Why did the Jacobites fail?

Résumé du document

Immediately after the Glorious Revolution and James II's flight, Jacobitism appeared. Its aim was to restore the pretender of the House of Stuart. For six decades, advocates of the Stuart cause took part in several uprisings which started in Scotland. They also attempted coups during several government re-organizations. Despite the fierceness of the attempted coups, the Jacobite movement petered out in the late 1750s. To some extent, the question of the Jacobites failure raises other issues. Who were the Jacobites supporters in Great-Britain and abroad? How effective was foreign support? What was the reaction of the Whigs government? A full explanation of the Jacobites failures requires an analysis of the various elements of the Jacobite movement, which seem innocuous at first glance. Using this approach, it might be possible to give an answer to these complex questions.

Extraits

[...] Young (eds.), Eighteenth century Scotland new perspectives (East Linton: Tuckwell Press, 1999), Ch.5. M. Duffy, The English satirical print, 1600-1832: The Englishman and the foreigner (Cambridge: Chadwyck-Heally, 1986). J. Miller, The English satirical print 1600-1832, Religion in the popular print, 1600- 1832 (Cambridge: Chadwyck-Healey, 1986). M. Pittock, The myth of the Jacobite clans (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1995). R.C. Woosnam-Savage Charles Edward Stuart and the Jacobites (Edinburgh: Glasgow Museums, 1995). Articles Ian R. Christie, Tory Party, Jacobitism and the forty-five”, The Historical Journal, vol.30, issue 4 (Dec. 1987), pp.921-931. [...]

[...] Why did the Jacobites fail? Immediately after the Glorious Revolution and James II's flight, Jacobitism appeared; its aim of was to restore the pretender of the House of Stuart. For six decades, advocates of the Stuart cause took part in several uprisings which spread from Scotland. They also attempted coups during several government reorganisations. Despite the fierceness of the attempted coups, the Jacobite movement petered out in the late 1750's. To some extent, the question of the Jacobites' failure raises other issues. [...]

[...] In other words, Jacobite supporters were not very keen to rise up again. Besides, the “Jacobite diaspora” felt less and less concerned, they had been integrated in the host countries[24]. To conclude, there were many contributing factors to the failure of the Jacobite cause. The Whigs' government was conscious of the Jacobite's threat. They decided to maintain peace with catholic monarchies as long as possible. I wish to stress the fact that the Jacobite cause could not succeed without foreign support, indirectly Westminster decided when the foreign support was possible. [...]

[...] Whitehall had its own means of opposing the Jacobites' desires. For example, Secretaries of State found the post-office one of the surest and most convenient means for scrutinizing Jacobite activity”[1]. Thus it was quite simple for the government to know who the Jacobite plotters were, as well as the aims of their projects. This proceeding was legal due to an Act in 1711 which agreed the opening of letters for the purpose of detecting conspiracy and plots[2]. Otherwise, it was usual to dedicate spies to gathering intelligence in Great-Britain and abroad. [...]

[...] The Jacobite culture, i.e. «the hereditary right of the Stuart, enshrined in the classically-derived Brut myth and the identification of the king as a magical monarch capable of restoring his realms and the lives of his subjects from poverty to plenty”[14] was probably in the collective unconscious in Scotland but not in England. However, it seems that they were not regarded as saviours because in one hand they had no oratory gifts and as a result they had no charisma. [...]