BOME

A Political Pre-History of London

by Jonathan Goren

In 43 C.E., Londinium was founded as a Roman outpost. The city’s natural conditions spawned economic benefits, which, in turn, made it the most significant city in the region. This significance translated into political importance. The centering of politics and government in London was formally recognized nearly a millennium after it’s founding. In the middle eleventh century, Harold, the last Anglo-Saxon King, officially cemented the city’s political importance by moving the seat of England’s government from Winchester to London, where the royal residences already were. In 1066, William the Conqueror, the first of the Norman rulers of England, granted London it’s official charter and made it his capital. When William did this, however, he guaranteed the city some sovereignty by not changing the way the city was governed. By not disturbing the pre-existing government (he didn’t want to upset the citizens,) he made a slight division between the city’s politics and that of the nation. Despite this, ever since these early events, London has been identified as the center of British government and the politics of the city have been very closely linked to the politics of England as a whole.

In 1215, the barons of England realized that an absolute monarch could be dangerous to his people. At Runnymede, they forced, via threats of war, King John to sign the Magna Carta, a long list of reforms, which limited the king’s power. The signing of this document, which translates to Great Charter, more than any other event, established Britain as a constitutional monarchy and guaranteed political and civil liberties for certain citizens.

What powers the throne lost due to the Magna Carta, the Great Council, the assembly of clergy and aristocrats, gained. However, this body, by virtue of it representing a very small percent of the population, was seriously flawed. One of the barons who served John with the Magna Carta, Simon de Montfort, addressed the problem of this body, by declaring war on the king. Once he had seized control, he called a new council, which included knights and burghers in addition to the members of the Great Council. This new assembly became the Parliament, which has endured to this day in the form of the House of Lords, with members of the upper-classes, and the House of Commons, which consists of representatives of the lower-classes. The expanded Parliament established representative government in Britain, even though this body was far from standing for all of England’s people.

During the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, many events profoundly affected the politics of Great Britain. The discoveries of the Age of Exploration, the innovations and advances of the Renaissance, and the modifications of the Reformation, all influenced the way the English government was to be run. The discovery of the Americas, in 1492, did not directly influence England’s foreign policy, as they did not become involved in that area for many years. However, this exploration affected, quite positively, Portugal and Spain, making them two of the wealthiest nations in Europe. Thus, English politics had to be adjusted to help deal with these newly powerful forces. The revival of education that characterized the Renaissance was felt in England, as it was in Italy, the center of the movement. This led to more discussions of intellectual ideas, both new and classical, of government. The invention of the printing press also helped shape the politics of Britain, by expediting this discourse of thought.

The Reformation stirred up ideas of rebellion against the Roman Catholic Church throughout mainland Europe. In Britain, change came as well. Reformers, such as John Wyclif, challenged many of the main ideas of Catholicism, such as that of transubstantiation. Wyclif was executed as a heretic by Henry V, in 1401. However, he had planted, in England, the seed of Protestantism that came to a head under Henry VIII. When Henry VIII wished to divorce his wife, Catherine of Aragon, and the Pope would not allow it, the king simply defied him, and had the English clergy alter the canon laws. In 1534, Henry’s Parliament passed a series of acts that made the King of England head of the Church of England and abolished all of the Pope’s power over ecclesiastical business of Britain. This creation of the Anglican Church, linked the British government inextricably with religion, and laid the groundwork for innumerable other religious disputes.

Throughout the seventeenth century, the monarchs had conflicted with their Parliaments, in various power struggles. In 1660, after the decade-long Interregnum (the interval of time between the end of the king's reign and the accession of a successor,) Charles II, oldest surviving son of the executed Charles I, was recalled from France to take the British throne. Charles II returned to a position of decreased power, due to a great deal of the monarch’s former power being delegated to Parliament, as England had become a constitutional monarchy. Also occurring upon his return, was the reinstatement of the Anglican Church, although Charles had sworn to only punish dissenters mildly. The plague of 1665 and fire of 1666, which devastated London, were said to be acts retribution for the execution of Charles I. Throughout these disasters, quarrels with Parliament, and religious conflicts continued. These tumultuous conditions led to the rise of two distinct political parties in England: the Tories and the Whigs. The Tories consisted mainly of the aristocracy and supported Charles’ inclusion of his Catholic brother James in the line of succession. The Whigs were the party, which consisting mainly of gentry and merchants, opposed the king. Interestingly, the Tories became the conservative party, supporters of the Anglican Church, while the Whigs became liberals, advocates for religious dissenters.

In 1688, a Catholic line of succession falls into place, and those who support of the Anglican Church became worried. They begin to talk of invasion with William of Orange, a Protestant from Holland. Later that year he does invade England. The following year, the Glorious Revolution takes place, and William and his wife Mary are crowned, without bloodshed. This year is also significant for its Bill of Rights, which further limits the monarch’s powers, and again confirms the Parliament’s control. Over the following century, the role of the Church of England is reaffirmed, as Catholics are eliminated as potential rulers. More conflicts between the throne and the Parliament ensue, as do clashes between Whigs and Tories. When the Hanoverians come to power, with George I, in 1714, ministers gain political power as the George’s prefer to rule from their native Germany. During this time, as well, Britain is becoming more involved with expansion and becomes a colonial power. In London, the center of this complex and conflicted government, the stage was set for many more years of continued struggle between various factions and parties, all in search of political power.

Bibliography
1. Hayes, John London: A Pictorial History, 1969, B. T. Batsford LTD, London
2. Mackie, R. L. A Short Social and Political History of Britain, 1922, World Book Company, Yonkers, NY
3. Stone, Lawerence Social Change and Revolution in England 1540-1640, 1965, Longmans, Green, and Co LTD, London
4. http://www.greatestcities.com/london/london-6.html
5. http://65.107.211.206/history/hist4.html
6. http://www.britainexpress.com/London/anglo-saxon-london.htm