Queen Anne's England

 Queen Anne's England


Queen Anne (1665–1714) ruled England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1702 until her death in 1714. Her reign was significant for major political, religious, and cultural developments, including the Act of Union (1707), the War of the Spanish Succession, and literary achievements in the Augustan Age.

1. Historical and Political Context

The Act of Union (1707) 

  • One of Queen Anne's greatest political achievements was the Act of Union, which united England and Scotland into Great Britain. 
  • The act was driven by economic needs, security concerns, and political strategies. It ended Scotland’s separate parliament, though it retained its legal and educational systems.

The War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714)

  • England, alongside Austria and the Dutch Republic, fought against France and Spain to prevent the unification of the Spanish and French crowns.
  • The war was led by the Duke of Marlborough (John Churchill), who won major victories, including Blenheim (1704) and Ramillies (1706).
  • The war ended with the Treaty of Utrecht (1713), which secured Britain’s dominance in trade and granted it Gibraltar and parts of Canada.

Political Factions: Tories vs. Whigs

  • Two dominant political parties, the Tories and Whigs, shaped Queen Anne’s reign.
  • Tories (landed aristocracy, Anglican, pro-monarchy): Initially supported Anne but lost favor due to their opposition to the war.
  • Whigs (mercantile class, pro-Parliament, religious tolerance): Gained influence later in Anne’s reign, favoring continued war with France.

Succession Crisis and the Hanoverian Settlement

  • Queen Anne had no surviving children, leading to uncertainty about succession.
  • The Act of Settlement (1701) ensured a Protestant succession, excluding the Catholic Stuarts.
  • Upon Anne’s death in 1714, the throne passed to her distant German relative, George I of Hanover, marking the start of the Hanoverian dynasty.
Read more on the Hanover dynasty: https://www.britannica.com/topic/House-of-Hanover

2. Religion in Queen Anne’s England

The Church of England and Religious Conflicts

  • The Church of England was dominant, but religious tensions remained high.
  • The Toleration Act (1689) under William III had granted religious freedom to Protestants but excluded Catholics and non-Anglicans from political office.
  • The Occasional Conformity Act (1711) and Schism Act (1714) restricted dissenters from holding office, showing the Tory influence on religious policies.
Anti-Catholic sentiment remained strong, as fears of a Catholic monarch (the exiled James Francis Edward Stuart, the "Old Pretender") persisted.

3. Society and Daily Life

Urban Growth and Commerce

  • London was expanding rapidly, becoming a hub for trade, finance, and culture.
  • The Bank of England (established in 1694) helped fund the war and economic growth.
  • The South Sea Company was founded in 1711 but would later lead to the infamous South Sea Bubble (1720).

Social Hierarchy

  • Aristocracy: Dominated politics and land ownership.
  • Middle Class (Merchants, Professionals): Gained wealth from overseas trade and financial investments.
  • Working Class and Poor: Lived in harsh conditions, with widespread poverty in cities.

Women’s Status

  • Women had limited rights and were expected to conform to domestic roles.
  • Some aristocratic and literary women, such as Mary Astell, advocated for women's education.

4. Literature and Culture

Queen Anne’s reign is often considered part of the Augustan Age, known for satire, classical influences, and the rise of the novel.

Major Writers and Works

  • Jonathan Swift: A Tale of a Tub (1704), The Battle of the Books (1704), Gulliver’s Travels (later in 1726) – known for political satire.
  • Alexander Pope: The Rape of the Lock (1712) – a mock-epic poem satirizing aristocratic life.
  • Daniel Defoe: Robinson Crusoe (1719) – one of the first English novels.
  • Joseph Addison & Richard Steele: The Spectator (1711) – periodical essays shaping public opinion and manners.

Theatre and Music

  • Theatres were popular, with playwrights like William Congreve producing Restoration comedies.
  • George Frideric Handel settled in England (1712) and composed music for the court.
Queen Anne’s England was a transformative period that saw political consolidation, religious tensions, economic growth, and literary flourishing. Her reign set the foundation for Britain's rise as a global power and marked the transition to the Hanoverian era. 

Prepared by
Jacob Eapen Kunnath
Dept. of English, CMS College Kottayam (Autonomous)

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