The Jacobites derive their name from King James VII. of Scotland, who came from the house of Stuart. He was also in personal union King James II. of England. The catholic king was driven out of the throne in 1688 during the Glorious Revolution and replaced by the protestant William of Orange. Several times the supporters of the house Stuart tried to bring the successors of James, in German Jakob, back on the throne.
In 1715 an uprising of the Jacobites had already failed. On the 19th of August Price Charles Edward Stuart, called Bonnie Prince Charlie, landed in Glenfinnan in Scotland and hoisted his standard in the name of the rebellion. On the 21st of September 1745 the English army was crushed in the Battle of Prestonpans and Scotland was under the control of the Jacobites.
Inspired by the rapid successes of their approximately 5,000-strong army the Jacobites then marched into England. They hoped for support from English followers of the catholic Stuart kings.
This is the moment our historical account begins.
For all Jacobites applies from here:
Spoileralert!
What is described from here is for the Jacobites of the year 1745 still in the future.
The hoped-for support from the English population did not materialize. In December, the Scottish army had penetrated to Derby and had only 150 km between itself and the capital London. Instead of taking the completely unprepared city, however, it was decided to return to Scotland and rearrange the troops. This gave the English time to seek help from William August Duke of Cumberland with his army, which had previously fought on the European continent in the Austrian War of Succession.
The approximately 5,000 Jacobites retreated to Inverness, while the English Lord pursued them at a strength of about 9,000 men. Eventually, the completely exhausted Jacobites in the Culloden Moor were devastated by the much better equipped army of the Duke of Cumberland. This was so brutal that he was subsequently referred to as Butcher of Culloden.
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