A Troubled Monarchy: James II/VII Quiz
Estimated Completion Time 3 min
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Image: Hulton Archive/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images
About This Quiz
From bloody civil wars to glorious revolutions, chart the rise and fall of one of the Stuart monarchs of England, Scotland and Ireland, James II/VII. Take this quiz to test your knowledge of a not-so-merry period of the countries' histories.
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James was King James II of England. What was his title in Scotland?
Scotland had more Jameses before him than England and Ireland did.
Who was King James' father?
Charles I was his father, and his mother was the Queen Consort Henrietta Maria.
Where did James live during the English civil wars?
Oxford, England, was a royalist stronghold until it was seized in 1646.
James was forced to flee where?
James went to France with his mother and joined the French army.
Why didn't James ascend to the throne after the monarchy was restored in 1660?
His older brother, Charles II, was the successor.
He still lived in France.
Charles II fought hard to return to England and take the throne.
Why did James join the Spanish army before returning to England?
His brother made an alliance with the Spanish.
James wasn't thrilled to have to turn his back on France, but he did end up joining the Spanish.
After his brother took the throne, James became part of the British navy. What was his title?
Lord high admiral is only a title these days, but James II was quite involved in naval affairs.
James had a keen interest in …
James was especially interested in the new North American colonies.
He called for what to be seized from the Dutch?
New Amsterdam was thus renamed New York for the duke of York, James.
James was raised in what religious tradition?
James was raised Protestant.
James ended up converting to what religion in 1669?
His conversion to Catholicism kind of proved to be a problem.
James had what kind of views of Protestantism?
James still took part in Anglican services and sacraments and didn't mind raising some of his children in the Anglican tradition.
James' first wife was …
the daughter of a powerful Protestant lord
Anne Hyde was a commoner and a Catholic, no less.
Anne and James were the subject of scandal because …
He had lots of mistresses.
They were openly affectionate.
James was loving towards his wife … but not just his wife.
After Anne died, James caused even more scandal when …
He married a 15 year-old.
He married a Catholic princess.
The Protestant majority was getting a little anxious about James' dedication to Catholicism.
Why was James' religion becoming a more pressing problem?
He kept talking about it.
James was the likely successor to his brother, Charles II.
Charles II was getting more rabidly anti-Catholic.
Charles and his wife were childless, making James the heir presumptive.
A popular belief at the time involved what rumor about James?
He was secretly a priest.
He was plotting with Jesuits to assassinate his brother.
His wife was actually the pope's sister.
The rumor was that James was plotting to assassinate Charles II. He was not.
What steps were taken in a panic about James?
Parliament attempted to exclude him from succession.
He was banned from London.
They tried three times to exclude him, but it never worked.
Charles died in 1685. Who ascended the throne?
Charles' illegitimate son
James ascended the throne, and it was rather peaceful, considering the lingering concern about his religion.
Who attempted a rebellion after James' ascension?
Charles' illegitimate son
Charles' son attempted a rebellion. The duke of Monmouth's plot was crushed, and he was beheaded.
James' behavior occasionally promoted what kind of atmosphere in England?
James seemed to value Catholic and Protestant harmony, but only at times.
James further angered a lot of his subjects by granting what?
new regiments to Catholic military leaders
a tax break to non-Anglicans
He granted new reiments to Catholic military leaders. It didn't look so good for a guy trying to convince everyone to get along.
What surprise news made Protestants even more upset?
James was converting all his children to Catholicism.
James wouldn't name a successor.
The queen was pregnant, and the idea of a Catholic heir was not welcome.
What rumor dogged James' son's birth?
The baby wasn't the queen's.
The baby wasn't James' or the queen's.
That's right — conspiracy-minded folks believed an infant was smuggled in to replace a stillborn baby, guaranteeing a Catholic succession.
Meanwhile, some English politicians and leaders were asking whom to sail over with an army?
Charles II's illegitimate son
They asked William of Orange to come. Tensions were rising, and the Anglican nobles were plotting.
How was William of Orange related to James?
He was married to James' daughter.
He was a distant cousin, in the line of succession.
William was Mary's husband and James' son-in-law.
William and Mary were …
technically Catholic, but with many Protestant allies and sympthies
Mary was raised Protestant, despite her parents' religion.
How long was the battle to unseat James?
William and Mary took over the throne without much of a fight.
James was allowed to escape to …
He initially went to Ireland, but William defeated him there. He fled to France.
James died in France, extremely devoted to …
his (unlikely) plot to take back the throne
James became extremely pious.
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