.
Vocabulary
impartial: equal
continental: European
suffrage: right to vote in elections
parliamentary democracy: democratic system of government in Britain
today.
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Glorious Revolution Guiding Questions
Central Historical Question:
Was the English Revolution of 1688 “glorious”?
Document A: English Bill of Rights
1. (Close reading) How did the English Bill of Rights limit the power of the
monarch?
2. (Close reading) How did the English Bill of Rights establish individual liberties?
3. (Close reading) Were those liberties provided to everyone? Explain.
4. Do you think the English Bill of Rights is evidence that the revolution was
glorious? Explain.
Document B: George Trevelyan
1. (Close reading) Based on this document, does Trevelyan agree with the textbook
that the revolution was glorious? Explain.
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2. (Sourcing) How reliable a source of information is Trevelyan about the
revolution? Explain.
Document C: Edward Vallance
1. (Close reading) Based on this document, does Vallance agree that the textbook
that the revolution was glorious? Explain.
2. (Sourcing) How reliable a source of information is Vallance about the revolution?
Explain.
3. (Corroboration) How does Trevelyan’s account compare to Vallance’s?
4. (Contextualization, sourcing) Why might their interpretations differ?
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Document D: Steven Pincus
1. (Close reading) Based on this document, does Pincus agree with the textbook
that the revolution was glorious? Explain.
2. (Sourcing) How reliable a source of information is Pincus about the revolution?
Explain.
3. (Corroboration) How does Pincus’s account compare to Vallance’s?
4. (Contextualization, sourcing) Why might their interpretations differ?
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Document E: Jeremy Corbyn
1. (Close reading) Based on this document, does Corbyn believe that the revolution
was glorious? Explain.
2. (Sourcing) How reliable a source of information is Corbyn about the revolution?
Explain.
Document F: Margaret Thatcher
1. (Close reading) Based on this document, does Thatcher believe that the
revolution was glorious? Explain.
2. (Sourcing) How reliable a source of information is Thatcher about the revolution?
Explain.
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