When George II ascended the throne of England, he was already more than forty years old. He had a little more ability than his father. He could fluently speak English and knew well the in situations and customs of the English society.

Like his father his private life was not above board and his tastes were rather coarse. He was not an able and competent general though he had earned a name for himself under Marl borough in the Low Countries.

His bravery and enthusiasm were, however, not in doubt. At home, George II was rather Lazy. He entrusted the entire government to the hands of his ministers.

On the other hand, Queen Caroline was a lady of intellectual bent of mind, ability and of sound judgement. She wielded unified influence on George II her husband.

ADVERTISEMENTS:

Reign of George II was full of events. It was during his reign that England was involved in Austrian war of succession and had to face Jacobite Revolt. Some of the major events were:

The porteous Riots. War with Spain and Resignation of Walpole.

The war of Australians succession (1743-1748)

(a) Carteret New Castle Ministry:

ADVERTISEMENTS:

Walpoles’s resignation posed an in separable problem. Among the ministers, none was singly suitable to run the government and hold the office of Prime Minister. Ultimately leadership of the ministry was given to two members Carteret and Thomas Pelham and the former had the upper hand. It was so because he had a close knowledge of German language and affairs.

And this afforded him a chance to exercise formidable influence over the king. The king was extremely pleased with him. Pelham was extremely fussy about minor details and this made his position slightly ludicrous.

(b) Origin of the war:

As the Austrian war succession gained momentary any how England drifted into it. Archduke Charles, Charles VI, the emperor of Austria, had no son. He made all his hereditary states agree to transfer their loyalty to Maria Thereso, daughter of Emperor Charles VI, after the death of the Emperor. This the emperor ensured by a document known as the “Pragmatic sanction”. Besides, Charles VI made some other European powers agree to support his arrangement.

ADVERTISEMENTS:

These powers included England, France, Spain, Holland, Prussia and Bavaria. Charles VI died in 1740 then ensured a scramble for power among the powers of Europe. Maria Theresa, the nominee of Charles VI was quite helpless before a host of ene­mies.

The only friend that Maria Theresasa had been England and Holland, England helped Maria in men, money and material and put all her available man power and forces at the disposal of Austria. England also, persuaded Maria to collaborate with Fredrick of Prussia though at the cost of foregoing her claim over Siberia.

Chief events of the war:

France initially won three victories at Flanders. So George II, himself in 1743, led an army into the battle, defea­ted the French at Dettington on River Maine. In 1744, the French planned to invade England but a storm scattered their fleet.

ADVERTISEMENTS:

Then in the battle of Forteroy in 1748 the English troops met a colossal defeat on the hands of the French. Taking this advantage the young pretender James III, cooked up a rebellion against George II to oust him from the English throne.

This led England to withdraw her forces quickly from Europe. Finally the war came to an end in October, 1748 with the conclusion of the Treaty of Aix-La-Chappelle.

The Treaty of Aix-la-Chappelle (1748):

1. On the basis of the Treaty of Aix-la-chappelle the young Queen of Austria retained her disputed throne, but the Prussian kings Frederick, received Silesia.

ADVERTISEMENTS:

2. Spain agreed to permit more English ships to trade in the Spanish American colonies.

3. Both England and France mutually restored all the conquests made during the war of Austrian Succession. The French handed back Madras to England in lieu of Louisburg.

The Jacobite Uprising Interlude:

(i) Pelham Ministry (1743):

ADVERTISEMENTS:

Thomas Pelham, the Duke of New castle and his brother, Henry Pelham, were very jealous of their colleagues, specially Carteret, the Chief Minister. They were on the look out for an occasion to undermine the power and status of Carteret. The occasions came when Cartere went to Germany. Besides, William Pitt was also scathingly critical of Carteret.

He described Carteret as the Hanoverian Troop Minister. Pitt violently assailed him in his speeches and accused him of having wasted English money on the German allies. This money, he said, should have been utilised on the fleet of Great Britain. The opposition to Cartered mounted so high that the king was compelled to dismiss Carteret, his favourite minister. There upon the two Pelham’s-Thomas Henry-took over the reigns of government in 1743.

Now the younger Pelham, Henry Virtually became the Prime Minister. It was claimed that the ministry now comprised people of different, political opinions and shades. Pitt was provided for in the Ministry as pay Master General. Here it is not out of place to point out that the king, George II, did not permit Pitt to take office. The Ministry of Henry Pelham came to be described as a broad- bottom Ministry.

