British History 1642-9 Flashcards
What were the 6 main issues 1646-9?
Failure to reach settlement Charles unwilling to accept proposals Division in parliament Politicisation of NMA Political/religious radicalism: Presbyterians/independants, conservative/radicals
What were parliaments strengths?
Good finance- weekly assessments and company loans
1643 solemn league and covenant gave control of London, committees in each county, control of rich areas and control of navy
1645 New Model Army under Fairfax
What was Prides Purge?
Ireton Organised army led by Thomas Pride and purged parliament of those regarded as most forward in negotiating with Charles.
MP’s removed by army
Cromwell arrived in London day after-suspicious
Cromwell concerned about momentum being built up in army for dissolution of parliament
Timing dictated by MP’s not ireton
What was left after Prides Purge?
Rump parliament
What did Charles agree to in May 1647?
3 years Presbyterian rule
10 years of parliament control of militia
parliament accepted and voted to disband new model army
What was NMA response to being disbanded?
Met at Newmarket and politicised
Impact on settlement
Charles seized from house arrest
Army ‘humble remonstrance’ not dissolve until grievances met
What was Charles’ response to Newcastle Propositions?
Delayed response
Presbyterians hoped to disband NMA in ‘declaration of dislike’
Outline Heads of a Proposals
Drafted by Ireton and Lambert Parl control army/navy for 10 years National church with bishops Act of Oblivion- exempted few royalists from punishment Parliament every 2 years
What and when were the Putney Debates?
October-November 1647
Between Levellers and the army
Debated how England should be governed
Focused on Leveller ideas for extension of franchise
In short term Levellers succeeded in emphasising to Ireton that he needed to keep them from taking direct action
How did Putney debates end?
5th November clash of Levellers and Ireton over army grandees attempts to settle with king
Cromwell and Ireton reinforced control over army and prevented Levellers provoking further discontent in ranks
All undermined by Charles’ escape on 11th November
When was NMA’s petition to parliament?
March 1647
What was parliaments response to the Engagement?
January 1648 Vote of No Addresses, no further negotiations with Charles
What was the Windsor prayer meeting?
April 1648
NMA gathered to pray before facing their enemies
Charles declared ‘that man of blood’
Army articulated regicide in public for first time
What and when was the Engagement?
November 1647
Charles rejected Four Bills sent to him by parliament and instead signed the Engagement with the Scots
3 years of Presbyterianism in England in return for Scottish invasion to restore him to power
Outline Newcastle Propositions
July 1646 Wanted Presbyterianism for 3 years Parliament control of militia for 20 years Triennial Act remains Most royalists pardoned
What and when was the Remonstrance of army?
November 1648
Second Civil War forced officers to accept that justice would be enacted on Charles
Remonstrance demanded that parliament put Charles on trial
Contained consequences for monarch who sought to overthrow this judgement
Outline the Second Civil War
Parliament faced Scottish invasion and royalist risings across country
August 1648 Scots beaten by Cromwells army which was 1/3 of the size at the battle of Preston
Turning point, many saw settlement as impossible
Leaders of risings executed by army
Political Independant MP’s moved for reconciliation with king
Secured by increasing radicalism of army- Parliament repeal Vote of No Addresses
Presbyterians put proposals to Charles in the Newport Treaty
Reasons for Royalist defeat
Military failures- Newbury/Marston Moor/Naseby
Royal admin suffered- weak leadership
Charles indecisive
Division
Agreement with Catholics- 1643 Truce with Irish
Non-existent foreign aid
Why did the new model army mutiny 1647?
It was disappointed with lack of settlement that would return England to pre-civil war
Angry that MP’s wanted to disband army without arrears of pay.
How did the army emerge as a political force?
They elected Agitators to speak on their behalf.
Leading officers decided to join campaign to influence settlement
Army Representation set out its rights, army became a third political force
Why was there a second civil war?
growing divisions in parliament between Presbyterians and independents-Charles exploited
mistrust Charles after Newcastle propositions and when he fled to Scotland
What groups contributed to the failure to reach settlement after 1646?
Charles scots levellers parliament-independents/Presbyterians army-officers/rank and file
Why was Charles to blame for failure to reach settlement?
