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1600s UK History Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
1600s UK History Quizzes, Trivia

1600-1699 UK History Trivia

1600-1699 UK History Trivia Quizzes

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15 quizzes and 155 trivia questions.
1.
  Raised in the 1660s editor best quiz   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Meet Faith, a young girl growing up in London in the 1660s. Peek into her journal, and try to deduce what she's writing about.
Average, 10 Qns, leith90, Nov 28 12
Average
leith90 gold member
11452 plays
2.
  What's Where in English History   popular trivia quiz  
Label Quiz
 10 Qns
Many historical events have happened in England over the years but do you know where they took place? In this quiz match the event with the location on the map.
Average, 10 Qns, Stoaty, Jan 29 23
Average
Stoaty gold member
Jan 29 23
864 plays
3.
  Tales of The Plot   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
When Henry VIII began the Reformation in England, there was no way to anticipate all of the possible ways that the change of religion would influence the history of the country. What do you know about the Gunpowder Plot of 1605?
Average, 10 Qns, ponycargirl, Aug 03 17
Average
ponycargirl editor
726 plays
4.
  But Wait! A Restoration Is Needed!   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Changes made by Henry VIII during the Reformation in England had far-reaching effects. The Restoration was a brief period in English history. However, it showed that some work still needed to be done to the structure of the government and the Church.
Average, 10 Qns, ponycargirl, Aug 03 17
Average
ponycargirl editor
690 plays
5.
  Seventeenth Century Dating   popular trivia quiz  
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
I'll give you an event from the seventeenth century in history. All you have to do is match it to the correct year. Note - these are not in chronological order, which would make it far too easy.
Easier, 10 Qns, rossian, Aug 07 17
Easier
rossian editor
912 plays
6.
  Back to the Seventeenth Century   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
The seventeenth century was a particularly turbulent one in British history. What can you remember about it? The quiz has one question for each decade.
Average, 10 Qns, rossian, Feb 08 14
Average
rossian editor
1174 plays
7.
  England in the 17th Century   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 20 Qns
Like the name suggests, a quiz about the 17th Century.
Average, 20 Qns, Louisa75, Jan 14 14
Average
Louisa75
3933 plays
8.
  British History IX   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
From 1694 to 1715.
Average, 10 Qns, ladymacb29, May 29 23
Average
ladymacb29 editor
May 29 23
3130 plays
9.
  England in the 17th Century: A Miscellany    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Ten questions on England in this turbulent period in its history. Take the opportunity to check out your knowledge of "Barebones and all that"!
Difficult, 10 Qns, bloomsby, Sep 10 17
Difficult
bloomsby gold member
1225 plays
10.
  Remember, Remember ...   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
... the fifth of November / Gunpowder, treason and plot. / I see no reason why gunpowder treason / Should ever be forgot.
Difficult, 10 Qns, romeomikegolf, Oct 17 08
Difficult
romeomikegolf gold member
1032 plays
11.
  British History VII    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
From 1660 to 1685.
Tough, 10 Qns, ladymacb29, Oct 14 20
Tough
ladymacb29 editor
Oct 14 20
1333 plays
12.
  British History VI   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
From 1646 to 1660.
Tough, 10 Qns, ladymacb29, May 14 09
Tough
ladymacb29 editor
2068 plays
13.
  The Gunpowder Plot   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 5 Qns
A brief quiz about the plot remembered in England with Bonfire Night each November.
Tough, 5 Qns, spanishliz, Jan 03 02
Tough
spanishliz editor
2232 plays
14.
  British History V    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz covers from 1641 to King Charles' surrender.
Tough, 10 Qns, ladymacb29, Apr 10 16
Tough
ladymacb29 editor
1891 plays
15.
  British History VIII    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
From 1685 to 1694.
Tough, 10 Qns, ladymacb29, Nov 20 17
Tough
ladymacb29 editor
1263 plays

1600-1699 UK History Trivia Questions

1. The Gunpowder Plot in England targeted King James I for assassination. What had he done that had angered some of the people?

