Paper 2 Section B/D: Restoration England, 1660–1685

June 2023

Q1: How convincing is Interpretation A about the Restoration theatre?

Explain your answer based on your contextual knowledge and what it says in Interpretation A.

Answer:

For example, it is convincing because it describes the ‘Comedy of Manners’ style Restoration play which along with the ‘Heroic Tragedy’ was popular. The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane was a brand-new theatre where Killigrew’s King’s company performed, and the King attended. The ‘Comedy of Manners’ often parodied the behaviour of the upper class through the characters of the ‘fop’ and the ‘rake’. Although audiences were from all classes, the Restoration theatre was very much aimed at the upper classes rather than the broader appeal of the Elizabethan theatre. more than one aspect of the interpretation. For example, the interpretation correctly suggests that women like Aphra Behn could not only have a successful career as a playwright, but women like Elizabeth Barry, and Nell Gwynn could perform in Restoration comedies. They did gain some fame in the theatre and then fame in society through becoming the mistresses of the nobles and King at court. Female roles were no longer played by men or boys but by women. For example, Charles II gave Killigrew and Davenant patents to set up theatre companies and perform plays. Theatres now used expensive scenery and actors like Betterton. Nell Gwynn delighted audiences. Answers may show understanding/support for interpretation, but the case is For example, it is true that Aphra Behn was a woman who wrote plays for the

Q2: Explain what was important about the Catholic question during the reign of Charles II.

Answer:

the consequences of the stated development (the Catholic Question during the reign of Charles II) in the broader historical context (Restoration England). This For example, Parliament would never allow Charles II to rule in the same way as his father had. His father’s Roman Catholic leanings, and Catholic wife, had been a large reason for the Civil War. Parliament’s strong Anglicanism is shown by the Clarendon Code aimed at Nonconformists. The Catholic Question centred on the succession. Forcing Charles to pass the Test Act in 1673 showed Parliament would challenge him, and along with the third Anglo- Dutch war disasters, destroyed the Cabal government. Foreign policy was affected by the Catholic Question because Parliament was upset that they were voting taxes to help support Catholic France’s war against the Protestant For example, the big issue was about the succession of the Duke of York who was a Catholic which was the Exclusion crisis. The Catholic Question influenced and was interwoven with home and foreign affairs which dominated the Parliament from 1679 to 1681. Parliament tried to pass bills which would exclude the Duke of York from the line of succession. At the end of which, in 1681, Charles dissolved the Oxford Parliament and ruled without it. For example, it was important because Parliament was Anglican. It disliked what they saw as a strong French influence of court which became a part of foreign policy when it became known that Lord Danby had been negotiating with the Catholic French since 1676 against the Protestant Dutch. Parliament would not vote Charles money for his war against the Dutch. Learning of Danby’s negotiations with the Catholic France destroyed the trust between king the identified consequences, supporting by factual knowledge and For example, Parliament was Protestant and in 1673 it found out that James, Charles’ brother, had secretly converted to Catholicism back in 1668. He had been attending Anglican services, and kept his beliefs private but the Test Act forced him to reveal his religion. Parliament wanted to exclude him from the succession to the throne. For example, Charles II did not have any lawful heirs. Parliament didn’t want his brother, James, to follow him as king because he was a Catholic.

Q3: Write an account of how the slave trade affected Restoration England.

Answer:

reasoning supported by a range of accurate and detailed factual knowledge and understanding. For example, an explanation of different impacts/ consequences of change in the broader historical context. For example, the trade in enslaved people made huge fortunes for the slave traders and Plantation owners which they spent on lavish houses, and some gave money to charity to set up schools and hospitals in England. This led to slave traders being regarded as benefactors. It also increased demand for goods such as textiles, chains, pots and guns which were traded in Africa. This provided jobs for workers, investment in manufacturing which led eventually to the Industrial revolution and profits for the owners of these businesses. For example, the trade in enslaved peoples made huge profits for the shareholders of the Royal Africa Company. These included Charles II and his brother, James, Duke of York. Charles also made money from taxes on the goods brought into Britain through the triangular trade which was important because he was short of money, especially when he ruled without Parliament. simple understanding of consequence(s) with supported with factual For example, the trade in enslaved people led to the growth of the ports of Liverpool, Bristol and London and paid for many new houses and public For example, some people in England made a lot of money from enslaving should demonstrate their ability to construct and develop a sustained line of reasoning which is coherent, relevant, substantiated and logically structured.

Q4: ‘The main consequences of the development of Coffee Houses were economic.’

How far does a study of the London Coffee Houses support this statement? Explain your answer. You should refer to the London Coffee Houses and your contextual knowledge. and AQA will be happy to rectify any omissions of acknowledgements. If you have any queries please contact the CopyrightTeam.

Answer:

To support their answer students could include aspects of the site such as: location, function, structure, design, people connected with the site, how the site reflects culture, values and fashions of the time and how the site links to important events and/or developments of the specified period. understanding of the site. For example, the coffee houses in London served many purposes. The King saw them at times as places of political criticism. The Rainbow coffee house was seen by the government as being involved with Titus Oates and the Popish plot of 1678. The King’s attempt to close them down was temporary, due to the protests of the coffee house owners and the King’s need for coffee drinking taxes. The main consequence of the development of coffee houses in London was the improved communication of information. That may have been economic and commercial information about stocks and shares, the arrival and departure of ships, the selling of cargoes, sometimes of enslaved people. But it could also be scientific information such as between Robert Hooke and Sir Isaac Newton in 1679 about the movement of the planets and gravity. In 1680 Hooke even chose Garraway’s coffee house to do an experiment about the Earth’s movement. Socially, the coffee houses allowed a much greater variety of people from all classes to mix and exchange opinions ideas and Answers may suggest that one factor has greater merit. For example, the economic consequences of the development of the coffeehouse were immense. It was not just the businessman who did deals in the coffee houses. The King, Charles II, taxed coffee and was torn between advice to close the coffee shops down as centres of political criticism, or keep them open and take the tax profits. Different coffee shops attracted different businessmen. Tom’s coffee house was a meeting place for insurers and bankers, Jonathan’s coffee house in exchange Alley was well known for the buying and selling of shares and, famously in 1686, Edward Lloyd opened a coffee house in Tower Street which was popular for reliable news about shipping, cargoes and disasters at sea. For example, the coffeehouse was a place to relax in peace unlike a public house. There could be good conversation, a sharing of ideas and opinions. Visiting a coffeehouse was definitely a social event. At Will’s coffee house for example John Dryden read his poetry, Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift attended and in 1663 Samuel Pepys said that the conversation and debates there were most enjoyable. Sir Isaac Newton and the famous astronomer Professor Halley visited the Grecian coffee house on the Strand. Because anyone could buy a cup of coffee as it was cheap, these places became known as ‘Penny universities’. consequences by simple reasoning supported with factual knowledge and understanding of the site. For example, the coffee houses contributed to important economic benefits. A lot of trade was done in the coffee houses around the Royal Exchange in Cornhill. The coffee house owners attracted businessmen by displaying information such as Edward Lloyd who published a list of the arrival and departure of ships at English and foreign ports, this made his coffee house the centre of the London shipping world. Financial gossip circulating in coffee houses which became an important place to buy and sell shares. For example, Coffee houses in London, such as Lloyd’s or Garraway’s, were where businessman met to do deals. On the walls of the coffee houses were bulletins announcing sales, ship sailings and auctions.