1D: Stuart Britain and the Crisis of Monarchy, 1603-1702: Sample Essay Questions (02,03,04 style questions)
This option allows students to study in breadth issues of change, continuity, cause and consequence in this period.
2017 paper questions:
02: Charles I addressed the financial weaknesses of the Crown, in the years 1625 to 1640, more successfully than James I, in the years 1603 to 1625.’
Assess the validity of this view. [25 marks]
03: How successfully did the rulers of England deal with religious radicalism in the years 1637 to 1667? [25 marks]
04: ‘From absolutism to constitutional monarchy.’
Assess the validity of this view of the monarchy in the years 1678 to 1702.
Specimen paper questions:
02: To what extent were disputes over religion, in the years 1603 to 1625, due to James I? [25 marks]
03: ‘Short-term success but long-term failure.’
Assess the validity of this view of Charles II’s relations with Parliament, in the years 1660 to 1685. [25 marks]
04: To what extent did the power of monarchy change in the years 1688 to 1702? [25 marks]
Additional specimen paper questions:
02: To what extent were the claims of the early Stuarts to rule by Divine Right the most important reason for the breakdown of Crown and Parliament relations by 1629? [25 marks]
03: ‘The rulers of Britain in the period 1649 to 1672 failed to address the financial problems they faced.’
Assess the validity of this view. [25 marks]
04: ‘In the years 1678 to 1702 the power of the monarchy was transformed’.
Assess the validity of this view. [25 marks]
Other Potential Questions
- ‘Early seventeenth-century monarchs had very limited powers. Assess the validity of this view. [25 marks]
- ‘The personalities of Charles I and James I made little difference to the way government operated in the early seventeenth century.’ Assess the validity of this view. [25 marks]
- ‘In religion James I was successful while Charles I was a failure.’ Assess the validity of this view of each ruler’s approach to religion in the years 1603-1640. [25 marks]
- ‘Puritans had good reason to believe that James I and Charles I were supporting Catholicism between 1618-40.’ Assess the validity of this view. [25 marks]
- ‘The financial weaknesses of the English Crown since 1618 undermined Charles’ attempts to rule without Parliament until 1640.’ Assess the validity of this view. [25 marks]
- ‘Charles I was in as strong a position as king in 1646 as he had been in 1626.’ Assess the validity of this view. [25 marks]
- ‘Between 1629 and 1649 the power of the people had grown enormously.’ Assess the validity of this view. [25 marks]
- To what extent did division between Parliament and the army lead to the failure of settlement by 1649? [25 marks]
- ‘The failure of parliaments between 1621 and 1653 owed more to the MPs than to the rulers,’ Assess the validity of this view. [25 marks]
- To what extent was Cromwell a more successful ruler than Charles I? [25 marks]
- ‘The underlying tensions of the State from the 1640s made it very difficult to establish an acceptable restoration in the 1660s.’ Assess the validity of this view. [25 marks]
- How far can the emergence of distinct political groupings in the reign of Charles II be linked to developments before 1660? [25 marks]
- ‘The religious settlement imposed by Charles II on his Restoration failed to solve the religious problems of the previous 20 years.’ Assess the validity of this view. [25 marks]
- To what extent was the power of the monarchy threatened in the years 1660 to 1687? [25 marks]
- To what extent were Tory and Whig divisions shaped more by finance than by religious issues? [25 marks]
- To what extent was the power of the monarch in 1701 much weaker than in 1681? [25 marks]