Jonathan Healey, The Blazing World: A New History of Revolutionary England, 1603–1689. This segment introduces James I, the first monarch to rule both England and Scotland, who faced a kingdom deeply divided by religion. It details the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, an attempt by radical Catholics to destroy the political elite, which fueled a lasting anti-Catholic paranoia and a fear of "popish" tyranny. Healey explains the rise of the "middling sort," a prosperous and literate group of peasant farmers and gentry who began dominating Parliament. Beset by inflation and the high costs of a "military revolution," James struggled financially and sought to avoid expensive continental wars. (1)
1840