Battle of the Boyne

Paper Summary:

This paper describes the fight between William and James for the English throne in the 17th century. The paper describes Williams initial conquest of the throne and James' refusal to give up the throne even after the English parliament had declared William and Mary as joint sovereigns. The paper then describes the battle that ultimately took place in the fight for the throne, the Battle of the Boyne, as well as why William won the battle and why it was a battle not only over who would be King, but a battle that would determine the religious climate throughout Europe too. Its aftermath is also discussed, pointing out that even to this day, the battle remains a controversial issue between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland.

From the Paper:

"In the late 1600's, two men were claimants to the English throne, William and James (Lenihan). William landed at Torbay on November 5, 1688 and marched slowly through the country, gaining followers as he went, while support for King James withered away. James fled to France on December 11, and in January 1689, Parliament declared that James had abdicated, and offered the throne to William and Mary. Although the English made an attempt to appoint Mary the sole English monarch, she rejected the proposal. William had no intention of being his wife's consort stating that if that was all England could do for him after he had saved the country, then he would go back to the Netherlands. King William and Queen Mary were declared joint sovereigns on February 13. To confirm his claim to the throne, William promised to obey the Declaration of Rights, which assured the English people of certain basic rights while making it illegal for the king to keep a standing army, levy taxes without Parliament's approval or become a Roman Catholic. William was willing to let Parliament limit his power in return for its support against France (Hayes McCoy). "

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