f Wales (1594-1612), Child (1595 Stillborn), Elizabeth, “The Winter Queen” (1596-1662), Margaret (1598-1600), Charles I, King of Britain (1600-1649), Robert Bruce (1602), Son (1603), Mary (1605-1607), and Sophia (1606). King James' great aspiration to be the first King of both Scotland and England was realized in 1603 upon the death of Queen Elizabeth. When he attained the English throne he had already been king of Scotland for 36 years. He was now known as King James VI of Scotland and I of England. The king kept his kingdom out of war and supported literature both through his own writing and his patronage. There was peace during his reign, both with his subjects and foreign powers. As a Scotsman ruling over the English, the King endured much racism and slander, especially from the once powerful English Lords and Ladies who he replaced with his Scottish countrymen. The religion was also an enemy of King James. Papists (as King James called them) attempted to assassinate him a number of times. Most notably, in 1605 Roman Catholic Guy Fawkes attempted to blow up Parliament when the king was to have been present. The conspiracy was discovered and all coconspirators were executed. King James was an evangelist of the true gospel, which automatically made him an enemy of Rome. Despite this, King James the VI of Scotland and I of England was a highly successful King. As a lover of the theater, King James became patron to the troop of one of his most famous subjects- William Shakespeare. Shakespeare's troop became known as the King's Men. Shakespeare and the King held a special relationship as they both loved literature. The arts flourished under the reign of this intelligent king. Another little recognized fact is that King James the VI and I is the founding monarch of the United States. Under his reign, we have the first successful colonies planted on the American mainland. The King himself ordered, wrote, and authorized the Evan...
