Question 1
1 ‘William of Orange’s invasion succeeded because it had popular support.’
Use the four sources in their historical context to assess how far they support this view.
Source A: William is advised by the ‘The Immortal Seven’ on the state of England should he decide to invade.
The people are so generally dissatisfied with the present conduct of the government, in relation to their religion, liberties and properties (all of which have been greatly threatened) and they are in such expectation of their prospects being daily worse, that your highness may be assured there are nineteen parts of twenty of the people throughout the kingdom who are desirous of a change; and who, we believe, would willingly contribute to it, if they had such a protection to countenance their rising. It is no less certain, that much the greatest part of the nobility and gentry are as much dissatisfied and there is no doubt but that some of the most considerable of them would venture themselves with your highness at your first landing.
Invitation to William from members of the nobility, 30 June 1688.
Source B: A Whig bishop who had been exiled under James II explains the king’s flight.
It was strange that a great king, who had a good army and a strong fleet, should choose rather to abandon all than either try his fate with that part of the army that stood firm to him, or stay and see the issue of Parliament. This was variously imputed to his want of courage, his consciousness of guilt, or the advice of those about him; but so it was that his deserting in this manner, and leaving them to be pillaged by an army that he had ordered to be disbanded without pay, was thought the forfeiture of his right and the expiration of his reign.
Bishop Gilbert Burnet, History of His Own Time, written before 1715.
Source C: A Tory MP describes events in November 1688.
What was the most surprising was that the king, seeing that it was hard to know whom to trust and returning to Andover the 24th, there supped with him prince George of Denmark (his son) and the duke of Ormond, both of which left him and went over that night to the prince (William), with my Lord Drumlenrick and Mr. Boyle (heir to the earl of Burlington). The 25th the princess of Denmark withdrew herself privately from Whitehall with my Lady Churchill, and came to Nottingham. The number of those that revolted were not 1,000 in all as yet, but everyone was so jealous one of another that they knew not who to trust.
Sir John Reresby, Memoirs, November 28 1688.
Source D: The king describes the events of November 1688.
[the defection of his nephew] broke the king’s measures, disheartened the other troops and created such a jealousy that each man suspected his neighbour, and in effect rendered the army useless. It also gave encouragement to the country gentlemen to go to the prince of Orange, who until then had been diffident, but now not only the discontented party but the trimmers and even many that wished well to the king went in; which gave courage to the enemy, who until then were in a despairing way.
James II, Memoirs, written before 1701.
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