Earl of Glencairn rises against the Commonwealth in Scotland

Historical Context Note

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Glencairn's Uprising was an insurrection against the English Commonwealth that quickly lost momentum as a result of changes in leadership. After Charles II and his Scottish allies were defeated at the Battle of Worcester in 1652, the English government decided to incorporate Scotland into their Commonwealth, and by the following year believed they had secured overall control. However, the Earl of Glencairn insisted that he could stir up inhabitants of the Highlands into insurrection. He received official sanction from Charles II, on the understanding that he would soon be replaced in this role by John Middleton, then in the Netherlands. However, when Middleton arrived, Glencairn was resentful at being ousted by this social inferior, and the two men fought a near-fatal duel. The chances of…

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2462 Earl of Glencairn rises against the Commonwealth in Scotland 2 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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