Setting the Scene
📖 Setting the Scene
June 1667. The Dutch fleet sailed up the Medway, broke through the chain at Chatham, and towed away the Royal Charles — the flagship of the English navy, named after the king himself. It was the worst military humiliation in English history. Londoners could hear the guns. Samuel Pepys wrote in his diary that people feared "the ruin of the nation." How did Protestant England end up at war with Protestant Holland — and lose so badly? The answer lies in trade rivalry, royal ambition, and a disastrous underestimation of Dutch power.
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📝 Exam Tip: Consequences
Dutch Wars show the limits on Charles's power:
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Quiz · Question 1 of 10
Which of the following best describes why the Navigation Acts caused tension between England and the Dutch Republic?
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