Jacobitism

Jacobitism
Scottish Gaelic: Na Seumasaich Irish: Seacaibíteachas, Na Séamusaigh
James Francis Edward Stuart, Jacobite claimant between 1701 and 1766
Leaders	James II (1688–1701) James Francis Edward Stuart[a] (1701–1766) Charles Edward Stuart [b] (1720–1788) Henry Benedict Stuart (1725–1807)
Military leaders	Tyrconnell Dundee Saint-Ruhe Patrick Sarsfield Earl of Mar Thomas Forster Tullibardine Lord George Murray
Dates of operation	1688–1780s
Active regions	British Isles
Ideology	Restoration of the House of Stuart Indefeasible dynastic right divine right of kings Irish nationalism Scottish nationalism
Battles and wars	Jacobite rising of 1689 Williamite War (1689–91) Jacobite rising of 1715–16 Jacobite rising of 1719 Jacobite rising of 1745–46

Jacobitism^[c] was a political ideology advocating the restoration of the Catholic House of Stuart to the British throne. When James II of England chose exile after the November 1688 Glorious Revolution, the Parliament of England ruled he had "abandoned" the English throne, which was given to his Protestant daughter Mary II of England, and her husband William III.^[1] On the same basis, in April the Scottish Convention awarded Mary and William the throne of Scotland.^[2]

Even though the right of revolution is rooted in scholasticism, Whig political philosophy alleged that the 1688 revolution had created the principle of a social contract between monarch and people, which if violated provided lawful grounds for regime change. In contrast, a key tenet of Jacobitism was that kings were appointed by God, making the post-1688 regime illegitimate and the Stuart pretenders further attracted many supporters by promising freedom of religion and civil rights to all worshipping outside of the established churches. However, Jacobitism also functioned as an outlet for popular discontent and thus was a complex mix of ideas, including linguistic rights for other languages of Britain and land reform in Ireland. Some Jacobite ideas, such as devolution in the United Kingdom instead of centralised government, were staunchly opposed by the Stuarts themselves.

Jacobitism was strongest in Ireland, the Western Scottish Highlands, Perthshire, and Aberdeenshire.^[3] Pockets of support were also present in Wales, Northern England, the West Midlands and South West England, all areas strongly Royalist during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. In addition, the Stuarts received intermittent backing from countries like France, usually dependent on their own strategic objectives.

In addition to the 1689–1691 Williamite War in Ireland and Jacobite rising of 1689 in Scotland, there were serious revolts in 1715, 1719 and 1745, French invasion attempts in 1708 and 1744, and numerous unsuccessful plots. While the 1745 rising briefly threatened the Hanoverian monarchy, internal conflict between Prince Charles and Scottish Jacobites over the Acts of Union 1707 and divine right undermined Jacobitism as a political movement. Even so, freedom of religion, the revival of threatened minority languages using immersion schools, and devolved government have all been granted since 1746 by His Majesty's Government.

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