The Glorious Revolution occurred about three and a half years after James II ascended to the English throne. People had been concerned about how James might change the government, but not enough to do anything significant for several years. Why did it work out that way, how common is such a period (i.e. between a change and its resolution) and what might it tell us about our current political situation?

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The Diary of John Evelyn includes some up-to-the-minute reactions to the events of 1688 (e.g. “10th June, 1688. A YOUNG PRINCE born, which will cause disputes.”)

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/42081/42081-h/42081-h.htm

There’s also a bit in the diary about meeting with an 11-year-old prodigy. Asked if the recent revolution was comparable to anything he had heard of, he gives the example of Constantine the Great and Maxentius - a Roman emperor with a 6 year reign ending in 312.  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxentius

The diary also has the specific intended mention of  the bishops in England who thought the events  of the Revolution were what was foretold in the Revelation of St. John - see 26 April 1689 for details.

Here's the paper that pointed me to John Evelyn and his observations at the time.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/4091697

Revelation 13:5 King James Version (KJV)

5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

"The History of England from the Accession of James II" came up in one of my searches. No guarantee of anything except that it may be of use  to anyone wanting another view of that period.

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2439/2439-h/2439-h.htm

'The King explicitly avowed to the ministers of those continental powers with which he had lately intended to ally himself, that all his views had undergone a change, and that England was still to be, as she had been under his grandfather, his father, and his brother, of no account in Europe. "I am in no condition," he said to the Spanish Ambassador, "to trouble myself about what passes abroad. It is my resolution to let foreign affairs take their course, to establish my authority at home, and to do something for my religion.”'

One of my older tweets on why this next month (July 2020) might be interesting:

https://twitter.com/generationalize/status/1097257156712136706

Included for timeline, although I don't agree with the conclusion, since James II did not appear to be motivated by increased religious freedom.

https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/07/glorious-revolution-conservatives-should-not-celebrate-religious-tyranny/

 After recording, found that James II's queen was  Mary of Modena, which is probably rarely mentioned in narratives of the Revolution because having two different Marys in the story is ... confusing. 

The outro is the end of Johnny Cash's The Man Comes Around, the title track from his fourth and final American Records recording. It's quoting from the 6th chapter of Revelation, which seems appropriate given all the rest.

Yes, there's a very obvious edit about 10 minutes in, where I had to insert the word "three" to describe how many centuries since the Glorious Revolution. We regret the error.

I can be found on Twitter @generationalize, and occasionally blogging at crisis.generationalize.com