William of Orange, whose birthday falls on November 14, was never a popular man. He died after his horse stepped into a mole-hole; William’s enemies toasted the health of the “gentleman in the black velvet waistcoat” for decades to come.
He was associated with two shocking crimes; after some of his most dangerous political enemies were killed by a mob, William appointed the ringleaders to high office while disclaiming all knowledge of their acts. Few were convinced. Some years later, William’s forces were responsible for the Glencoe Massacre. The soldiers, ostensibly dispatched to collect taxes, spent two weeks billeted in the homes of Scots villagers before murdering them under orders. Again, William disavowed all knowledge of the crime, but promoted those most to blame.
He also rivals Oliver Cromwell as the most hated man in Irish history. William replaced the Catholic James II on the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland; when the Irish rose to defend their king and faith, William’s troops defeated James and his forces at the Battle of the Boyne. This battle is still celebrated today by the Protestants of Northern Ireland, and the parades marking the battle can still sometimes spark violence between the Protestants and Catholics of Ulster.
Despite all this, William III is one of the great figures in the history of European liberty. It was not only that the 1688 Glorious Revolution which brought him to the throne of England (notably assisted by the large Dutch army he had thoughtfully brought with him) broke James’ attempt to set up an absolute, French-style monarchy in England. The Revolution gave Parliament the upper hand in its long struggle against the Crown and greatly strengthened individual rights and freedoms. The American colonists rebelling against George III argued that they were rebelling on the same principles that the English used to justify their rebellion against James II and the American colonies were among the few places where William III was actually liked.
More than that, William III was the great defender of freedom in Europe. More than any other single person, he organized the Grand Alliance that defeated the efforts of Louis XIV to dominate Europe. William brought England into world politics, making it the leader of the Grand Alliance and setting it on the course that would make it the leading global power by 1760.
He is also an important figure in the history of global capitalism. It was during his reign that the Bank of England was established to fund the national debt. The Bank of England would grow into the first and still most storied central bank in the world; it was the model for the First and Second Banks of the United States and most of the basic elements of the global financial system can be traced one way or another (including the tradition of prudential regulation) can be traced back to this institution.
I am not going to celebrate his birthday by toasting the gentleman in black velvet. Despite his failings and drawbacks, William III spent a long life working to make the world safe for diversity, liberty and progress.
Most Americans know nothing about him. I’ve met college students who have never heard of him. That’s a pity; the era of William III was a crucial turning point in world and in American history.
A good place to start for those who like stirring history and great writing: Winston Churchill’s Life of the Duke of Marlborough, the great English general whose tumultuous relations with William and his sister-in-law and successor Queen Anne helped shape the politics of the day. This isn’t a book about William, but it is a classic introduction to his time and also shows Churchill at the height of his passion and power as a writer. Another book on the background to the Glorious Revolution is Thomas Babington Macaulay’s History of England — a classic of erudition, eloquence, partisan feeling and spite. (Churchill wrote his book largely to refute Macaulay’s unforgettably vitriolic portrait of the Duke of Marlborough.)
These books are both long; two fat volumes in the Churchill book, five substantial ones for Macaulay. But they are so well written, describe events of such lasting importance, and so brilliantly exemplify and expose some of the foundations of the political ideas that still shape American society today that any time you spend with these books will be worth your while.