Restoration England 1660-1685High Exam FrequencyAQA

Catholics and Dissenters

Revise Catholics and Dissenters in Restoration England 1660-1685 for GCSE History with 8 exam-style questions and 4 flashcards. This is a high-frequency exam topic, so students should expect to explain it clearly under timed conditions.

Study this topic

Setting the Scene

Introduction 2

Religious Groups Compared

Deep Dive 3

Experience of Persecution

Key Facts 4

Key Points About Religious Persecution

Deep Dive 5

John Bunyan: A Case Study

Key Facts 6

Exam Connection: Diversity of Experience

Exam Focus 7

Why Were Religious Minorities Persecuted?

Causation 8

⭐ Why Does This Matter?

Significance 9

Interpretation Analysis Practice

Source Analysis 10

Key Terms

Definitions 11

Common Misconceptions

Misconceptions 12

Memory Aid

Memory Aid 13

Exam Tips for Catholics and Dissenters

Exam Tips 14

Topic Summary: Catholics and Dissenters in Restoration England

Summary

Sample Flashcards

What was recusancy?

Refusing to attend Church of England services — technically illegal under Elizabethan recusancy laws still in force. Catholics could be fined £20 per month for recusancy. In practice, enforcement was uneven — wealthy Catholic gentry often paid fines or used influence to avoid prosecution, while poorer Catholics suffered more severely.

Who was John Bunyan?

Baptist preacher imprisoned for illegal preaching 1660-72 (with a brief release 1666-68). While in Bedford Gaol he wrote Pilgrim's Progress (1678) — the most widely read book in England after the Bible. His imprisonment shows how the Clarendon Code harmed even respected preachers.

Sample Questions

Approximately how many Quakers were imprisoned during the reign of Charles II?

A. Around 1,500
B. Around 5,000
C. Around 15,000
D. Around 50,000

1 markfoundation

How many Nonconformist ministers were ejected from their parishes following the Act of Uniformity in 1662?

A. Around 200
B. Around 2,000
C. Around 10,000
D. Around 20,000

1 markfoundation

exam-style questions

revision flashcards

Ready to revise Catholics and Dissenters?

Get personalised daily study plans, adaptive quizzes, and spaced repetition flashcards.

Try PrepWise Free

Previous topic

The Exclusion Crisis

Next topic

Charles II's Legacy