24 - the growth of political radicalism: The levellers

Question 1

origins of the levellers

Answer 1

began in london in the 1640s
grew out of the convition that the war had created an ecenomic recession that threatened their livelihoods

Question 2

levellers

Answer 2

developed into a critique of the nations social and poltiical system

Question 3

humble petition

Answer 3

presented to parliament by levellers - lisiting parliaments failures -
* * * * * 1. make parliament answerable to everyone
* * * * * 2. release those imprisoned for debt
* 3. free tread (no restrtions and teh prevention of monpolies)
* take property from the wealthy
* introudce freedom of worship
* reform and extend franchise (the vote)

Question 4

the rumps reaction to the humble petition

Answer 4

made it clear that they would make no concessions to the levellers demands

Question 5

lilberns reaction to the rumps failure to meet demands

Answer 5

promoted a series of pamphlets, denouncing the rump and acussing cromwell of high treason

Question 6

cromwell and the levellers

Answer 6

after seeing lilberns pamplet, cromwell had him arrestred and brought befor thge council of state

Question 7

the levellers and the army

Answer 7

the actions of the levellers in opposing the rump generated resistance in the army, who dislked themr ump and didnt want to eb sent to ireland - they collectively mutieed
cromwell was ordered to crush this uprising

Question 8

cromwells supression of the levellers

Answer 8

after appealing to the loyal regiments, they helped him to corner the mutineers- who then surrendered.
they were ocurt martialed and three ring leaders were shot

Question 9

misconceptions of the levellers

Answer 9

they didnt want universal sufferage, but sufferage for the middling sort - inclduing craftsman, shopkeepers ect
(they werent bothered about th epoor and showed no interest in argiclture)

Question 10

failure of the levellers

Answer 10

• by 1649 the levellers movement was only 3 years old - not oenough support
• they only attracted attention, not necessarily support
• the ecenomic situation was improving, with higher wages ect which made the levellers less attractive
• didnt make much progress in gaining support from officers
• never fully commited to use force

Question 11

the diggers

Answer 11

called themsleves teh true levellers - taking over a patch of land in surrey in a demonstration to have land owned by communities not individuals
movememnt failed due to local hositlity towards them