From Quiz
Tales of The Plot

Answer: He had embraced Protestantism rather than Catholicism.

When James I became king of England after the death of Elizabeth I, there were some who believed that he would return England to the Catholic Church. Wasn't his mother, Mary, Queen of Scots, Catholic? And didn't the Protestant Elizabeth have her killed? James, however, had been brought up as a Scottish Presbyterian, and apparently approved of the situation in England that provided for the monarch to be the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. Before he became king, James had claimed that he would not "persecute any that will be quiet and give an outward obedience to the law", and appeared to have preferred exile of dissidents rather than execution. The Gunpowder Plot was an attempt by Catholics in England to replace James I with his daughter, Elizabeth, who they believed could be manipulated to become a Catholic monarch.

2. Robert Catesby was the leader of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. What fate did he suffer for his involvement?

From Quiz Back to the Seventeenth Century

Answer: Shot while resisting arrest

Although Guy Fawkes is most widely associated with the scheme to blow up the House of Lords, and King James I at the same time, Catesby was the organiser of the plot. The group of conspirators were protesting at the continued ill treatment of Catholics. Fawkes was captured and, after being tortured, revealed the names of his associates. Catesby, and others, fled to Staffordshire, vowing to fight to the death. Catesby died after being shot, so escaped the fate of being hanged, drawn and quartered, which would have awaited him. His body was dug up, though, so he could be beheaded.

3. When the Gunpowder Plot was hatched, who was the reigning monarch?

From Quiz Remember, Remember ...

Answer: James I

James I of England, James VI of Scotland (usually written as James I/VI) was the son of Mary Queen of Scots and Lord Darnley. James acceded to the throne of England on the death of Elizabeth in 1603 as a result of the Treaty of Berwick. The document was signed by James and Elizabeth in 1586 as a treaty of mutual protection against invasion.

4. Some English Parliaments have had nicknames. How on earth did the "Barebones Parliament" (or "Barbebone's Parliament") acquire its extraordinary name?

From Quiz England in the 17th Century: A Miscellany

Answer: One of the MPs was called Praise-God Barbon (or Barebone)

In an attempt to turn England into a "godly republic" the "Barebones Parliament" (1653) legislated with Puritan zeal against the "sins of the flesh" and turned many activities that had previously been regarded as sins into criminal offences, for example, fornication. It derived its nickname from one of the MPs for the City of London, apparently called Barbon. There are various spellings of his name, including "Barebone". The name "Barebone's Parliament" is of course satirical. Some Puritans referred to this Parliament as the "Parliament of Saints".

5. The 1701 Act of Settlement stated that after Anne's rule, which dynasty would inherit the throne?

From Quiz British History IX

Answer: Hanover

Anne had been pregnant 18 times. The oldest child, a son, survived to the age of 11.

6. How many times had legislation excluding Catholics from the throne been defeated?

From Quiz British History VIII

Answer: 3

Twice, Charles II dismissed Parliament because of this.

7. How many of the Roundheads did Charles II not pardon?

From Quiz British History VII

Answer: 57

The Act of Indemnity of 1660 forgave all but the 57. Of those, only 30 were condemned to death but 13 were actually executed.

8. In 1648, who did the New Model Army crush?

From Quiz British History VI

Answer: The Scots

Charles I was given to the New Model Army after this and subsequently killed.

9. In 1605 King James I of England was on the throne. He was also James VI, but of what country?

From Quiz England in the 17th Century

Answer: Scotland

King James was one year old when he became King of Scotland. However, he had to wait a little longer before becoming King of England, too. This was finally achieved in 1603 on the death of Elizabeth I.

10. What happened in October of 1641?

From Quiz British History V

Answer: Irish Catholic peasants slaughtered their Protestant masters

Actually, the English public didn't want their king to go to Ireland because they were afraid that he would return with a Catholic army.

