The Stuart Dinasty, the coming of America and the English civil war
The Stuarts were the first kings of United Kingdom. King James I of England who began the period was also King James VI of Scotland, thus combining two thrones for the first time. The Stuart dynasty reigned in England and Scotland from 1603 to 1714, a period saw a flourishing Court culture but also much instability, of plague, fire and war. It was an age of intense debate and radical politics. Both contributed to a bloody civil war in the mid-seventeenth century between Crown and Parliament (the and the Roundheads), resulting in a parliamentary victory for Oliver Cromwell and the dramatic execution of King Charles I. There a short-lived republic, the first time that the country had experienced such an event. The Restoration of the Crown was followed by another 'Glorious' Revolution. William and Mary of Orange ascended the throne as joint monarchs and defenders of Protestantism, by Queen Anne, the second of James II's daughters. The end of the Stuart line with the death of Queen led to the drawing up of the Act of Settlement in 1701, which provided that only Protestants could hold the .


Charles I was born in Dunfermline in 1600, the son of James I of England (James VI of Scotland). He not have been King if his brother Henry had not died in 1612.
From the moment of his coronation in there was friction between himself and Parliament...finally leading to the Civil War between the Royalists (Cavaliers) and the Parliamentarians (Roundheads) the leadership of Oliver Cromwell.




The Coming of America


The Stuarts were the first kings of the United Kingdom. King I of England who began the period was also King James VI of Scotland, thus combining the two thrones for first time.
The Stuart dynasty reigned in England and Scotland from 1603 to 1714, a period which saw a flourishing culture but also much instability, of plague, fire and war.

It was an age of intense religious debate and radical . Both contributed to a bloody civil war in the mid-seventeenth century between Crown and Parliament (the Cavaliers and the Roundheads), in a parliamentary victory for Oliver Cromwell and the dramatic execution of King Charles I.

There was a short-lived republic, first time that the country had experienced such an event.

The Restoration of the Crown was soon followed by another '' Revolution. William and Mary of Orange ascended the throne as joint monarchs and defenders of Protestantism, followed by Queen Anne, second of James II's daughters.
The end of the Stuart line with the death of Queen Anne led to the up of the Act of Settlement in 1701, which provided that only Protestants could hold the throne.

Charles I was in Dunfermline in 1600, the son of James I of England (James VI of Scotland). He would not have been if his brother Henry had not died in 1612.From the moment of his coronation in 1625 there was friction between and Parliament...finally leading to the Civil War between the Royalists (Cavaliers) and the Parliamentarians (Roundheads) under the leadership of Oliver .
Explorers had been landing in America for some time before English settlers arrived in what is now Jamestown, Virginia, in . But it was in that spot on the James River that English colonization began and with it, the history of .
James I was king of England at that time, and he had granted approval for a group of businesspeople to in this new land. They were part of the Virginia Company, and they got the go-ahead in 1606. By December that year, the expedition was ready.
In all, 214 people set sail for America. They reached it on May 14, . Very soon after they landed, the English found themselves under attack from Algonquins, a Native American tribe who had been in that area for some time and who didn't exactly welcome new settlers. The English managed to drive off the , who came back every now and then. The English, however, were there to stay.
Under the leadership of Captain John , the English built a fort and other buildings designed to protect their new colony. They also found friendly Native , like Powhatan, who was willing to trade with them. The terrible winter of 1609 convinced most of the settlers to their new life, however. Only 60 of the 214 settlers survived this harsh winter, which was also hard on Powhatan's and other neighboring Native Americans.One of the main crops grown by the English settlers was tobacco, which they sold to Americans and to people back in England, beginning in 1612. Tobacco became a very popular crop because it was easy grow and because it brought in so much money.Once the money started flowing in regularly, the Jamestown colony grew, as other settlements in Virginia and in other states along the eastern seaboard.

The Pilgrims who sailed to this country aboard Mayflower were originally members of the English Separatist Church (a Puritan sect). They had earlier fled their home in England sailed to Holland (The Netherlands) to escape religious persecution. There, they enjoyed more religious tolerance, but they eventually became disenchanted the Dutch way of life, thinking it ungodly. Seeking a better life, the Separatists negotiated with a London stock company finance a pilgrimage to America. Most of those making the trip aboard the Mayflower were non-Separatists, but were hired to the company's interests. Only about one-third of the original colonists were Separatists. The Pilgrims set ground at Plymouth Rock on 11, 1620. Their first winter was devastating. At the beginning of the following fall, they had lost 46 of the 102 who sailed on the Mayflower. But the harvest of 1621 was a bountiful one. And the remaining colonists decided celebrate with a feast -- including 91 Indians who had helped the Pilgrims survive their first year. It is believed the Pilgrims would not have made it through the year without the help of the natives. The feast was more a traditional English harvest festival than a true "thanksgiving" observance. It lasted three days.