History of Discontent

Medieval Feudalism was taking its toll. Europe had lived through 10,000 years of wars between tribes, invasions by empires, absolute rule by kings and little or no rights. Empires had integrated their religions to support the Empire with few exception.

The Christianization of Europe began by Roman Emperor Constantine in 312 AD was successful because it was voluntary. Catholic Church doctrine was established at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. Christianity was endorsed by Emperor Theodosius I in 380 AD.

Magna Carta 1215. English Charter of Rights forced on King John 1199-1216 by his Barons.  It promised the protection of church rights, protection for the barons from illegal imprisonment, access to swift justice, and limitations on feudal payments to the Crown, to be implemented through a council of 25 barons. It was a move toward democracy and the rule of law.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magna_Carta

William Wallace 1270-1305. Scottish warrior who battled the English to restore Scottish sovereignty.  His father, Sir Malcolm Wallace, was a small landowner in Renfrew. In 1296 King Edward I of England 1272-1307 deposed and imprisoned the Scottish king John de Balliol and declared himself ruler of Scotland. Wallace fought the English from 1297 to 1305.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Wallace

Robert de Bruce 1274-1329. King of Scotland 1306-1329. He fought Edward II from 1306 to 1318 and prevailed as King of Scotland.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_the_Bruce

The printing press was invented in 1439 allowing the mass production of print. The Bible was translated and printed as were books on science that encouraged collaboration and discoveries between scientists.

Martin Luther 1483-1546 was a German Catholic Priest and Theologian.  He posted his 95 Thesis in 1517 listing his criticisms of the Catholic Church and was excommunicated in 1521. Lutheran services began in Denmark in 1520.

King Henry VIII 1491-1547. He established the Church of England in 1534 and set off a war between English Catholics, English Anglicans and other English Protestant groups. Catholic France and Spain supported the English Catholics.

The discovery of America in 1492 supercharged trade and the expansion of the Spanish and Portuguese Empires and England joined in. 

Henry’s daughter Elizabeth I 1533-1603 built up the English Navy and defeated the Spanish Navy.

King James I 1566-1625 followed Elizabeth I.  He wrote and published the first Protestant Bible in 1611, persecuted Puritans and suppressed Catholics. This caused Puritans and other denominations to move to the British Colonies in America.

King Charles I 1600-1649 followed James I. He took the throne in 1625, fought with Parliament, fought a civil war and was defeated in 1646.

Oliver Cromwell ruled England from 1649 to 1659. Charles I was tried, convicted, and executed for high treason in January 1649. The monarchy was abolished and a republic called the Commonwealth of England was declared. 

Charles II 1630-1685 restored a limited monarchy in 1649. He agreed to convert to Catholicism in his treaty with France in 1670.

James II 1633-1701 refused to take an anti-Catholic oath in 1673 and married a Catholic in 1678. He began his rule in 1685. He pursued antidiscrimination policies and appointed Catholics. His son was born prompting fear of a Catholic England and James II was banished to France.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/James-II-king-of-England-Scotland-and-Ireland

William II 1650-1702 was invited by Parliament to take over the throne in 1689. He ruled with Queen Mary II. They were staunch Protestants and established a law prohibiting Catholics from ruling. In 1694 merchants established the Bank of England to lend money to the monarchy. William and Mary ruled England from 1689-1702.

Queen Anne 1665-1714 was the daughter of James II, but supported the Anglican Church over Catholicism. During her reign Parliament separated into Tories who supported Anglicanism and Whigs who supported commerce. Anne had no heirs.

George I 1660-1727. He was a German royal selected by Parliament as Queen Anne’s closest living Protestant relative. During his reign, the Parliament established the Prime Minister roll and the power of the monarch declined.

George II 1683-1760. He was raised in Germany, was the son of George I and was King of Great Britain from 1727 to 1760.

George III 1738-1820. He was the grandson of George II and was King of Great Britain from 1760 to 1820. Parliament controlled Britain. George III was bipolar and ill. But during his time as King, Britain was embroiled in wars of expansion, short on cash and vulnerable to setbacks.

Britain won the “seven years’ war” 1756-1763, the French Indian War in 1765, began control of India in 1758 and defeated the French at Waterloo in 1815. Britain lost the American Revolutionary War 1776-1783 and lost the War of 1812 in 1815.

Seven Years’ War, (1756–63), Britain and Prussia fought France, Austria, Saxony, Sweden, and Russia over Austria’s attempt to take over Silesia.

British Colonial expansion in India 1757-1858 tied up British forces during the other wars

French and Indian War 1754-1763. Britain vs France in the American colonies.

British control of India began in 1758.

Napoleonic Wars 1803-1815. British defeated Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815.

American Revolution 1776-1881 French Fleet helped defeat the British at Yorktown in 1781.

Britain was clearly overextended by multiple wars of considerable size from the 1750s to 1820. They were politically overextended from the 1200s to the 1650 and most of their difficulties were self-inflicted battling over religion and internal squabbles. They get a B+ in warfare and a D- in governance.

The Founders knew Britain was vulnerable. They knew the history of the Roman Empire and saw Britain was overextended. The tyranny of the King had passed to the tyranny of the Lords in Parliament. 

The contest for control of Britain had produced a struggle between the steadily weakening monarchy and the growing tyranny of the Lords in Parliament.

In the 1980s, Parliament voted to cede British sovereignty to the European Union making Britain subject to the whims of the UN. There has been a disconnect between the British voters and the Parliament, because the politicians treat Parliament like a private club.  We will see if Britain regains its sovereignty and exits the EU. The British popular vote in 2016 to exit the EU is not subject to changes made by Parliament.

The Prime Minister needs to be able to veto laws passed by the Parliament and require 66% of the Parliament to override the veto. 

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Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader