The word Jacobite derives from “Jacobus”, Latin for James, and designated supporters of the claim of King James II (and his son, James Francis Edward Stuart, the “Old Pretender”, and grandson, Charles Edward Stuart, “The Young Pretender” or “Bonnie Prince Charlie”) to the throne of England following his removal in the Glorious Revolution of 1688. The exclusion of the Stuarts by Parliament was on the grounds of their adherence to the Catholic religion, but very much underpinned by fear of their inclination towards monarchical absolutism. Many of those who tended to Jacobitism were High Tories who inclined more to “the old ways” and opposed the new Whiggish capitalism which they saw as replacing a society ranked by birth with a society ranked by money.
The Jacobite
1310 words
Citation: Clark, Robert. "Jacobite, Jacobitism". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 25 March 2004 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=1400, accessed 19 April 2024.]