(ii) The Revolt of Jacobite Forty Five (1745):

The dying Jacobite cause received a sudden fill up when the French gained a victory over the Allied forces at Fontenoy in 1745. They therefore, launched another drive against England. Major events being:

(a) Young Pretender at Moldert (July, 1745):

The young pretender was a high spirit prince, of handsome person and winning manners. Towards the end of July, 1745, he appeared on the west of internecine at Moldert. At this time he had only seven followers firmly determined to make a bold attempt and win back three crowns and lay them at his father’s feet.

Very soon the young pretender had about two thousand men gathered under his banner. In the beginning however, the Scottish chiefs were doubtful and reluctant in joining the camp of young pretender.

Later on, their doubts were dispelled and removed by the personal charms, gallant bearing and the persua­sive words of the young pretender. All their scruples were gone against the young pretender was sent Sir John Cope who was ordered to march to Fort Augustus against the young pretender.

However, Cope was a very incompetent general on his march John Cape found that the rebels were in possession of the Corry-Arrack pass, through which his road ran. He therefore took a turn and diverted his march to Inverness. Because of course of action, the road to Edinburgh and the lowlands was left open to the insurgents.

The young pretender lost no time and with his characteristic daring the prince made a dash towards the south. The young prince found no opposition and therefore captured Perth with great ease. Soon afterwards, he also bagged the capital. There upon the proclaimed his father, the old, pretender, King James VIII, and held his royal court at Holyrod.

(b) Battle of Preston Pans (1745):

Meanwhile Sir John Coper reached in neighbourhood of Edinburgh. He had brought his soldiers to Dunbar via Inverness and took up a rather invincible position at Preston pans near Edinburgh. Prince Charles, the young pretender, marched forward to meet the meets the adversary. In the battle that ensured the royal troops fled in a disgraceful rout.

The wild Highlanders flung themselves with terrific violence on the troops of Sir John Cope. Cope led the fleeing soldiers also. When John Cope reached Berwick, he was greeted by the governor of the town who also described him as the first general whoever brought the news of own defeat. The Jacobite rebels now were naturally emboldened. The victory at Preston pans served as a morale-booster for the insurgents. And most of Scotland declared its support for the pretender.

(c) Pretender at Derby (1755):

The army of the young pretender swelled to about six thousand troops, as reinforcements rushed for him from all directions. The prince was also hopeful that all England would rise in revolt in his favour against George II. With this hope, the young pretender crossed the border with his army six thousand strong. However, the prince was boldly disillusioned.

The Jacobite feeling in England seemed to have completely evaporated during the long and prosperous rule of Sir Robert Walpole. The prince had reached Derby and only a few had gathered under his banner of rebellion.

On the ‘Black Friday’ when the news traveled to London that Prince Charles the young pretender, was approaching London with an army of Highlanders, there was unbounded Panic in the town. The Pelham’s did not know what to do and situation was completely out of their control. They were rather perplexed.

It is said that, in desperation, they made overtures to the pretender also. The troops that had been collected and concentrated at Finchley to protect the capital from the insurgents were visibly distributed and nervous.

These troops had been collected by the king himself. A great run was made en the Bank of England. The Directors were so disturbed that they were compelled to pay in pansies to gain time. It is also said that the king conveyed all his valuables on board of a Yacht. Thus he was quite ready to go back to Hanover.

(d) Pretender’s Retreat (1745):

Prince Charles stayed at Derby for five days. This proved his undoing- If the pretender had immediately proceeded to London, he would, in all probability, have won, and London would have been at his mercy. George had already prepared to go to Hanover. Then perhaps the Hanoverians would have been thrown out and the Stuarts reinstated again on the throne of England. But the delay enabled the ministry to call out the militia and fresh troops from Holland.

Charles was burning to such forward towards London and to stake his fortune in another battle that might ensue. The delay of the pretender went to the advantage of the king and Charles made no attempts to avoid this delay. However, his greatest hopes were dampened by his Scottish officers who were terrified at the very thought of defeat in a hostile country and thus they advised Charles for retreat.

Not only had this but they found that neither English people have risen in revolt in favour of Charles, nor have French armies come to their help. Now, then, Charles ordered a retreat against his wish. There was no alternative for him.

(e) Battle of Fulkirk (1746):

Now it was quite clear that Charles could not get England. Therefore, he made up his mind no secure Scotland for him at every cost. With this idea at this back of his mind, the young pretender crossed the border and laid a siege of Sterling which was still championing the cause of George II. General Hawley, at the head of eight thousand soldiers marched forward to relieve that fortress and met the rebel forces at Falkirk Muir.

A sharp engagement ensued here in which the royal troops under Hawley were crushingly defeated. The insurgents captured Falkirk and also the equipment of Hawley’s army. But this victory did not mean much to the pretender.

Many Highlanders dispersed to their homes to have their share of the plunder. In the meanwhile the royal troops came from across the border into Scotland. This time Hawley was superseded and the Duke of Cumberland had taken over as the commander of the royal British forces, eight thousand strong.

