The Revolutionary Settlement of 1688 is also known as the “glorious revolution” and is the bloodless overthrow of King James II of England. William of Orange and Mary II of England took over the reins of power in the new settlement. The people were weary of King James’ Catholicism and the passing over of Mary his daughter who was a protestant as the heir to the throne. The king had suspended parliament and applied absolute rule. The revolutionary settlement led to the enactment of a bill of rights that fundamentally altered the society and social and political institutions. The new settlement set the country on a path towards a constitutional monarchy. The Bill of Rights is considered to be the beginning of a new order. It is also credited with being a critical event because it turned England into an industrial nation and was the divide between the ancient and modern ways. While the great chain of being was medieval, this Settlement put England on the path to modernity.
The 1688 revolutionary settlement created a divide with the past by fostering new values in English society. There was a divide between the landed wealthy and the urban wealthy. The nobility now turned into the aristocracy because they now pursued economic power rather than political power. There emerged a
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King James II made the situation worse by increasing religious tension and conflict. It should be understood that the Glorious Revolution was a well orchestrated elite coup d’état where William of Orange was invited to intervene by the establishment. The Whigs were a political faction and later a party that supported a constitutional monarchy and was against absolute rule. The Tories supported Stuart kings such as James II who aligned to Catholicism. The overthrow of King James II was supported by Whigs and most Tories. The removal of the King required negotiations on relations between the monarchy and the