Pearson Edexcel · A-Level · History
Course version: 9HI0 · Version from Sept 2015
The impact of the Toleration Act 1689 and the end of Anglican supremacy.
Full specification wording
How revolutionary, in the years to 1701, was the Glorious Revolution of 1688–89?: The impact of the Toleration Act 1689 and the end of Anglican supremacy.
The Toleration Act 1689 allowed most Protestant dissenters to worship in licensed meeting houses, provided they swore oaths and accepted certain articles.
Checked against the Pearson Edexcel 9HI0 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 2 of 4
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
The Toleration Act 1689 allowed most Protestant dissenters to worship in licensed meeting houses, provided they swore oaths and accepted certain articles. It did not grant full religious equality: Catholics and non-Trinitarians were excluded, dissenters still paid tithes, could not take degrees at Oxford or Cambridge, and remained barred from some offices. Anglican supremacy ended in the sense that the Church of England lost its legal monopoly over Protestant worship, but it kept establishment, tithe income and a privileged place in the state. Assess impact by distinguishing legal toleration from social and political inclusion, and by noting that enforcement varied locally.
What earns the marks
- Explains what the Act permitted: licensed Protestant dissenting worship, with oaths and declarations required, and penalties for noncompliance suspended rather than abolished.
- Identifies who was excluded: Catholics and those rejecting the Trinity, plus dissenters still subject to tithes and university and office restrictions.
- Analyses the end of Anglican supremacy as the loss of a legal monopoly over worship, not the loss of establishment, wealth or state privilege.
- Weighs impact by comparing legal change with lived experience: local magistrates and clergy influenced how far toleration operated in practice.
- Uses evidence such as the licensing of meeting houses, the oath requirements, or the survival of the Test Acts to test how complete toleration was.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Calling the Act freedom of religion.
Put it right by stating it was limited toleration for most Protestant dissenters only.
Claiming the Church of England was disestablished.
Put it right by explaining that establishment, tithes and many privileges continued.
Assuming the Act applied uniformly.
Put it right by noting that enforcement depended on local officials and that penalties were suspended rather than repealed.
Exam tips
- Define toleration precisely at the start, then measure the Act against that definition throughout.
- Use a clear contrast between what dissenters gained and what they still lacked to structure your argument.
- Judge impact over time, noting that later legislation extended rights, so 1689 was a beginning rather than an endpoint.
Try the lesson
The start of the How revolutionary, in the years to 1701, was the Glorious Revolution of 1688–89?: The impact of the Toleration Act 1689 and the end of Anglican supremacy. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
What did the Toleration Act 1689 grant to Protestant Nonconformists in England?
Listen
The Toleration Act 1689 allowed most Protestant dissenters to worship in licensed meeting houses, provided they swore oaths and accepted certain articles. It did not grant full religious equality: Catholics and non-Trinitarians were excluded, dissenters still paid tithes, could not take degrees at Oxford or Cambridge, and remained barred from some offices. Anglican supremacy ended in the sense that the Church of England lost its legal monopoly over Protestant worship, but it kept establishment, tithe income and a privileged place in the state. Assess impact by distinguishing legal toleration from social and political inclusion, and by noting that enforcement varied locally. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Explains what the Act permitted: licensed Protestant dissenting worship, with oaths and declarations required, and penalties for noncompliance suspended rather than abolished. Identifies who was excluded: Catholics and those rejecting the Trinity, plus dissenters still subject to tithes and university and office restrictions. Analyses the end of Anglican supremacy as the loss of a legal monopoly over worship, not the loss of establishment, wealth or state privilege. Weighs impact by comparing legal change with lived experience: local magistrates and clergy influenced how far toleration operated in practice. A common slip: Calling the Act freedom of religion. Instead, stating it was limited toleration for most Protestant dissenters only. Exam tip: Define toleration precisely at the start, then measure the Act against that definition throughout.
See it
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Religious toleration
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Anglican establishment
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Protestant dissent
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Legal change and local enforcement
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See every definition
- Religious toleration
- Limited toleration for most Protestant dissenters only, allowing worship in licensed meeting houses with oaths and declarations required, while Catholics and non-Trinitarians were excluded.
- Anglican establishment
- The Church of England kept establishment, tithe income and a privileged place in the state, even though it lost its legal monopoly over Protestant worship.
- Protestant dissent
- Most Protestant dissenters could worship in licensed meeting houses, but still paid tithes, could not take degrees at Oxford or Cambridge, and remained barred from some offices.
- Legal change and local enforcement
- Penalties for noncompliance were suspended rather than abolished, and local magistrates and clergy influenced how far toleration operated in practice.
Label the diagram
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1Box 1
2Box 2
3Box 3
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