(f) Battle of Culloden Moor (1746):

When the pretender learnt that a colossal royal army was approaching under Cumberland, he decided to retreat towards the north. Now the insurgent army’s strength had been reduced to about five thousand soldiers. The Duke of Cumberland was not sleeping either. He started pressing from the rear. The high lenders attempted a nocturnal attack on the royal army at Inverness which failed. This brought the two rival armies face to face at Culloden Moor.

The disastrous results of Preston pans and Falkirk Muir were not lost on the Duke. He directed his soldiers to take the furious onslaught of the insurgent regiments as if it were a cavatory charge. He drew up his men in two lines, and planted his guns in the gaps between the regiments and thus awaited the attack by the insurgents. The first line was broken through by the High­landers. However, the second line stood firm.

It opened a deadly volley of musketry upon the insurgents. The result was that the rebels ran helter-skelter in all directions. The royal troops had won the battle. The victory at Culloden Moor decided the fate of the ill-stared rebellion once for all. The victors took full advantage and revenge of the defeated two was ruthlessly and brutally murdered.

Results of the Jeobite Uprising:

(i) In crushing the rebellion the Duke of Cumberland perpetrated the most revolting cruelties, which earned him the most appropriate and well-deserved title of ‘the Butcher’. About two hundred war captives were shot dead in the most cold blooded manner.

(ii) Hundreds of other disabled or wounded soldiers who were in hiding were dragged out from their hid outs and cruelly massacred. Every cottage and living-place belonging to the insurgents was burnt to ashes.

(ii) The Scottish Lords, Kilmarnock, Balmerino and Lovat, the Martyrs as they were called, were beheaded, and nearly a hundred of less rank were either hanged or shot.

(iii) Although the price of 30,000 was set on the prince’s head, none of his faithful adherents betrayed him. For Five months he wandered about in the Western Highlands, suffering the most terrible hardships and experiencing the most roman tire adventures.

On one occasion his capture looked unavoidable, He was, however, saved by the courage of a pong lady, Flora Macdonald who disguised the prince as her maidservant, and arranged his escape through the lines of English sentries. Ultimately, she was successful in getting him on an English ship which safely carried him to France.

(iv) The Parliament passed several Acts by which.

(a) All clans were disarmed and forbidden to wear the Highland dress with its tribal tartans, and

(b) The clan system, which gave the highland chiefs the wars of feudal lords over their followers, was abolished. They ere also forbidden to carry arms and steps were taken to recruit them to army in numbers.

(g) The Reform in the Calendar (1752):

In the year 1752 a reform was made in the existing calendar, and new style of reckoning introduced. Up to this time England had used, the old style of Julian ‘Calendar’, invented by Julius Caesar eighteen centuries before which was discovered with the passage of time to be incorrect. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII published the ‘Gregorian Calendar’ in which the errors of the previous Calendar were corrected. England did not adopt the new style till 1752, when it was discovered that the error in the reckoning had grown to as much as eleven days, By an Act of Parliament, the change was on September 2nd and the following day became the 14th instead of the 3rd Popular Prejudice was against the measure, and for a long time people thought that they had been deforanded of eleven days of their lives, and the cry was-“Give us back our eleven days”.

(h) The Marriage Act (1753):

In 173 Parliament passed the Marriage Act with a view to checking clandestine and inconsiderate marriages. Main provisions of the Act were:

i) That persons about to be married must have their banns published on three successive. Sundays in the church of the Parish where each was residing, or must have a licence.

ii) That in any case, the marriage must be celebrated in between six in the morning and soon; and

iii) That if the persons wished to be married in any other place or at any other time, a costly special licence must be obtained from the Archbishop of Canterbury.

(i) Pitt and Seven Years’ War (1756-1762):

In 1756 the World witnessed for the first time the out break of a War which involved three continents Europe, America and the Subcontinent of India. Since this War conti­nued for seven years, it was known in history as the Seven Years’ War. In this War France and England stood as the principal powers on two sides.

The cause behind this War was the colonial rivalry of England and France in America and India. Then the enmity between Austria and Prussia over Sileria precipitated the War. The War was declared in 1755 and came to an end 68 in 1763 by the Treaty of Paris.

(j) Influence of Methodism:

Influence of John Wesley on the English continued to increase. Wesleyarism as it came to be known became the basis of the society for quite some time. The Methodist revival which was largely the creation of John Wesley had important social consequences. Weslayarism had little charm for cultivated minds. The powerful brain of Hume brushed it aside as irrelevant. It produced no enduring literature.

(k) Death of King George-II:

The King died in 1760 amidst the great national triumphs, was succeeded by his grand-son George-III.