An experiment in Absolutism, 1629–1640 Flashcards
- The Personal Rule (1629–1640)
Q: What was Charles I’s Personal Rule?
A: A period when Charles ruled without Parliament, using royal prerogative to govern and raise funds, leading to increasing opposition.
- Charles I’s Chief Ministers
Q: Who were Charles I’s key advisers during the Personal Rule?
A: Archbishop William Laud (religion) and Thomas Wentworth (later Earl of Strafford, government and Ireland).
- Financial Policies of Personal Rule
Q: How did Charles I raise money without Parliament?
A: He used controversial taxes like Ship Money, monopolies, and forced loans, causing widespread resistance.
- Ship Money and Opposition
Q: What was Ship Money, and why was it controversial?
A: A tax traditionally for coastal defense but extended nationwide; it was seen as an illegal form of taxation without Parliament’s consent.
- Archbishop Laud and Arminianism
Q: How did Laud’s religious policies cause opposition?
A: Laud promoted Arminian reforms, emphasizing ceremony and hierarchy, which Puritans saw as dangerously close to Catholicism.
- Religious Conflict in Scotland
Q: What triggered religious conflict in Scotland during Personal Rule?
A: Charles I imposed the English Prayer Book in Scotland (1637), sparking riots and leading to the Scottish National Covenant (1638).
- Wentworth’s Role in Ireland and England
Q: What was Thomas Wentworth’s role during the Personal Rule?
A: As Lord Deputy of Ireland, he enforced strict rule, increased royal revenue, and suppressed opposition, making him widely hated.
- The Bishops’ Wars (1639–1640)
Q: What were the Bishops’ Wars, and why did they happen?
A: Conflicts between Charles I and Scottish Covenanters over religious reforms, ending in Charles’s defeat and financial crisis.
- The Pacification of Berwick (1639)
Q: What was the Pacification of Berwick?
A: A temporary truce ending the First Bishops’ War, but tensions remained high, leading to a second war in 1640.
- The End of Personal Rule (1640)
Q: Why did Charles I recall Parliament in 1640?
A: After defeat in the Second Bishops’ War, he needed money and was forced to summon Parliament, ending the Personal Rule.
