About
The only son of Mary, Queen of Scots, and Lord Darnley, James VI succeeded his mother to the Scottish throne in 1567, at just thirteen months old. In 1603, upon the death of Elizabeth I, he also became King of England and Ireland, uniting the crowns under his rule. He is known for commissioning the King James Version of the Bible (1611), for his writings on monarchy and witchcraft, and for surviving the Gunpowder Plot (1605). He granted the charter to the Virginia Company in 1607, founding the Jamestown colony in North America. He died in 1625 and was succeeded by his son Charles I.
* 1566-06-19 — † 1625-03-27
Major works
- Daemonologie (1597)treatise
- The True Law of Free Monarchies (1598)political treatise
- Basilikon Doron (1599)treatise
- A Counterblaste to Tobacco (1604)pamphlet
Key milestones
- 1567Crowned King of Scots at Stirling after his mother's forced abdication.
- 1603Becomes King of England and Ireland upon the death of Elizabeth I, achieving the Union of the Crowns.
- 1605Survives the Gunpowder Plot, an assassination attempt by Catholics.
Themes
Divine right of kingsUnion of the CrownsReligion and witchcraftColonization of AmericaLiterary and biblical patronage
Sources: royal.uk · encyclopediavirginia.org
