In 1688, King James VII of Scotland and II of England lost the throne. James was a Catholic, and at that time there was a lot of tension between Catholics and Protestants in Britain and Ireland. A group of nobles invited James’ daughter, Mary, and her husband, William of Orange, to become monarchs, and James fled to France.
People who thought that James, and later other members of his family, should be king were known as Jacobites.
Teach your children about the Jacobites using our handy topic guide!
Teaching Ideas
- Create a diary entry for an important person from this period of history, such as William of Orange, Bonnie Prince Charlie or James VII of Scotland.
- Write a battle report for the Battle of Culloden. This virtual tour of Culloden Battlefield includes a section on the battle which would make a terrific stimulus – choose it from the bar at the bottom of the screen. It shows a reenactment; please watch carefully to check it is suitable for your children.
- Create a timeline of Jacobite uprisings; this site is a useful place to start.
- Use this map to find battlefields from the Jacobite risings.
- Write a biography of Flora MacDonald – this page is a good place to start.
Resources
- This pack from the Highland Archive Service has lots of written primary sources for children to use.
- The National Archives have a fantastic collection of texts and items relating to the uprising of 1745.
Jacobites Facts
- The Jacobites were supporters of the exiled Stuart king James VII of Scotland and II of England, and his descendants.
- The word “Jacobite” comes from the Latin form of the name James; Jacobus.
- At the Battle of Culloden, troops from France, England and Wales fought alongside the Jacobites from Scotland.
- There were several Jacobite uprisings between 1689 and 1746.
- Bonnie Prince Charlie, grandson of James VII, led the rebellion in 1745, and was defeated at the Battle of Culloden.
Videos
The Corries – The Skye boat song with lyrics
Listen to this famous song and learn the lyrics.
Running time: 3:14
Horrible Histories Bonnie Prince Charlie
A funny sketch about Bonnie Prince Charlie and Flora MacDonald.
Running time: 1:57
Books
The Last Wolf
The adventures of a boy and his wolf at the time of Bonnie Prince Charlie.
Bonnie Prince Charlie and All That
A lively biography of Bonnie Prince Charlie.
Links
- The Jacobite Trail site is terrific for finding out about Jacobite sites.
- Older children will enjoy trying to plan a successful uprising on this BBC site. Choose the “Diet” option for the simple site as the full site was made in Flash and no longer works.
- This site is great for research and has lots of information that children can use.
Are you teaching your children about other topics? Explore our full collection of guides!
