On This Day

Scottish Presbyterians sign the National Covenant at Greyfriars, Edinburgh

The National Covenant (Scottish Gaelic: An Cùmhnant Nàiseanta) was an agreement signed by many people of Scotland during 1638, opposing the proposed Laudian reforms of the Church of Scotland (also...

The National Covenant (Scottish Gaelic: An Cùmhnant Nàiseanta) was an agreement signed by many people of Scotland during 1638, opposing the proposed Laudian reforms of the Church of Scotland (also known as the Kirk) by King Charles I. The king's efforts to impose changes on the church in the 1630s caused widespread protests across Scotland, leading to the organisation of committees to coordinate opposition to the king. Facing royal opposition, its leaders arranged the creation of the National Covenant to bolster the movement by tapping into patriotic fervour.

Historical Significance

The National Covenant (Scottish Gaelic: An Cùmhnant Nàiseanta) was an agreement signed by many people of Scotland during 1638, opposing the proposed Laudian reforms of the Church of Scotland (also known as the Kirk) by King Charles I.

Events Before

  1. Mughal Prince and future Emperor Aurangzeb (18) marries his first wife and chief consort Persian princess Dilras Banu Be

    Mughal Prince and future Emperor Aurangzeb (18) marries his first wife and chief consort Persian princess Dilras Banu Begum (15) at Agra, India

  2. Dutch governor Johan Mauritius lands in Pernambuco, Brazil

    Dutch governor Johan Mauritius lands in Pernambuco, Brazil

  3. Zorilla's "El más Impropio Verdugo Para Las" premieres in Madrid

    Zorilla's "El más Impropio Verdugo Para Las" premieres in Madrid

  4. Ferdinand III succeeds Ferdinand II as Holy Roman Emperor

    Ferdinand II (9 July 1578 – 15 February 1637) was Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, Hungary, and Croatia from 1619 until his death in 1637.

  5. Cardinal Richelieu of France reputedly creates the table knife

    Cardinal Richelieu of France reputedly creates the table knife

Events After

  1. Madras (now Chennai), India, is founded by the British East India Company on a sliver of land bought from local Nayak ru

    Madras (now Chennai), India, is founded by the British East India Company on a sliver of land bought from local Nayak rulers

  2. English astronomers Jeremiah Horrocks and William Crabtree make the first recorded observations of a transit of Venus by

    English astronomers Jeremiah Horrocks and William Crabtree make the first recorded observations of a transit of Venus by accurately predicting its path using Johannes Kepler's methods [1]

  3. Virginia orders half of its tobacco crop destroyed to support plunging prices and avoid an economic catastrophe, the fir

    Virginia orders half of its tobacco crop destroyed to support plunging prices and avoid an economic catastrophe, the first colony to order the destruction of crops

  4. 1st Connecticut constitution (Fundamental Orders) adopted in Hartford, published by Rodger Ludlow

    1st Connecticut constitution (Fundamental Orders) adopted in Hartford, published by Rodger Ludlow

  5. Connecticut colony organizes under Fundamental Orders

    Connecticut ( kə-NET-ih-kət) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States.

More from the 1630s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on February 28, 1638?
The National Covenant (Scottish Gaelic: An Cùmhnant Nàiseanta) was an agreement signed by many people of Scotland during 1638, opposing the proposed Laudian reforms of the Church of Scotland (also known as the Kirk) by King Charles I. The king's efforts to impose changes on the church in the 1630s caused widespread protests across Scotland, leading to the organisation of committees to coordinate opposition to the king. Facing royal opposition, its leaders arranged the creation of the National Covenant to bolster the movement by tapping into patriotic fervour.
Why is Scottish Presbyterians sign the National Covenant at Greyfriars, Edinburgh significant?
The National Covenant (Scottish Gaelic: An Cùmhnant Nàiseanta) was an agreement signed by many people of Scotland during 1638, opposing the proposed Laudian reforms of the Church of Scotland (also known as the Kirk) by King Charles I.

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