11. 'Remember, remember the Fifth of November, gunpowder, treason and plot'. The fifth of November of which year?

From Quiz The Gunpowder Plot

Answer: 1605

Guy Fawkes was discovered and arrested in the cellars below the Houses of Parliament in the wee hours of the morning of 5th November 1605. Quantities of gunpowder had been assembled there with the intention of blowing up the House of Lords during the opening of Parliament later that day.

12. What action did the conspirators plan to take in the Gunpowder Plot?

From Quiz Tales of The Plot

Answer: Blow up the House of Lords

The conspirators planned to blow up the House of Lords on November 5, 1605. They hoped to not only assassinate the king, but to also kill several members of his family, as well as members of his Privy Council and Parliament. Many other important people, such as judges from the court systems, bishops of the Church of England, and members from the House of Commons would also attend the meeting. There would be much disarray after the explosion and deaths of so many high-ranking politicians and churchmen, that they believed it would be simple to install Princess Elizabeth, one of the king's daughters, as Queen.

13. Only two kings ruled England during the period known as the Restoration. They were part of which royal house?

From Quiz But Wait! A Restoration Is Needed!

Answer: Stuart

The Stuart family ruled England after Elizabeth I died without an heir. The first Stuart monarch, James I, was Elizabeth's cousin from Scotland. His mother, Mary, Queen of Scots, was the niece of Henry VIII, as her grandmother, Margaret Tudor, was Henry's sister. James I, who also ruled Scotland as James VI, was the closest legitimate heir to the throne of England. While James was viewed in England as being financially extravagant, he was deemed generally likeable due to the fact that he was a Protestant married to a Protestant. His son, who became Charles I, however, was constantly at odds with Parliament and viewed with suspicion when he married a Catholic and appointed an Archbishop of Canterbury who many believed would lead England back to Catholicism. Charles I was executed during the English Civil War, and after the failure of the Protectorate his son, Charles I, was invited to return to England (in 1660) to reign as king.

14. The building of the Banqueting House, in London's Whitehall, began in 1619. Which architect designed the building?

From Quiz Back to the Seventeenth Century

Answer: Inigo Jones

The house was completed in only three years and still stands in the early twenty-first century, although the facade was covered by stone in the nineteenth century. The previous building on the site had been destroyed following a fire, and Jones was employed to design the replacement. Having studied Italian design, he incorporated his knowledge of Renaissance architecture into the building, which was the first in England to be built in what became known as neo-classical style. In 1649, the Banqueting House was the site of the execution of King Charles I. The other architects, while well known, are of later eras. Wren lived from 1632 to 1723, Brown from 1716 to 1783 and Vanbrugh from 1664 until 1726.

15. The Gunpowder Plot was meant to kill the monarch and Members of Parliament. Who did the plotters intend to place on the throne?

From Quiz Remember, Remember ...

Answer: Princess Elizabeth

As well as blowing up Parliament the plotters intended to kidnap James' daughter, Princess Elizabeth, from Coombe Abbey, Warwickshire, and install her as a puppet queen, Elizabeth II. She had been born in Scotland (and named in honour of Queen Elizabeth in an attempt to flatter the queen) in 1596 before her father became King of England and Scotland. Her mother was Anne of Denmark. Charles, who later became Charles I was her younger brother and Frederick of Denmark was their cousin.

16. When did England finally lose its last territorial possession in what is now France?

From Quiz England in the 17th Century: A Miscellany

Answer: 1662

The loss of Calais by Mary I in 1558 is well known. However, England acquired Dunkirk (previously part of the Spanish Netherlands) in 1658 after the Battle of the Dunes. At the time, England was fighting as an ally of France against Spain. The English troops, together with a French contingent, were commanded by Marshal Turenne, who was most impressed by the good discipline of the Cromwellian forces. In 1662 Charles II sold Dunkirk to France.

17. What group opposed the 1701 Act of Settlement?

From Quiz British History IX

Answer: Jacobites

The Jacobites wanted James II and his son back to rule, not the Hanovers.

