6th Parliament of William III facts for kids
.jpg)
The 6th Parliament of William III was an important group of lawmakers in England. It was called together by William III of England on 3 November 1701 and started meeting on 30 December 1701.
This Parliament had two main groups: 248 members were from the Whig party, and 240 were from the Tory party. There were also 24 other members. Robert Harley, who represented the area of Radnor, was chosen again to be the Speaker of the House of Commons. The Speaker is like the leader or chairperson of the House of Commons, making sure meetings run smoothly.
At this time, the King of France was trying to expand his power in Europe. This was seen as a big threat to England's interests. Because of this, most people in England wanted to go to war. The new Parliament quickly started getting ready for war.
On 9 January 1702, the House of Commons received a copy of the Grand Alliance. This was an agreement between King William III, the Emperor (leader of a large empire in Europe), and the United Provinces (parts of what is now the Netherlands). Both the Whig and Tory parties worked together to help the King get what he needed for the war. By the end of February, they had almost finished planning how to pay for everything.
However, on 7 March 1702, sad news arrived: the King was dying. Everyone rushed to finish the war preparations. The very next day, King William III passed away. His sister-in-law, Queen Anne, became the new Queen.
Because of a law called the Parliament Act 1695, Parliament was able to keep meeting for two more months. This was important because it allowed the new Queen and her advisors to finish all the necessary plans for the war. On 2 May 1702, Queen Anne told the House of Commons that England and its allies were officially declaring war on France and Spain. This war became known as the War of the Spanish Succession.
The Parliament finished its work and was officially ended on 2 July 1702.
Laws Passed by This Parliament
During its time, this Parliament passed several important laws:
- Affirmation by Quakers Act 1701: This law allowed Quakers (a religious group) to make a serious promise instead of taking an oath.
- Correspondence with James the Pretender (High Treason) Act 1701: This law made it a serious crime (treason) to communicate with James, who was trying to claim the throne.
- Security of the Succession, etc. Act 1701: This law helped make sure that the right person would become the next ruler of England.
More to Explore
