The Restoration Period

When Charles II died, the throne passed to his brother James, who became King James II of England, Wales, and Ireland, and King James VII of Scotland. His Roman Catholic faith unsettled many, who worried he would work to extend Catholic influence within the state. His two daughters were both Protestant, and it had long been assumed that succession would pass through one of them. When James’s wife gave birth to a son, those hopes were dashed and anxiety about a Catholic heir intensified sharply.