Calendar of state papers, domestic series, of the reign of Charles II, 1660-1677
Location: Microfiche Cabinet 16, Drawer 8
Scope
These are printed transcriptions of the domestic papers of the reign of Charles II. “Charles arrived in London to claim the throne on his 30th birthday, May 29, 1660. He was extremely tolerant of those who had condemned his father to death: only nine of the conspirators were executed. He was also tolerant in religious matters, but more from political wisdom than overwhelming morality. England was overjoyed at having a monarch again. However, royal powers and privileges had been severely limited by Parliament. He was forced to fund his administration from customs taxes and a healthy pension paid to him by France’s Louis XIV. Royal prerogative, the soul of the Tudor monarchs, James I and Charles I, had all but vanished. This moment was a turning point in English political history, as Parliament maintained a superior position to that of the king, and the modern concept of political parties formed from the ashes of the Cavaliers and Roundheads. The Cavaliers evolved into the Tory Party, royalists intent on preserving the king’s authority over Parliament, while the Roundheads transformed into the Whig Party, men of property dedicated to expanding trade abroad and maintaining Parliament’s supremacy in the political field.” (Charles II (1660-85 A.D.)
How to search the collection
There is an index at the end of each volume. Each entry in the index has a number (or sometimes several numbers). Use that number to find the document in the microfiche. Sometimes the volumes are divided into parts, so pay careful attention to what part your document number is in. The card and page numbers on the microfiche are not used in finding information in this collection.
Guides
There is a guide with brief summaries of all the documents in a volume at the beginning of the collection, and there is also an explanation of the scope of the collection on the first microfiche.
For more information about this subject in our Library Catalog, check out these
Subject Categories:
Great Britain -- History -- Charles II, 1660-1685 -- Sources.
Great Britain -- History -- Sources.
Time Period: 17th Century
Subject keywords: Great Britain - History