The Revolutions of 1688: The Andrew Browning Lectures 1988

Beddard here studies the events and issues which dethroned the Catholic James II and enthroned the Protestant William and Mary. Beginning with the dynastic revolution in England, he examines the dependent kingdoms of Scotland and Ireland, the American colonies, the United Provinces, and the continental European background. Themes explored include the role of the Whigs in William of Orange's success, the shift in Tory opinion, the part played by the Scottish nobility, Ireland's reduction to colony status, the evolution of Dutch foreign and domestic policy, and transatlantic repercussions. The volume concludes with an examination of 1688 and its place in the Whig theory of history. Drawing on the expertise of an international team of scholars, the volume makes an important contribution to the historiographical assessment of the revolutions of 1688 and their profound impact on subsequent history.