James I of England

James VI of Scots and James I of England and Ireland (Charles James) (19 June 1566–27 March 1625) ruled England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. He ruled in Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 until his death, and in England and Ireland as James I from 24 March 1603 until his death. He was the first English monarch of the Stuart dynasty, succeeding the last Tudor monarch, Elizabeth I, who died without children.

Related Topics:
19 June - 1566 - 27 March - 1625 - England - Scotland - Wales - Ireland - 24 July - 1567 - 24 March - 1603 - Stuart - Tudor - Elizabeth I

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James was a popular and successful monarch in Scotland, but the same was not true in England. He was unable to deal with a hostile English Parliament; the refusal on the part of the House of Commons to impose sufficiently high taxes crippled the royal finances. His taste for political absolutism, his mismanagement of the kingdom's funds and his cultivation of unpopular favorites established the foundation for the English Civil War, during which James' son and successor, Charles I, was tried and executed. During James' own life, however, the government of the Kingdom was relatively stable.

Related Topics:
Monarch - English Parliament - House of Commons - Taxes - Political absolutism - English Civil War - Charles I - Executed

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Along with Alfred the Great, James is considered to have been one of the most intellectual and learned individuals ever to sit on the English or Scottish thrones. Under him, much of the cultural flourishing of Elizabethan England continued; science, literature and art, contributed by individuals such as Sir Francis Bacon (afterwards Viscount St. Albans) and William Shakespeare grew by leaps and bounds during his reign. James himself was a talented scholar, writing works such as Daemonologie (1597), The True Law of Free Monarchies (1598), Basilikon Doron (1599) and A Counterblast to Tobacco (1604).

Related Topics:
Alfred the Great - Intellectual - Elizabethan England - Science - Literature - Art - Sir Francis Bacon - William Shakespeare - Scholar - Daemonologie - 1597 - The True Law of Free Monarchies - 1598 - Basilikon Doron - 1599 - A Counterblast to Tobacco - 1604

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