History

Culture and Civilization of the English Speaking Countries II.
Assigment I: Answer the following questions:
1- Describe Life in England under the early Stuarts-James I, Charles I and Charles II
2- Explain the causes of the English Civil war between the king (Charles I) and the Parliament. (1642-1646).
3- Explain how driver Cromwell became the Lord Protector of England after theexecution of Charles I in 1649.
4- Describe the scenario leading to the Restoration after diver Cromwell’s death in 1658.

1- The Stuarts era lead to many changes in people’s lives, not only in politics, religion and science, but also in everyday life, work and family. During the period of these three monarchs, which was, more or less from 1603 to 1685, there were a lot of revolutions andavenges. Needless to say, between the Monarchy of Charles I and Charles II there was an Interregnum (1649 - 1658) where Oliver Cromwell took the little of Lord Protector of the newly formed republic in England.
Referring to the religion, during this period, the influence of Puritanism increased among the merchant class and lesser gentry. It was the Puritans who persuaded James I to permit a newofficial translation of the bible, which was published in 1611. This was a great work which could be read by merchants, lesser gentry and literate laborers. The fact that some people understood this new translation of the bible in a revolutionary way led to the formation of a large number of small and new religious groups.
Although these nonconformist groups lasted a few years, two of them werereally important there were called the Baptists and Awakers, and they brought hope to those people who were powerless and poor. Also, these two groups were disliked by the ruling class.
The Anglican Church was strong politically, but it becomes weaker intellectually.
Relating to the scientific thinking, it was happening at the same time as Religion. Careful study if the natural world led toimportant new discoverers.
One remarkable figure of this period was Francis Bacon and his work on the scientific method. He claimed that with idea and experiment, one after the other, the whole natural world would be understood. In 1628, William Harvey discovered the circulation of blood, which led to great advances in the study at of the human body as well as in medicine.
Robert Boyle and Robert Hookused Harley’s method when they made discoveries in the chemistry and mechanics of breathing. These scientific studies were encouraged by the Stuarts. In 1666, Isaac Newton began to study gravity, publishing his important discovery in 1684.
In 1666, following a year of terrible plague, a fire destroyed most of the city of London. As a result 87 churches were destroyed. During this period the firstnewspapers appeared, spreading all kind of ideas (scientific, religious, literary) Many of them included advertisements, one of them was in 1660, when Charles II advertised for his lost dog.
Referring to life and work, the situation of the poor people improved in the second half of the 17th Century. Prices fell compared with wages, and fewer people asked for help from the Parish. Those who wereyeoman farmers or traders become minor gentry or merchants as a result of farming improvements.
By the middle century, the government had been able to control the trade in cereals, and in 1970, Britain could export cereals to Europe.
Trade within Britain changed a lot, and different regions became less economically separate from each other. Consequently, these waterways became important means oftransport, allowing each region to develop its own special products and to have shops, which had not existed until this century (17th).
During this period, London remained with 500.000 people in 1650.In 1665; the Great Plague killed 68 thousand people in 6 months.
After the fire of London, the richer citizens for the first time had water supplied to their houses. City streets had traffic jams....