AQA · A-Level · History
Course version: 7042 · Version from Sept 2017
How effective was opposition?
Full specification wording
1D Stuart Britain and the Crisis of Monarchy, 1603–1702 – consequence in this period through the following key questions:: How effective was opposition?
Evaluating the effectiveness of opposition in Stuart Britain requires analysing parliamentary, religious, and popular resistance against the Crown.
Checked against the AQA 7042 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 4 of 6
- 3 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
Evaluating the effectiveness of opposition in Stuart Britain requires analysing parliamentary, religious, and popular resistance against the Crown. Opposition effectiveness fluctuated significantly. Early parliamentary opposition under Charles I culminated in the Petition of Right and the Civil War, proving highly effective by dismantling personal rule and executing the monarch. Conversely, opposition during the Restoration, such as the Whigs during the Exclusion Crisis, initially failed to alter the succession. Ultimately, the opposition of the Immortal Seven in 1688 proved decisively effective, successfully deposing James II and permanently redefining the constitutional balance of power.
What earns the marks
- Define the different types of opposition, including parliamentary factions, religious dissenters, and popular rebellions.
- Evaluate the success of parliamentary opposition in limiting royal prerogative, such as the 1628 Petition of Right or the 1641 Triennial Act.
- Assess the failures of opposition movements, such as the inability of the Whigs to pass the Exclusion Bill or the defeat of Monmouth's Rebellion.
- Analyse the ultimate effectiveness of the 1688 opposition in permanently altering the constitutional relationship between Crown and Parliament.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Assuming opposition was always unified.
Put it right: Highlight the factionalism within opposition groups, such as the split between Presbyterians and Independents.
Equating 'opposition' solely with Parliament.
Put it right: Include extra-parliamentary opposition, such as religious dissenters, pamphleteers, and popular uprisings.
Describing opposition events without evaluating their success.
Put it right: Explicitly judge 'how effective' the opposition was in achieving its specific aims.
Exam tips
- Establish clear criteria for 'effectiveness', such as whether the opposition achieved its immediate goals or caused long-term constitutional change.
- Contrast the effectiveness of opposition across different reigns to build a strong comparative analysis.
- Acknowledge that the effectiveness of opposition often depended on the monarch's response, contrasting Charles I's inflexibility with Charles II's pragmatism.
Try the lesson
The start of the 1D Stuart Britain and the Crisis of Monarchy, 1603–1702 – consequence in this period through the following key questions:: How effective was opposition? lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
How did John Hampden's opposition to Ship Money in 1637 impact Charles I's Personal Rule?
Listen
Evaluating the effectiveness of opposition in Stuart Britain requires analysing parliamentary, religious, and popular resistance against the Crown. Opposition effectiveness fluctuated significantly. Early parliamentary opposition under Charles I culminated in the Petition of Right and the Civil War, proving highly effective by dismantling personal rule and executing the monarch. Conversely, opposition during the Restoration, such as the Whigs during the Exclusion Crisis, initially failed to alter the succession. Ultimately, the opposition of the Immortal Seven in 1688 proved decisively effective, successfully deposing James II and permanently redefining the constitutional balance of power. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Define the different types of opposition, including parliamentary factions, religious dissenters, and popular rebellions. Evaluate the success of parliamentary opposition in limiting royal prerogative, such as the 1628 Petition of Right or the 1641 Triennial Act. Assess the failures of opposition movements, such as the inability of the Whigs to pass the Exclusion Bill or the defeat of Monmouth's Rebellion. Analyse the ultimate effectiveness of the 1688 opposition in permanently altering the constitutional relationship between Crown and Parliament. A common slip: Assuming opposition was always unified. Instead, highlight the factionalism within opposition groups, such as the split between Presbyterians and Independents. Exam tip: Establish clear criteria for 'effectiveness', such as whether the opposition achieved its immediate goals or caused long-term constitutional change.
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Constitutional change
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Political factionalism
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Extra-parliamentary resistance
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See every definition
- Constitutional change
- The note refers to permanently redefining the constitutional balance of power and altering the constitutional relationship between Crown and Parliament.
- Political factionalism
- The note refers to factionalism within opposition groups, such as the split between Presbyterians and Independents, rather than opposition always being unified.
- Extra-parliamentary resistance
- The note refers to extra-parliamentary opposition, such as religious dissenters, pamphleteers, and popular uprisings, rather than equating opposition solely with Parliament.
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