Chapter 14: Consolidation of the Republic - Charles II, Dunbar & Ireland

Question 1

How was the Republic established and consolidated?

Answer 1

• February 1649
• Rump voted to abolish the monarchy and the apparatus of monarchical government
• This was formalised in May with the complete abolition of the monarchy and House of Lords
• 2 January 1650, the Engagement Act made all adult males declare loyalty to the Commonwealth
• Treason Act passed in July 1650 made it illegal to deny the authority of the regime as vested in the Commons

Question 2

Charles II’s attempted invasion of England (1651)

Answer 2

• His ultimate aim was to secure the English throne which required him to secure London
• However, his invading force faced several serious obstacles; due to desertions only 13,000 troops actually cross the border, they were also quickly suppressed in Norfolk and Charles II had no foreign aid to support him
• Although heavily outnumbered, with only 4,000 troops, the NMA steered Charles’ army south allowing other elements of the NMA to effectively coordinate around them and wipe them out
• Charles fled for the Continent, leaving his troops behind

Question 3

Why did the Rump Parliament fail?

Answer 3

The key issue with the Rump Parliament at the time was that they didn’t politically or economically fit into the society at the time, they were too conservative to be in charge of the radical army, but weren’t conservative enough to fix the issues like Pride’s Purge.

Question 4

Why was the Rump Parliament seen as conservative?

Answer 4

They were seen as generally quite conservative due to:

• The conservatism of individual MPs: Of the 41 MPs, 22 refused to sign the oath approving of the regicide, and the abolition of the Lords and Monarchy
• The Rump came to power at the time of the worst economic crisis of the seventeenth century
• The threat from Ireland and Scotland meant that establishing the regime was more important than reform
• Fear of radical religious groups made the MPs fearful of religious reform
• The Rump’s war against the Dutch became the focus of their attention and resources

Question 5

War in Ireland (August 1649 - May 1650)

Answer 5

• Essentially a series of bloody sieges of Irish Catholic strongholds
• Ensued to ensure their ability to resist was completely broken and not possible
• Cromwell left May 1650 to organise an invasion of Scotland
• Left Henry Ireton to further impose control
• There was an army of occupation until 1660

Question 6

The Battle of Dunbar (3 September 1650)

Answer 6

• England attacked Scotland before they launched their invasion to catch them off guard, yet this led to 4700 casualties
• Cromwell retreated to Dunbar, and although in a weak position, defeated a Scottish army double the size
• Cromwell used the strategic mistakes of Scotland’s Leslie to launch a surprise attack and was constantly supported by the English navy and England’s better economy
• This victory proved how powerful England was without a monarchy

Question 7

The Dutch War (1651)

Answer 7

The Dutch War was caused by escalating clashes at sea between the English and Dutch ships. This occurred after the Rump Parliament passed the Navigation Act of 1651, which specified that only English ships should bring goods and fish into England. The Dutch War created not only practical problems but also started army resentment over finances being distributed to the navy rather than themselves.