How Did James I Influence The Government

James VI of Scotland (more commonly known as James I of England) was the first Stuart King of England. He was the son of the Catholic Queen of Scotland, Mary and her husband Lord Darnley. Due to the death of his father and the abdication of his mother, he became King James VI of Scotland at the age of one. He eventually married Princess Anne of Denmark in 1589 and gave birth to his first of many children in 1594.
James I was a successful ruler due to his pragmatic and practical nature. He realised he would have to work with and not against the Parliament. Nevertheless, he did dissolve the Parliament a few times during his reign. James I also had success within his foreign policy especially with Spain. He managed to bring an end to the Anglo-Spanish War and sign a peace treaty with Spain in August 1604. Despite being a successful ruler, James faced conspiracies during the first years of his reign such as the Bye Plot led by Roman Catholic priests and Puritans who wanted to have tolerance of their religion and practices. However, James I was a Protestant unlike his mother, Mary, Queen of Scots who was a Catholic monarch.
However, some Catholics living in England were unhappy with their King and his rules towards them.
Some of nonconforming Catholics such as Guy Fawkes and Robert Catesby plotted against their King. They planned to commit regicide by placing gunpowder under the Parliament. Nevertheless, they were caught and all executed. After the Gunpowder Plot failed, James I passed harsher rules such as the Popish Recusants Act (denying Pope’s authority over the King). This rule included the Puritans who also wanted change and reform within the church such as the abolishment of wedding rings and the term priest. James I was strict with his rules and this eventually led to James I producing an authorized King James Version of the Bible in 1611 which everyone had to
use.
James I also had to deal with the Thirty Years War (1618-48) which was triggered by the election of a German Catholic prince to the position of King of Bohemia in 1617. Usually it would have been the Holy Roman Emperor to decide this. Yet the Protestants rebelled against the Hapsburgs. This caused problems for James as his daughter was married to Prince Frederick. This left James with not only religious reasons but also personal reasons to intervene as a Protestant King. James I wanted to negotiate in peace yet in December 1621, Parliament created a petition to criticise the Spanish march. James believed that forego policy was his prerogative and dissolved the Parliament.
Over time, James I grew sick and suffered from many ailments. He died in March 1625. James was mourned by his people. He was well known for his affections for his people and remembered for the things he did such as the English translation of the Bible which is still readily used today. Though, his legacy has had mixed reviews. Some viewed him as a lazy, unhygienic and homosexual King. Yet others focus on his achievements and successes as a King.