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After centuries of fighting one another, a Scottish king was suddenly heir to the English throne. On the death of Elizabeth I in 1603, James VI of Scotland, who was descended from Henry VII of England, was invited to become James I of England. During his reign, colonies in the New World were established and the Pilgrim Fathers sailed in the Mayflower in 1620. Meanwhile Scotsmen were flocking to England to seek their fortunes. So many were these that James found it necessary to appoint a William Alexander as "Master of Requests for Scotland". He responded by creating two new colonies; one was Nova Scotia and the other was in Northern Ireland, with lasting consequences.
A highlight of James's reign was the Gunpowder Plot, an attempt by Catholic dissidents to blow up Parliament and the King with it. This is commemorated every November 5th by the lighting of bonfires and firework displays. James's son Charles I (1626 - 1649) needed to raise money persuade the Scots to bring their Presbyterian sect into line with the Church of England. Unfortunately, Parliament wouldn't play ball. The result was civil war. Charles was beheaded and England entered a republican period, known as the "Commonwealth", with Oliver Cromwell as it's "Protector". The Puritan nature of the regime was too much to bear and the monarchy was restored in the form of Charles II (1660 - 1685), son of Charles I. He was succeeded by his brother, James II (1685 - 1688) James was suspected of Catholic sympathies and was forced to flee and the throne offered to Mary, James's daughter and her husband, William of Orange. Mary died in 1694 and William in 1702. They were followed by their daughter, Anne (1702 - 1714). The Act of Union between England and Scotland took place in 1707. |
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