Scotland in Revolution, 1685-1690

Scotland in Revolution, 1685–1690 is a study of the transformative reign of the Catholic King James VII and the revolution that brought his fall. Whereas previous accounts concentrate on high politics, this book draws on neglected sources to examine the relationship between central power and the Scottish localities. James was a radically experimental ruler, who granted unprecedented religious toleration and intervened systematically in urban government. The book begins with a chapter surveying the principal political developments of the period. There follow two chapters on the major religious reform of James’s reign, the granting of toleration in 1687. Arguing that James’s religious experiment should be understood in the context of European multiconfessionalism, these chapters examine the competition and controversy engendered by the toleration. Chapter four then investigates James’s attempt to reconfigure the leadership of Scotland’s urban communities, and thereby to influence in his favour the composition of a future parliament. Chapter five is a detailed narrative of the revolutionary overthrow of James and his government in Scotland. As chapter six argues, the revolution of 1688–90 saw a reaction in favour of religious uniformity and local autonomy. But the revolution was less decisive than the union settlement of 1707–12 in determining Scotland’s future development.