Final confrontation of the Jacobite rising of 1745 and part of a religious civil war in Britain
Culloden ended the Jacobite rising of 1745 and permanently removed Jacobitism as a force in British politics.
Key Facts
- Date
- 16 April 1746
- Duration
- Less than one hour
- Jacobite leader
- Charles Edward Stuart
- Government commander
- Duke of Cumberland
- Prior advance
- Jacobites reached as far south as Derby
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Charles Edward Stuart landed in Scotland in July 1745 to restore his father James Francis Edward Stuart to the British throne. After taking much of Scotland and advancing into England as far as Derby, the Jacobite force was compelled to retreat. By April 1746 it was short of supplies and faced a superior, better-equipped British government army.
The two armies met near Inverness on 16 April 1746. The Jacobite commanders, seeing no viable alternative, chose to stand and fight. The battle was brief, lasting under an hour, and ended in an overwhelming defeat for the Jacobite force under Charles Edward Stuart at the hands of government troops commanded by the Duke of Cumberland.
The defeat at Culloden effectively ended the Jacobite rising of 1745 and extinguished Jacobitism as a significant factor in British political life, securing the Hanoverian succession and closing the era of Stuart dynastic challenges to the British Crown.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Charles Edward Stuart.
Side B
1 belligerent
Duke of Cumberland.