Whigs and Tories
❖ The two main parties were so well balanced that a few votes could overturn a cabinet. So the press became a mighty power in England, and any writer with a talent for argument or satire was almost certain to be hired by party leaders.
❖ Envious of the great wealth these empires generated, England, France, and the Netherlands, began to establish colonies and trade networks of their own in the Americas and Asia. A series of wars in the 17th and 18th centuries with the Netherlands and France left England the dominant colonial power in North America and India.
❖ no royal interference of parliament.
❖ Roman Catholics shall not inherit the throne of England.
❖ This led, ultimately, to the establishment of constitutional monarchy. The King George I wasn’t all that interested in English politics and he went to hometown for as long as he could, then Parliament could govern the country without him. So they did.
English literature V-18世纪英国文学
British Empire
❖ During the Age of Discovery in the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal and Spain pioneered European exploration ss established large overseas empires.
Whigs and Tories
❖ The Glorious Revolution and the Bill of Rights were a good start. As the Bill mainly said:
❖ no royal interference with the law. ❖ no taxation by Royal Prerogative. ❖ no standing army may be maintained during a time of
❖ Whigs（辉格党， 19世纪中叶演变为英国自由党） ：determined to safeguard popular liberty.
❖ Tories（托利党，1833年改称保守党）：would leave as much authority as possible in the royal hands. many Tories secretly wanted to bring the Stuarts back.
British Empire
❖ At its height, it was the largest empire in history and, for over a century, was the foremost global power. By 1922 the British Empire held sway over about 458 million people, one-fifth of the world‘s population at the time. The empire covered more than 33,700,000 km2, almost a quarter of the Earth's total land area. At the peak of its power, the phrase "the empire on which the sun never sets" was often used to describe the British Empire.
British Empire
Mongol Empire
Eurasia on the eve of the Mongol invasions, c. 1200.
Historical Background
❖ The "Glorious Revolution" of 1688 ended in a compromise between the aristocracy and bourgeoisie. England became a constitutional monarchy and power passed from the King to the Parliament and the cabinet ministers.
Whigs and Tories
❖ No sooner were the people in control of the government than they divided into hostile parties: the liberal Whigs and the conservative Tories.
peace without the consent of parliament. ❖ no royal interference in the freedom of the people to
have arms for their own defense.
the Bill of Rights （1689年权利法令）