The Restoration Under Charles II Essay -- Essays Papers

The Restoration Under Charles II Generally, the English people had a great celebration when Charles II returned to the throne in May of 1660.1 Many believed that restoring the monarchy was the only way to secure constitutional rights. In fact, there was an expectation that bringing back the king would return life to the way it was before 1642 and the rule of Cromwell. Charles II was responsible for improving the government for the people. However, despite some achievements, the king was not very successful in creating a stronger and more effective monarchy. He was dependent on his advisors and other parts of the government from the very beginning of his reign. There were constant conflicts between the king and Parliament over religious issues. When Charles II finally did gain some independence, he still did not accomplish much to improve the monarchy. Overall, the government was very inconsistent during the 1660s and 1670s, and the people became disillusioned with the monarchy. The king did not hold all of the responsibility for what happened to the government, though. The people should have taken charge and worked for a change in the system. The rule of Charles II helped show the English citizens that they could not rely on the government so much, but they needed to take more of the power into their own hands and become more autonomous. Edward Hyde Clarendon From the very beginning, Charles was determined to establish himself as a constitutional leader. Also, his advisors wanted to make sure that the new monarchy followed the law, so the people could begin to trust the government again.2 The most influential of these advisors was Edward Hyde Clarendon. For the most part, Charles foll... ...688 (Totowa: Rowman and Littlefield, 1979), 8-10. 3. Jones, Restored Monarchy, 12. 4. Jones, Restored Monarchy, 21. 5. Jones, Restored Monarchy, 13. 6. J. R. Jones, ed., Liberty Secured? Britain Before and After 1688 (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1992), 138-140. 7. Jones, Liberty Secured, 130. 8. Jones, Restored Monarchy, 15. 9. J. R. Jones, Charles II: Royal Politician (London: Allen and Unwin, 1987), 60-62. 10. Jones, Restored Monarchy, 10. 11. Jones, Royal Politician, 74-75. 12. Jones, Royal Politician, 79. 13. Jones, Restored Monarchy, 15. 14. Jones, Restored Monarchy, 19-20. 15. Jones, Restored Monarchy, 10-11. 16. Jones, Royal Politician, 162-163. 17. Jones, Restored Monarchy, 21. 18. Jones, Royal Politician, 187. 19. Jones, Restored Monarchy, 23. 20. Harris, 37.