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

June 2024

Q1: How convincing is Interpretation A about the Great Fire of London?

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

Answer:

For example, it is convincing because it took a long time for London to recover. The government had to end the Second Dutch War quickly in 1667 and Parliament wanted to rebuild London not spend money on fighting the Dutch in the Third Dutch War that started in 1672. By 1673, only half of the houses that were built after the Fire were occupied. Rebuilding was slow, important buildings such as the Royal Exchange was delayed by lack of funds, it was completed in 1671. Christopher Wren lacked money to rebuild St Paul’s Cathedral. Great ideas for the rebuilding of London did not happen. more than one aspect of the interpretation. For example, it is convincing because interpretation correctly says that the economy was disrupted. Government income fell. The Hearth tax only brought in two thirds of the £150000 that London was expected to raise in the three years after the Fire. Government income fell from £890000 to £690000 between 1665 and 1666. Parliament introduced a new tax on coal shipment from Newcastle to pay for London’s reconstruction. For example, the Fire did have far reaching consequences because they had to rebuild so much of London and it was expensive. They had plans for a ‘new more beautiful city’ drawn up by John Evelyn and Christopher Wren to make London more like Paris with great buildings, wide streets, and grand open public squares like those in Italian towns. Answers may show understanding/support for interpretation, but the case is For example, it is true that the Fire devastated London because they had so many wooden buildings.

Q2: Explain what was important about the plots against Charles II.

Answer:

the consequences of the stated development (the plots against Charles II) in the broader historical context (Restoration England). This is supported by For example, what was important about the plots was that they showed how important religion was in the eyes of the King and Parliament. The King’s desire for toleration of peaceful Protestant dissenters and Catholics brought him into conflict with Parliament who wanted to enforce Anglican uniformity. Parliament was suspicious of Charles’ foreign policy which brought him closer to Catholic France. The Popish Plot showed the fear that many people had of Catholics and they did not want a Catholic on the throne. The Rye House Plot gave Charles a chance to try to destroy the Protestant opposition to his For example, the importance of the Popish Plot showed how worried people were about Catholics. It affected what people thought about the Queen and the court. It was aimed specifically against Catholics at court such as the Queen and the Duke and Duchess of York and their clergy, many of whom were Jesuits, and Catholic members of the House of Lords. It was said that the Queen was trying to poison her Protestant husband. Five Catholic lords were accused of plotting by Oates but, of them, only Lord Stafford was beheaded in For example, there were several plots to kill important people. The Popish Plot in 1678 was to kill the King, the Rye House Plot in 1683 was to kill the Duke of York. The plot was used as an excuse to punish the Protestants like Lord Russell who was executed. For example, in 1678 Titus Oakes made up detailed evidence about the Popish Plot to kill the King and told the Privy Council.

Q3: Write an account of the ways in which the theatre developed during the Restoration

period.

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 power of the Restoration theatre is shown by the play, ‘The Country Gentleman’ which clearly referenced William Coventry, a real-life politician and portrayed him as incompetent and childish. A rival of his, the Duke of Buckingham, had written those critical scenes. The play was banned but the damage to Coventry’s image was irreparable. As ‘The Country Gentleman’ shows, these plays were written by professional playwrights such as John Dryden, or courtiers like Buckingham or women playwrights like Aphra Behn, who also wrote popular comedies that were critical of the Whigs. Many people think that the growth and popularity of the theatre during the reign of Charles II was a reaction against the ideas of the Puritans in Cromwell’s time. For example, comedy was very popular in the Restoration time, many of which were politically focused. The plays often involved sex, adultery, and double entendre. This was often felt to be critical of the nobility and the Royal court under Charles II. But plays could be critical of Whig and Tory politicians, during the Popish Plot and the Exclusion Crisis there were satires about politicians. simple understanding of consequence(s) supported with factual knowledge and For example, during the Restoration the theatre allowed women to perform on stage for the first time. One common plotline involved women dressing and acting as men. Aphra Behn was a woman who wrote comedy plays for the For example, Charles II loved the theatre and new theatres were built during his reign. Plays were spectacular and attracted large audiences. 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 English colonisation of Jamaica were political.’

How far does a study of Jamaica during the Restoration, 1660–1685 support this statement? Explain your answer. You should refer to Jamaica during the Restoration, 1660–1685 and your contextual knowledge. and AQA will be happy to rectify any omissions of acknowledgements. If you have any queries please contact the Copyright Team.

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 consequences of English colonisation of Jamaica were economic at the start. Modyford’s arrival, as an experienced Barbadian planter with hundreds of enslaved people, began the expansion of sugar production. Charles’ government had a desperate need for money which attracted them to the profits of the sugar industry. They depended on the brutal enslavement of thousands of Africans to make money for the English. The human consequences of the English colonisation of Jamaica were by far the more important. Clarendon and Danby exploited the colonies to supplement the King’s wealth, it was lack of Royal funds that meant that Modyford had to keep in with the Buccaneers to defend the islands from the Spanish when the Caribbean became a place of European rivalry. The political consequences of English colonisation are shown by the way that when Arlington fell from power in 1674, Modyford and Henry Morgan were back in the King’s favour, and were restored to power in Jamaica. Answers may suggest that one factor has greater merit. For example, the main consequence of the English colonisation of Jamaica was economic because vast amounts of money were made from sugar production in Jamaica. This money was made because of the brutal enslavement of thousands of Africans who were needed for the backbreaking work of growing, harvesting, and processing sugar cane to make sugar. The Plantation owners became so wealthy that a popular expression was ‘as rich as a West Indian planter.’ Men like Peter Beckford used this wealth to buy more land and offices in Jamaica. The wealth of the Caribbean colonies made its way back to England where towns like Bristol and Liverpool were made wealthy by the trade, as were the London docks through which came 75% of sugar cane imports. For example, there were political consequences to the English colonisation of Jamaica because the Caribbean became a place where the rivalry between European nations was fought out. The governor of Jamaica, Modyford, knew during the Second Dutch War in 1665 that he needed to use the Buccaneers to defend the islands from the Spanish and against the Dutch because England would not send a fleet. In January 1666 the French King, Louis XIV, sent a fleet to attack English colonies. Politics also affected the governor of Jamaica. The government in England was suspicious of the governors who tried to avoid paying taxes. Clarendon and Danby tried to control Jamaica for the king. The British colonies in the Caribbean had more political influence in the government in England than the 13 American mainland colonies. consequences by simple reasoning supported with factual knowledge and understanding of the site. For example, the main consequence of the English colonisation of Jamaica was the greater misery and enslavement of thousands of Africans. As the sugar colonies developed further, the British became the largest dealers in this brutal trade. Men like Thomas Modyford made a fortune from sugar which needed thousands of enslaved workers. For example, the owners of the sugar plantations made a great deal of money from sugar. By 1680, there were 65000 slaves on the English plantations in the Caribbean and over 40000 of these were in Jamaica.