The Popish Plot and Exclusion Crisis

The Popish Plot (1678) and the Exclusion Crisis (1679–1681) were the most serious political crises of Charles II's reign. They centred on the fear of Catholicism, the question of who would succeed Charles II, and the fundamental issue of where political power lay — with the King or with Parliament. This lesson covers the origins, events, and consequences of both crises.

---

Background: Anti-Catholic Feeling

Anti-Catholic sentiment was deeply rooted in English culture. Since the Reformation in the 1530s, English Protestants had associated Catholicism with:

Fear	Basis
Foreign domination	The Pope was seen as a foreign ruler; Catholic powers (Spain, France) were England's enemies
Tyranny	Catholic monarchies like France and Spain were seen as absolutist and oppressive
Plots and conspiracies	The Gunpowder Plot (1605) and other real or alleged Catholic conspiracies kept fears alive
The Inquisition	The Spanish Inquisition was used as evidence of Catholic cruelty
Idolatry	Protestants viewed Catholic ceremonies, saints, and the Mass as superstitious

These fears were intensified during the Restoration by:

• The Duke of York's open Catholicism (confirmed by his inability to take the Test Act oaths in 1673)
• Charles II's suspected Catholic sympathies and his secret Treaty of Dover with Catholic France
• The growing power of Louis XIV's France, which persecuted Protestants

Key Term: Popery — a derogatory term for Roman Catholicism, widely used in 17th-century England. Anti-popery was one of the most powerful political forces of the age.

---

The Popish Plot (1678)

Titus Oates and His Allegations

In September 1678, a disreputable figure named Titus Oates appeared before a London magistrate, Sir Edmund Berry Godfrey, and claimed to have uncovered a vast Catholic conspiracy to:

1. Assassinate Charles II
2. Place the Catholic Duke of York on the throne
3. Massacre Protestants
4. Re-establish Catholicism in England with the support of France and the Pope

Oates's claims were largely fabricated, but a series of events gave them credibility:

Event	Date	Significance
Oates testifies before the Privy Council	September 1678	His detailed (though fabricated) account alarmed the government
Murder of Sir Edmund Berry Godfrey	October 1678	The magistrate who took Oates's testimony was found dead. Though the murder was never solved, it was widely blamed on Catholics and created mass panic.
Discovery of the Duke of York's correspondence with France	October 1678	Letters from Edward Coleman (the Duchess of York's secretary) to the French court were found, seemingly confirming Catholic plotting
Trials and executions	1678–1681	At least 35 people were executed on charges related to the Plot, almost all on the basis of perjured testimony

Exam Tip: The Popish Plot is a powerful example of how fear and rumour can have devastating real-world consequences. Oates's fabrications led to the deaths of dozens of innocent people. When answering exam questions, consider why people found Oates's claims so believable — the answer lies in the deep-rooted anti-Catholic fears described above.

---

The Exclusion Crisis (1679–1681)

The Popish Plot intensified the most important political question of the age: should the Catholic Duke of York be allowed to inherit the throne?

The Exclusion Bills

A group of politicians led by Anthony Ashley Cooper, Earl of Shaftesbury, attempted to pass an Exclusion Bill through Parliament that would bar the Duke of York from the succession.

Exclusion Bill	Date	Outcome
First Exclusion Bill	May 1679	Passed the House of Commons but Charles dissolved Parliament before it could pass the Lords
Second Exclusion Bill	November 1680	Passed the Commons but was rejected by the House of Lords
Third Exclusion Bill	March 1681	Charles dissolved the Oxford Parliament after just one week, ending the crisis

Who Would Replace James?

The Exclusionists did not agree on who should succeed if James were excluded:

Candidate	Supporters	Issues
Duke of Monmouth (Charles's illegitimate son)	Shaftesbury and many Exclusionists	He was Protestant and popular, but he was illegitimate
Mary (James's Protestant daughter)	Some moderates	She was legitimate but was married to William of Orange, a foreign prince
William of Orange	Some pragmatists	A proven Protestant leader, but a foreigner

---

Whigs and Tories

The Exclusion Crisis gave birth to England's first political parties:

Party	Origin of Name	Position
Whigs	Originally a term of abuse, from Scottish Presbyterian rebels ("Whiggamores")	Supported Exclusion; wanted to limit royal power; feared Catholicism and absolutism
Tories	Originally a term of abuse, from Irish Catholic outlaws	Opposed Exclusion; supported the hereditary succession and royal prerogative; feared disorder and rebellion

Key Term: The terms Whig and Tory began as insults but were adopted by each side. These party labels would dominate English politics for over a century.

---

Charles II's Victory

Charles II ultimately won the Exclusion Crisis through a combination of:

1. Dissolving Parliament: He dissolved three Parliaments to prevent the Exclusion Bill from passing.
2. French subsidies: Secret payments from Louis XIV allowed Charles to govern without Parliament's money.
3. Tory reaction: Public opinion swung against the Whigs as people feared a return to civil war.
4. Discrediting the Whigs: Oates's credibility collapsed, and Shaftesbury was arrested (though acquitted). The Rye House Plot (1683) — an alleged Whig conspiracy to assassinate Charles and James — provided a pretext for crushing the opposition.

The Last Years of Charles II (1681–1685)

After 1681, Charles ruled without Parliament. He used quo warranto proceedings to seize the charters of Whig-controlled towns and remodel their corporations with loyal Tories. By the time of his death in February 1685, royal power was stronger than at any point since 1660.

Exam Tip: The Exclusion Crisis is one of the most important topics in Restoration history. You should be able to explain the causes (anti-Catholicism, the Duke of York's religion, the Popish Plot), the key events (the three Exclusion Bills), and the consequences (the birth of Whig and Tory parties, Charles's victory, the strengthening of royal power).

---

Extended Worked Paragraph: Q8 Judgement

Question: "The Popish Plot of 1678 was the most important cause of the Exclusion Crisis." How far do you agree?