18. What two invasions occurred shortly after James became King?

From Quiz British History VIII

Answer: Monmouth and Argyle

Both were put down quickly. The Monmouth invasion was the last battle ever on English soil.

19. What dead person did Charles II hang after Charles came to power?

From Quiz British History VII

Answer: Cromwell

They also hanged his brother-in-law, who was also dead at the time. I guess it's the thought that counts.

20. What was the name of the Colonel who 'evicted' 110 members of Parliament, thus creating the 'Rump Parliament'?

From Quiz British History VI

Answer: Pride

160 members that remained after the eviction refused to take their seats.

21. What famous event happened in 1605?

From Quiz England in the 17th Century

Answer: The Gunpowder Plot

When Guy Fawkes and his conspirators decided to blow us the Houses of Parliament they could never have known how even today it is remembered every fifth of November with Bonfire Night.

22. Who did the Roundheads support?

From Quiz British History V

Answer: A radicalized Parliament

They were called roundheads because they 'weren't even masters of their trades'. (At the time apprentices had their hair cut so it looked like a 'round head'.)

23. Against which British Monarch (and his or her government) was the 'Plot' directed?

From Quiz The Gunpowder Plot

Answer: James I (VI of Scotland)

When James I had ascended the throne of England in 1603, many English Catholics thought he would relax restrictions against the practice of their religion, in part because his Queen and mother was herself a Catholic. By 1605, these hopes remaining largely unfulfilled, and a group of extremists hatched the ill-fated plot.

24. What was the occasion chosen for the execution of the Gunpowder Plot?

From Quiz Tales of The Plot

Answer: State Opening of Parliament

The State Opening of Parliament is an important annual event in England. The ceremony is said to be very historic and ostentatious, dating back to the late fourteenth century. It was a time when the monarch, along with members of his household, would go to Westminster Abbey for a church service; then they would be joined by the members of Parliament in a walk to the Palace of Westminster. Although changes have been made to the ceremony over time, historians say that the modern State Opening of Parliament still contains some of the same elements of the first ones. James I was known to make a rather long speech from his throne called a King's Speech; interestingly, the modern ceremony also includes a walk through the cellars of the Palace of Westminster in hopes of foiling another Gunpowder Plot.

25. 1625 saw the marriage of King Charles I to Henrietta Maria, who came from which country?

From Quiz Back to the Seventeenth Century

Answer: France

Henrietta Maria was a Princess of France, as her father was King Henry IV of that country. As England was officially a Protestant country, the new Queen's Catholic religion meant she was not popular, and also prevented her from being officially crowned. After the execution of her husband, Henrietta Maria lived in Paris, returning to England after her son, Charles II, was restored to the throne in 1660. Her name lives on, as the state of Maryland in the USA was named for her.

26. What year was James defeated at the Battle of the Boyne?

From Quiz British History IX

Answer: 1690

The battle took place north of Dublin. James had gone to Ireland to reconquer the land while William went to Ulster and went south in order to try and get rid of James.

27. When was the 1st Declaration of Indulgences, which was made by King James II?

From Quiz British History VIII

Answer: April 1687

This gave, among other things, freedom of worship to Catholics and non-conformists and it allowed them to hold office.

28. 1660 began the Age of ____.

From Quiz British History VII

Answer: Oligarchy

This was when the titled and aristocracy ruled and lasted 170 years.

29. Which did the Rump Parliament NOT abolish by February 7, 1649?

From Quiz British History VI

Answer: House of Commons

They thought that they were the supreme law (or should be) because they were elected, while the others were not.

30. In 1629 William Harvey published a discovery he had made. What was it?

From Quiz England in the 17th Century

Answer: The circulation of blood

In case you are wondering about the other discoveries. The milled-edge coins were first made in France in 1639. The wave theory of light was developed by Huygens in 1690. And the first English bank notes were used in 1718 - I'm not sure who came up with that idea. Someone who got sick of all the small change?

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