Convention Parliament (1689) facts for kids
The English Convention was a special meeting of the Parliament of England. It gathered from January 22 to February 12, 1689. This important assembly decided to change who ruled England and Ireland. They moved the crowns from King James II to William III and Mary II.
A similar meeting, called the Scottish Convention, happened in Scotland in March 1689. It also agreed that William and Mary should rule Scotland. These meetings were a big part of the Glorious Revolution.
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How the Convention Started in 1688
After the Glorious Revolution, King James II of England left England. Prince William III of Orange was coming to London. Important leaders, like the Earl of Rochester, called together the Lords and other advisors. They met on December 12, 1688, to create a temporary government.
King James II came back to London on December 16. But by the next day, William had arrived and James was essentially a prisoner. William then allowed James to leave safely for France. This avoided any harm to James, who was William's uncle and father-in-law.
William did not want to just take the crown as a ruler who seized power. So, he called another meeting of important leaders on December 21, 1688. James fled to France on December 23. On December 26, members of a previous parliament joined these leaders. They asked William to call a special "Convention" meeting.
The Convention of 1689 Meets
The Convention Parliament members were chosen in January and met for the first time on January 22, 1689. The members spent a lot of time debating. They argued about whether King James II had "abdicated" (given up) his throne. They also discussed who should become the new ruler.
Some groups, called the Whigs, believed William should be king alone. They talked about ideas like a "social contract," which means rulers and people have an agreement. A few extreme Whigs wanted England to become a republic, without a king or queen. But most Whigs wanted a "limited monarchy," where the king or queen's power was not absolute.
Other groups, called the Tories, wanted King James II to return. Some thought his wife, Mary, should rule alone. The Archbishop of Canterbury and other loyal bishops also preferred that James II return, but with some conditions.
On January 29, the Convention decided that England must have a Protestant ruler. Since James was Catholic, this meant he could not be king.
By early February, the House of Commons agreed that James had "abdicated" and that the throne was empty. But the House of Lords disagreed. They said "abdicated" was not a known term in common law (traditional law). They also felt that if the throne was empty, it should automatically go to the next in line, which was Mary.
However, on February 6, the Lords changed their minds. It became clear that neither Mary nor her sister Anne would rule without William. As a compromise, the Lords suggested that William III and Mary II should both take the throne. The Commons agreed, but only if William held the main power.
The Convention then wrote a document called the Declaration of Right. This document listed the problems with King James II's rule. It also aimed to protect the religion and freedoms of Protestants. This document was finished on February 12.
On February 13, William and Mary were officially declared King and Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland. They agreed to rule according to the law.
On February 23, 1689, King William III turned the Convention into a regular parliament. He did this by ending the Convention and calling for a new parliament almost a year later.
The actions of this Convention Parliament were made official in 1690 by a law called the Crown and Parliament Recognition Act 1689. This was the first law passed by the next regularly elected parliament after a new election.
How This Affected the Thirteen Colonies
The Convention Parliament of 1689 also influenced the Thirteen Colonies in America. The idea of using such "conventions" to make big changes became more common there. A famous example is the 1787 Constitutional Convention. This meeting created the United States Constitution.
Important Laws from the Convention
- Bill of Rights 1688
- Toleration Act 1688
- Mines Royal Act 1688
See also
- 1689 English general election
- List of MPs elected to the English Parliament in 1689
- Carmarthen–Halifax ministry 1689–1690
- Revolutionary breach of legal continuity
- Convention Parliament (England)
