1625-1629 - The Quest for Political Stability

Question 1

when did charles ascend to the throne?

Answer 1

March 1625

Question 2

what did charles find when he first became king?

Answer 2

empty treasury and dwindling credit

Question 3

what did charles do to earn some money in 1625?

Answer 3

he gained a loan from the City of London merchants of £60,000

Question 4

the actions of the MPs in parliament in between 1625 and 1629 focused on mainly what functions ?

Answer 4

taxation, defense of common law and the occasional attempt to impeach some ‘evil counsellors’

Question 5

when was the first meeting of parliament under Charles’ rule ?

Answer 5

June 1625

Question 6

what was the initial disagreement between Charles and parliament ? what did parliament propose instead?

Answer 6

parliament refused to grant Charles the excise tax, Tonnage and Poundage for life. they instead suggested granting it for one year.

Question 7

why was Charles angry that parliament would only grant tonnage and poundage for a year?

Answer 7

because he saw it as parliament attempting to seize more power. by only granting it for one year, it would mean that Charles would have to parliament again in a year’s time.

Question 8

why did parliament not grant tonnage and poundage for life?

Answer 8

because of the disastrous Mansfeld campaign.

Question 9

what caused the mood to darken after initial disagreements between parliament and Charles ?

Answer 9

the marriage of Charles to Henrietta Maria, the catholic queen, who established her own court of catholic advisors.

Question 10

how did Charles show his religious sympathies to arminianism?

Answer 10

1) promoted Richard Montagu to his royal Chaplin in the face of parliament trying to impeach him
2) Allowing his favourite advisor, the duke of Buckingham to state his favour for arminianism at the York house conference - 1626
3) making William Laud the bishop of London in 1628

Question 11

name an example of an arminian who Charles gave a court position to

Answer 11

Richard Montagu

Question 12

what event made the introduction of conscription to the army at the time worse?

Answer 12

an outbreak of plague

Question 13

what else did the plague do ?

Answer 13

damage the economy

Question 14

when was the naval expedition to the port of Cadiz, Spain?

Answer 14

late 1625

Question 15

who had Buckingham nominated to lead the port of

Cadiz expedition ?

Answer 15

viscount Wimbledon

Question 16

why did the naval expedition fail ?

Answer 16

1) the soldiers were poorly trained
2) the soldiers were poorly equipped
3) the soldiers were poorly led by Wimbledon

Question 17

why did Charles hastily dissolve parliament in late 1625?

Answer 17

because of the failure of the naval expedition, parliament wanted to impeach Buckingham.

Question 18

what did Charles recalling parliament in early 1626 represent?

Answer 18

it indicated a serious lack of awarenesses

Question 19

why was Charles forced to dissolve parliament so quickly in early 1626?

Answer 19

when parliament was recalled the topic of subsides was pushed to the side and the MPs launched an attack on Buckingham to get him impeached.

Question 20

because parliament was dissolved before any subsides could be granted in 1626, what did Charles do?

Answer 20

he demanded a forced loan from all tax payers.

Question 21

what would happen to the tax-payers who refused to pay the forced loan ?

Answer 21

they would be punished by either being imprisoned or conscripted into the army.

Question 22

what happened to Lord Chief Justice Carew ?

Answer 22

he refused to endorse the legality of Charles’ forced loans and Charles therefore dismissed him.

Question 23

when did the ‘Five Knights Case’ take place ?

Answer 23

1627

Question 24

explain the ‘Five Knights Case’

Answer 24

five knights refused to pay their forced loans and were consequently imprisoned. they sued for release under Habeas Corpus. they were refused the opportunity to go to court as charles claimed he had the right to an emergency power of arrest.

Question 25

what was a major confrontation in 1628?

Answer 25

the ‘Five Knights case’

Question 26

why did Charles summon parliament in 1628?

Answer 26

to provide more funds for the now desperate need for national defence.

Question 27

what did the failed attack on Cadiz cause?

Answer 27

the deterioration of the relationship between England and France, which was catholic. Buckingham’s inept diplomacy led to a war with them.

Question 28

what was different about parliament’s political strategy in 1628 compared to in 1626 ?

Answer 28

it was more subtle.

Question 29

what did parliament do in 1628 ?

Answer 29

1) they granted 5 subsides in taxation

2) the proposed a carefully worded document to Charles called the Petition of Right.

Question 30

what was demanded in the Petition of Right ?

Answer 30

1) the ‘Five Knight case’ is reversed
2) no more forced loans
3) no more imprisoning without trial
4) no one to be subjected to martial law
5) no one to be forced to provide free lodgings for soldiers

Question 31

how did Charles revise the Petition of Right before agreeing to it ?

Answer 31

1) he altered it so that he could continue to collect tonnage and poundage without parliamentary grant, claiming that he had emergency power in the nation’s interest.
2) he also imprisoned any merchants who refused to pay tonnage and poundage.

Question 32

who was Richard Chambers ?

Answer 32

he was a merchant who was imprisoned after refusing to pay tonnage and poundage. he was granted bail by the common law courts, so Charles had him imprisoned by the prerogative court of the star chamber.

Question 33

who did Charles appoint bishop of London in 1628?

Answer 33

William Laud, a noted Arminian cleric

Question 34

who assassinated Buckingham ?

Answer 34

a disgruntled army officer named John Felton in Portsmouth

Question 35

when was Buckingham assassinated ?

Answer 35

1628

Question 36

when Charles was grieving, what were the public doing in response to Buckingham’s murder ?

Answer 36

uthey were celebrating with bonfires

Question 37

how did the MPs behave badly in January 1629, when parliament was reassembled?

Answer 37

1) they celebrated the death of Buckingham
2) when the speaker refused to delay the adjournment, the MPs held the speaker in his chair until their three acts had been passed

Question 38

other than the poor behaviour in parliament in 1629, why else did Charles adjourn parliament ?

Answer 38

they began to look at the breaches that Charles had made to the Petition of Right, such as the treatment of merchants.

Question 39

what were the three formal resolutions that the group of MPs forced to be granted before parliament could adjourn in January 1629 ?

Answer 39

1) one against the growth of Arminianism
2) one against the levying of tonnage and poundage
3) … and the actions of those who paid it

Question 40

were the political nation for or against Charles’ decision to go into personal rule in 1629 ?

Answer 40

they were mainly supportive due to the terrible behaviour of the MPs.

Question 41

what were the names of the MPs who led the group in parliament in1629 ?

Answer 41

1) John Eliot

2) Denzil Holles

Question 42

when was Laud appointed the arch bishop of Canterbury ?

Answer 42

1633

Question 43

what did laudian reforms revolve around ?

Answer 43

the ‘beauty of holiness’

Question 44

give 3 examples of laudian reforms ?

Answer 44

1) more ritualistic, formal prayer - involving hyms
2) reintroduction of organs and statues and stained glass windows
3) alter moved to east end of church for traditional catholic communion - transubstantiation

Question 45

when did Charles agree to the petition of right ?

Answer 45

7th of June 1628

Question 46

what was wrong Charles’ acceptance of the petition of right ?

Answer 46

he did not use the traditional wording and so denied it lawful status

Question 47

what was the Three Resolutions ?

Answer 47

a more stringent version of the petition of right which involved things like the denouncement of arminianism

Question 48

when was the Three Resolutions issued to Charles ?

Answer 48

2nd of march 1629

Question 49

when did Charles dissolve parliament, starting his person rule ?

Answer 49

10th of march 1629