Question

Match the descriptions to the rulers of England in the seventeenth century.

Charles I

Oliver Cromwell

Charles II

James II

Mary II

ascended the English throne as
a joint monarch after accepting
the Bill of Rights

appointed Catholics as government
officials and recruited them in the
army

conquered Ireland and established
the Commonwealth

lost a long, bloody Civil War against
forces loyal to Parliament

was crowned king after a period
of commonwealth rule in England

Answer 1

Charles I

• Charles I was born in 19, November 1600, He was the second son of James VI of Scotland and James I of England, and Anne of Denmark. He ruled his kingdom for 11 years without calling a Parliament because of the discontent he had with the last fourth Parliaments. In order to raise money for the war against Scotland Charles I summoned a Parliament, later known as the Short Parliament, because the war was long and he needed to ask for money continuously he summoned another Parliament (The Long Parliament) The Parliament then forced the king to agree that it could not be dissolved. He lost a long bloody Civil War against forces loyal to Parliament and was charged with high treason, even though he refused to recognize the legality of the court, he was executed on January 30, 1649.

Oliver Cromwell

• Oliver Cromwell was born on April 25, 1599. He was was a member of the Parliament after the Civil War ended. After the dead of Charles I, there were rebellions in favor of the future King Charles II, Cromwell conquered Ireland and established the Commonwealth (England was declared a republic, also known as Commonwealth). Cromwell became head of state as Lord Protector in December 1653, and shared political power with Parliament and Council of State.

Charles II

• Charles II was the eldest son of Charles I, while England became a republic when the civil war ended, Scotland invited and proclaimed him as their King, Cromwell defeated the Scots, so Charles II spent his next nine years in exile, He was invited back to London and was crowned king after a period of commonwealth rule in England.

James II

• He was the second son of Charles I, named Duke of York, and Duke of Albany. When Charles II died he became King of England and Ireland from 1685 to 1688, and King of Scotland from 1685 to 1689.(James II was the last Stuart monarch in the direct male line) He tried to force Protestant England to become Catholic, appointing Catholics as government officials and recruited them in the army, and was forced to resign his rule during the Glorious Revolution in 1688.

Mary II

• Mary II was the oldest daughter of James II, she was born on April 30, 1662. Mary grew as a Protestant even though her parents were Catholic, she married her cousin William of Orange (a leader of Protestantism in Europe) and settled in Holland, after the Glorious Revolution where she sided with her husband to attack her father James II she ascended the English throne as a joint monarch after accepting the Bill of Rights. She was Queen of England, Ireland and Scotland from 1689 until her dead.