Decided to never sign terms that didn’t pardon all royalists
Experience told him to hold out so enemies would divide, didn’t accept any terms
If he accepted parliaments terms he would be giving up all his power
Army lost patience with him
Engagement with scots
Why were the scots to blame of failure of settlement?
Felt the country descended into religious anarchy
Scots claimed church was based on divine law
Expected war to end with Presbyterian settlement that would enhance scots importance
1648 invaded England
Insisted in Presbyterian settlement in England
Why were the levellers to blame for failure to reach settlement?
Case of the army truly stated- parliament failed to address their complaints
Debated ended in deadlock
Main aim to replace monarchy and House of Lords with House of Commons
Believed in equality
Appealed to rank and file
Why were the rank and file to blame for the failure to reach settlement?
Revolt in 1647
Seized king and placed him in protective custody of army
Selected agitators to speak to officers
1648 blocked entrance to House of Commons
Why were the army officers to blame for failure to reach settlement?
Had to negotiate between army and parliament
Torn between loyalties, worried if they enforced orders to disband army then they could not control rank and file
Came with parliament to defeat royalist threat
Approved heads of proposals
Why were the Presbyterians to blame for failure to reach settlement?
Elections 1645 increased tension between them and independents as made Presbyterians stronger in parliament
1643 solemn league and covenant committed parliament to Presbyterian religious settlement
Why were the independents to blame for failure to reach settlement?
Main power in new model army
Haselrig felt the army had a better claim to represent them than the long parliament
What and when was the vote of no addresses?
1648- passed by parliament to say no more negotiations with the king
What were the heads of proposals?
Biennial parliament
Parliament control of army and navy
Religious settlement
What happened during the second civil war?
Christmas risings 1647-8 1648 invasion led my Cromwell Army 'gods instrument' Leaders executed Parliament repealed vote of no addresses King held captive at Isle of Wight Negotiations were the Newport treaty
What and when was the engagement with the scots?
1647
Agreed to Presbyterianism for 3 years in England in return for Scottish invasion to restore him to power
What was the remonstrance of the army?
1648
Demanded Charles be put on trial
If parliament refused, army would purge parliament and put Charles on trial
What happened at the trial and execution of Charles?
Many judges refused to sit at trial
Charles refused to accept legitimacy
59 signed death warrant
Executed 1649
What was Cromwells ‘greatest success?’
Defeat of Covenanters at battle of Dunbar
His army was outnumbered 2:1 and began in a disastrous position
Power to inspire led to an overwhelming victory
4000 scots killed 10,000 captured
What were the 2 key problems faced by interregnum regimes?
conservative demands for a return to political normalise set against radical minority EG army and religious sects
relationship between parliament the new model army was fragile- park could only function under protection of the army
What was mannings view of 1649?
Marxist historian Believed it was revolutionary because people outside governing class intervened in politics and religion
What was the main weakness of the rump?
Conservatism of MP’s ie 22 refused to swear oath
What examples of peace terms were offered to Charles?
Nineteen propositions
Newcastle propositions
Heads of proposals
Oxford proposals
Why was there a second civil war?
Parliament failed to solve many problems from first civil war
No church settlement
Blamed parliament as associated monarchy with order and tradition
Seel quote about religious sects
They were the true revolutionaries of the time as they represented social classes whose views were rarely heard in early modern period
Smith quote about search for a settlement
Houses had won the war but they faced an array of problems trying to win the peace
What was the solemn league and covenant
1646 Charles required to swear it but refused 1/3 of clergy land to be sold Houses control armed forces for 20 years General pardon except those who signed death warrant
Smith quote about the Windsor prayer meeting
It would be difficult to exaggerate the significance of the Windsor prayer meeting as it marked a crucial shift in the army’s objectives
When was England declared a commonwealth
May 1649
What did the rump do for those excluded in prides purge
Allow them to return to parliament
100-140 did so, outnumbering revolutionaries
What did the scots do after the death of Charles I?
Declare his son Charles II king
Why were the army dissatisfied with the rump?
Corrupt and self serving
Number of acts passed fell from 125 to 51 in 3 years
Failed to dissolve itself
What did the rump do in terms of taxation
Increase the monthly assessment from £90,009 to £120,000 equivalent to 24 pre-war parliamentary subsidies
