British history (1550-1650)
James I The history of England has been written by its many leaders, some good, some bad and some as unsuccessful as James I. The misfortune of James I was set early, “...the events of the first 2 years of James’s reign in England serve to ‘set the stage’ for growing conflicts... James had decisions to make in the areas of foreign policy, domestic religion, finance, and, in the broadest sense...governmental theory.” (James I). James’s largest mistake was treating the assembly in England like the parliament he had been so used to as the leader of Scotland (James I). James I was unable to effectively manipulate the politics of England and gained fewer allies than he gained enemies to his monarchical rule. In England the stage had already been set for war with all it’s religious conflicts in the 1500’s. The misfortune of James I’s rule seemed never ending as in 1618, as James was having severe health problems the Thirty Years War began (James I). As fighting between Protestants and Catholics broke out, James was affronted, his family including his son-in-law, daughter and grandchildren were caught up in a nasty religious war. He was forced to call parliament in hopes of getting money to fund a religious war, and for once James found success, this success however, wouldn’t last. James sought the friendship of Spain to aid in his son-in-law’s debacle, but in 1620 Spain invaded Protestant Germany. James’s subjects didn’t see it sensible to aid the