The Glorious Revolution

The largely bloodless removal of King James II, which strengthened Parliament's place in English government.

Background

James II, a Catholic, alarmed many Protestants in England by promoting Catholics to high office and asserting royal power over Parliament and the law. The birth of his son in June 1688 raised the prospect of a lasting Catholic dynasty.

Course of events

A group of English leaders invited the Dutch stadtholder William of Orange, husband of James's Protestant daughter Mary, to intervene. William landed at Torbay in November 1688 with an army. James's support collapsed, and he fled to France. Parliament offered the crown jointly to William and Mary in 1689.

Legacy

The Bill of Rights of 1689 limited royal powers and protected parliamentary debate, and the Toleration Act granted limited freedom to Protestant dissenters. The settlement became a foundation of constitutional monarchy in Britain.