Introduction
Below is a brief overview of the Kings of England from James I in 1603, in whose reign the first American colonies were established, to the Interregnum in 1649, when for eleven years England was a republic.
JAMES, Henry VII’s great-great-grandson and the son of Mary Queen of Scots, held the Scottish and English crowns together as James VI and I.* His reign built on Elizabeth’s successes, in culture with the publication of the Authorised Version of the Bible, and in adventure with the establishment of the first American colonies.
However, the struggles for power persisted too. In 1605, Guy Fawkes and his Roman Catholic confederates narrowly failed to blow up James and his English Parliament, and after James’s son Charles I came to the throne in 1629, the Parliaments in London and Edinburgh became increasingly restive, demanding a new power-sharing constitution, and the nationwide enforcement of an extreme brand of Swiss Protestantism.
Charles refused, and in 1639 Civil War broke out.
The capture, trial for ‘treason’ and subsequent execution of Charles I in 1649 ushered in a new, republican England under Parliament’s commander-in-chief, General Oliver Cromwell.* But the ‘Lord Protector’ had all Charles’s authoritarianism, and none of his charm.
This arrangement persisted until 1707, when the two crowns (and Parliaments) were merged in the Act of Union. The numbering of the monarchs reflected the two separate crowns: James VI of Scotland and I of England; Charles I (of both); Charles II; James VII and II; William III and II and Mary II; Anne. Anne was the first Queen of Great Britain.
Précis
James, the first of the Stuarts, narrowly escaped assassination by Catholic conspirators in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, but it was a Protestant Parliament which engineered the judicial execution of his son Charles I in 1649, after a bitter Civil War and a military coup. There followed an eleven-year interregnum, in which England was an unhappy republic. (57 / 60 words)
James, the first of the Stuarts, narrowly escaped assassination by Catholic conspirators in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, but it was a Protestant Parliament which engineered the judicial execution of his son Charles I in 1649, after a bitter Civil War and a military coup. There followed an eleven-year interregnum, in which England was an unhappy republic.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 60 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 50 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, because, besides, since, unless, until, whereas, who.
Archive
Word Games
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Capture. Colony. First.
2 However. Together. Version.
3 Guy. Queen. Republican.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Homophones Find in Think and Speak
In each group below, you will find words that sound the same, but differ in spelling and also in meaning. Compose your own sentences to bring out the differences between them.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
Verb and Noun Find in Think and Speak
Many words can serve as noun or verb depending on context: see if you can prove this with the examples below. Nouns go well with words such as the/a, or his/her; verbs go well after I/you/he etc..
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Increase. 2 War. 3 Power. 4 Struggle. 5 Hold. 6 Break. 7 Refuse. 8 Share. 9 Blow.
Variations: 1.if possible, use your noun in the plural, e.g. cat → cats. 2.use your verb in a past form, e.g. go → went. 3.use your noun in a sentence with one of these words: any, enough, fewer, less, no, some.
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
Your Words ()
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