CHARLES II. 1660 - 1685
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DOMINIONS |
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England, Scotland, and Ireland. |
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The coast of North America from the borders of Florida (undetermined) to the borders of Nova Scotia (undetermined), with the exception of the Dutch settlements in and about New York Part of Honduras, part of Guiana, Jamaica, Barbados, Bahamas, Montserrat, Anguilla, Antigua, Nevis all in the West Indies, Bermuda, Madras, part of Gambia in Africa, Dunkirk, sold to the French in 1662.In 1661 Bombay and Tangiers (evacuated 1683) were acquired as the marriage portion of the Queen.Cape Coast Castle, Accra, and Dix Cove were taken from the Dutch in 1664. In 1665 St. Helena, and in 1666 Tortola and the Virgin Islands, were conquered from the Dutch. In 1664 New Amsterdam, since called New York, was taken from the Dutch, and confirmed to England by treaty in 1674. | |
| Charles II., son of Charles I. and Henrietta Maria of France. - Born 1630 - Began to reign 1660 - Reigned 25 years. - Died 1685. | Married Catharine of Braganza daughter of John IV. of Portugal : no children. |
PRINCIPAL EVENTS.
Ten regicides executed; and episcopacy restored, 1660. "Act of Uniformity" passed; from the effects of
which about two thousand clergymen were ejected from their livings, 1662. War declared with Holland, 1664. The
Dutch defeated by the duke of York. A great plague in London, 1665. A great fire in London, by which four hundred
streets were burned to the ground, 1666. The Habeas Corpus Act passed by the Commons, 1669. Declaration of war
against the Dutch: the French and English allies. Government bankrupt. The Exchequer closed, 1672. Peace with Holland,
1674. The Princess Mary married to William, Prince of Orange, 1677. The Habeas Corpus Act passed by the Lords,
and becomes law, 1679. The Rye-house plot; Lord William Russell, Algernon Sydney, and others executed, 1683. Absolutism
triumphant, 1685
Charles was a man of wit, and possessed an easy good-nature, but was entirely selfish, and indifferent to anything but his own pleasure. He had no patriotism, honour, or generosity, but was not destitute of the ability to rule.
A refugee at the Hague on the death of his father; on which he immediately assumed the royal title. Cromwell was then all-powerful in England; but Charles accepted an invitation from the Scots, who had proclaimed him their king July, 1650, and, passing over to Scotland, was crowned at Scone (1651). Cromwell's approach made him take refuge amongst the English royalists, who, having gathered an army, encountered Cromwell at Worcester, and were totally defeated.
With great difficulty Charles escaped to France. On the death of Cromwell the Restoration effected without a struggle by General Monk set Charles on the throne after the declaration of Breda, his entry into the capital (29th May, 1660) being made amidst universal acclaim. In 1662 he married the Infanta of Portugal, Catharine of Braganza, a prudent and virtuous princess, but in no way calculated to acquire the affection of a man like Charles. For a time his measures, mainly counselled by the chancellor Lord Clarendon, were prudent and conciliatory. But the laziness, extravagance, and licentious habits of the king soon involved the nation as well as himself in difficulties. Dunkirk was sold to the French to relieve his pecuniary embarrassment, and war broke out with Holland. A Dutch fleet entered the Thames, and burned and destroyed ships as far up as Chatham.
The great plague in 1665, and the great fire of London the year following, added to the disasters of the period.
In 1667 Clarendon was dismissed and a triple alliance between England, Holland, and Sweden, for the purpose of checking the ambition of Louis XIV., followed; but the extravagance of the king made him willing to become a mere pensioner of Louis XIV., with whom he arranged a private treaty against Holland in 1670. The Cabal ministry was by this time in power, and they were quite ready to break the triple alliance and bring about a rapture with the Dutch. As the king did not choose to apply to parliament for money to carry on the projected war be caused the exchequer to be shut up in January, 1672, and by several other disgraceful and arbitrary proceedings gave great disgust and alarm to the nation. The war ended in failure, and the Cabal ministry was dissolved in 1673.
The year 1678 was distinguished by the pretended Popish plot of Titus Oates, which led to the exclusion of Roman Catholics from parliament. In 1679 the Habeas Corpus Act was passed. and the temper of the parliament was so much excited that the king dissolved it. A new parliament which assembled in 1680 had to be dissolved for a like reason, and yet another which met the year following at Oxford. Finally Charles, like his father, determined to govern without a parliament, and after the suppression of the Rye House plot and the execution of Russell and Sidney Charles became as absolute as any sovereign in Europe.
He died from the consequences of an apoplectic fit in February, 1685, after having received the sacrament according to the rites of the Roman Church .
He had no legitimate children. His mistresses were numerous, and several of them were raised to the highest ranks of nobility. Six of the sons he had by them were made dukes :-. Monmouth (by Lucy Walters), St. Albans (by Nell Gwynn). Richmond (by Louise de Querouaille), and Cleveland, Grafton, and Northumberland (by Barbara Villiers).
