BRITAIN 1625 1702:

RELIGION: in order to understand the clear-cut reality of the seventeenth century Britain, we must have a closer look at
the religious life of the country. The vast majority of the population belonged to one of the following three religious
groups:
The Church of England (Anglican Protestants): this was the official state church established by Henry VIII during
the Reformation. It did not differ greatly from the Roman Catholic Church, and had a hierarchical structure governed
by archbishops and bishops. To many English people it was a living symbol of their country`s independence from
what they saw as a corrupt Pope in Rome.
The Roman Catholic Church (Catholics): a sizeable minority did not accept the Reformation and remained Catholic
in the hope that the Reformation would become the religion of the state as it had been in the past.
Puritans, Presbyterians and Dissenters: these groups, also known as non-conformists, started to form during the
reign of Elisabeth I. They were Protestants who believed that the Reformation had not been radical enough and that
the Church of England was still too close to the Roman Catholic Church. They had very strict moral principles and
believed that the way to salvation lay in a life of hard work and avoidance of any forms of frivolous entertainment.
(historical reference: the King and the Parliament, the Civil War, Oliver Cromwell, The Republic, The Restoration,
etc)
THE ECONOMY AND EVERYDAY LIFE:
In the second half of the century there was a marked improvement in the economy, mainly thanks to the newly-created
wealth being brought back from the colonies. Politics had a great impact on people`s everyday life, for example, when
Puritans came to power, all forms of public entertainment were banned and all theatres were closed. The restoration
produced a strong reaction against rigidity of the Commonwealth and people started to have fun again. London became a

booming theatrical centre, while sports of various kinds were played, including fox hunting and a rudimentary form of
football. London continued to be the country`s main social, political and economic centre, despite two events which greatly
disturbed the life of the city. The outbreak of plague in 1665 and the Great Fire in 1666 decimated the population and
destroyed most of the buildings.
Gradually the city recovered from these two terrible blows and grew so quickly in the latter years of the century that by 1700
one tenth of the English population lived there. The economic prosperity that characterized this period can be seen in the
construction of such public buildings as St Pauls Cathedral, which was started in 1675, the bank of England (1694) and the
Stock Exchange (1698).
ENGLAND AND THE REST OF THE WORLD:
colonial expansion: acquisition of new colonies meant provision of cheap raw materials and new markets for goods
produced in England
conflicting interests over control of sea (Holland)
migration to the new world (by 1640 the Puritans had started over 12 towns, home to 15.000 people, mainly along
the east coast)
reaching the exotic India : development of trade in tea, spices and other goods (the ports of Madras and Bombay)

All in all, the seventeenth century in England, although it was a time of constant religious and political fighting, was an age
that stabilized the relationships between Church and state, and between parliament and monarchy, in a way that guaranteed a
solid base for future economic and colonial expansion.