Chapter 15 - Political divisions and experiments: republicanism and the Rump; millenarianism and the Nominated Assembly

Question 1

What was an Interregnum?

Answer 1

A period of lapse in the normal form of government (such as the English Republic).

Question 2

When was the Navigation Act?

Answer 2

1651

Question 3

What was the Navigation Act?

Answer 3

Meant that only English ships could bring goods and fish into England and its colonies

Question 4

When was the Dutch War?

Answer 4

1652 - 1654

Question 5

What was the problem with the Rump’s position leading to the Dutch War?

Answer 5

Rump struggled to maintain authority after 1649 and in interregnum.

Question 6

What initially led to the Dutch War?

Answer 6

• Navigation Act 1651 as the Dutch lost economic advantages.
• Led to increasing clashes at sea
• May 1652 = full naval engagement and war

Question 7

What key problem did the possibility of the Dutch War cause the Rump and why?

Answer 7

War divided the army and the Rump:
- Army saw Protestant, merchant-class Dutch republic as an ally (had been a haven for English radicals in Laudian persecution)

Question 8

When did the Dutch war begin?

Answer 8

May 1652

Question 9

What problems were created by the Dutch war?

3 points

Answer 9

• stoked army resentment (money spent on navy not army)
• Rump used navy as political counterweight to army
• army disliked fighting with another Protestant Republic

Question 10

What ended the Dutch War?

Answer 10

Lasted a year after the Rump dissolved by was finally ended when Cromwell signed Treaty of Westminster hoping to form alliance with Dutch

Question 11

When was the Treaty of Westminster?

Answer 11

1654

Question 12

What were the 5 main reasons for the failure of the Rump?

Answer 12

• conservatism of individual MP’s
• Economic factors
• security situation
• Radical religious groups
• The Dutch war

Question 13

Explain why Conservatism of MP’s was a problem for the Rump?

Answer 13

41 MP’s on Council of State and 22 refused to swear oath approving regicide and abolition of monarchy. Also invited back MP’s expelled at Pride’s Purge who were largely the part of the social order most resistant to reform.

Question 14

Explain why Economic Factors were a problem for the Rump?

Answer 14

Rump gained power at time of economic crisis meaning needed a conservative approach = there were no funds to initiate reform.

Question 15

Explain why radical religious groups were a problem for the Rump?

Answer 15

Fear of radical religious groups made MP’s fearful of religious reform.

Question 16

Explain why the security situation was a problem for the Rump?

Answer 16

The threat from Ireland/Scotland and hostility from other European states meant establishing a regime was a priority not a reform.

Question 17

Explain why the Dutch War was a problem for the Rump?

Answer 17

War against the Dutch became focus of attention and resources.

Question 18

What was the Council of State?

Answer 18

Advisory body equivalent to the Privy Council.

Question 19

What were the two key problems contributing to the failure of the Rump?

Answer 19

CONTRADICTIONS AT THE HEART OF THE RUMP.

1) Political Nation were conservative = wanted return to normality. Radical minority (especially army and sects) against them = wanted further social, legal and economic reforms. Thought political Revolution of 1649 had been limited.
2) relationship between Parliament and New Model Army was fragile. Parliament technically had power but could only function with protection of army (so army had real power)

Question 19

Summary of the contradictions at the heart of the Rump?

Answer 19

Seen as too radical by traditional Political Nation but too moderate by the New Model Army.

Question 20

What had made the army feel the Rump was too conservative?

Answer 20

Rump had tried to appeal to the Political Nation to consolidate its position after the revolution

Question 21

Why did radical groups fail under the Rump?

Answer 21

Groups such as the Levellers and Diggers expected religious toleration but gained very little as the Rump kept passing acts regarding religious toleration.

Question 22

When was the Toleration Act passed>

What was it?

Answer 22

1650
Removed requirement for people to attend church as long as they took part in some form of religious service each week. Dissenting groups that were not religious were therefore penalised.

Question 23

How were tithes used by the Rump?

Why did this anger people?

Answer 23

Nothing was done to remove the tithes and April 1652 the Rump declared the collection of tithes should continue.
Angered people as members of radical groups therefore had to pay for the upkeep of a church they would never attend.

Question 24

When was the Blasphemy Act passed?

What was it?

Answer 24

1650
Aimed to restrict radical religious secs who could be subject to severe penalties. Against non-conformity (religious conservatism)

Question 25

How did the Rump’s actions affect small radical or religious groups?
Who were the exceptions?

Answer 25

Meant that many of the more eccentric groups were short lived
Exceptions were:
- the Quakers who had spread rapidly in the North 1650-52 under George Fox
- the Baptists who could survive because they distanced themselves from the Levellers

Question 26

When was the Adultery Act Passed?
Why was it passed?
What was it?

Answer 26

May 1650
Passed because Church courts had been abolished and so moral offences were now punished in secular court system
Imposed the death penalty for adultery, but was rarely used.

Question 27

What key restrictive technique did the Rump introduce?

What did they also launch to defend their actions?

Answer 27

Introduced Censorship of printed material to limit radical pamphlets.
Launched a government newspaper the Mercurius Politicus

Question 28

How did the Rump anger many small religious groups?

Answer 28

Introduced an act enforcing the observance of the Sabbath (excluded many groups that didn’t follow this)

Question 29

What was the ‘Act for the Propagation of the Gospel in Northern England and Wales’?

Answer 29

Controlled the appointment of the clergy so that only approved ministers could preach.

Question 30

What were the key successes of the Rump?

6 points

Answer 30

• Toleration Act meant compulsory attendance at church was repealed giving more religious freedom
• passed an act ending imprisonments for dept Sept 1649
• navigation act 1651 intended to remove Dutch monopoly on freight trade and boost English trade
• army successfully defeated Royalists in Ireland and Scotland
• authorised use of English not Latin in legal proceedings
• army successfully suppressed Leveller threats (Burford May 1649)

Question 31

When was the Hale Commission?

What was it?

Answer 31

December 1651

Commission tasked with investigating legal reform

Question 32

What were the key failures of the Rump?

4 points

Answer 32

• each recommendation by Hale Commission was rejected in late 1652
• many gentry and nobility refused to co-operate with regime leaving lesser gentry in charge
• rate of reform kept getting smaller (1649 = 125 acts passed, 1652 = 51 acts passed)
• to pay for construction of warships, monthly assessment was raised to £90,000 = same as Charles entire annual revenue

Question 33

What were the problems between the army and the Political Nation?

Answer 33

• shortfall in tax revenue because of need to maintain large standing army due to threats
• no reliable support from Political Nation
• regime could not reduce or dispense with the Army
• BUT whilst army existed PN would not support
• Rump sold Crown lands to raise money but shortfall was £700,000 by 1653

Question 34

What problems grew in the Rump over time?

Answer 34

Rump appeared more selfish and corrupt over time and failed to dissolve itself like it said it would.

Question 35

When did Cromwell dissolve the Rump?

Why did Cromwell dissolve the Rump?

Answer 35

April 1653

Reforms could not be agreed upon and standing army was necessary. Army because dissatisfied with slow pace of reform.

Question 36

Who advised Cromwell as to his next steps after dissolving the Rump?

Answer 36

Fifth Monarchist - Major General Harrison

Question 37

What did Harrison advise Cromwell?

Answer 37

To ask various churches and radical groups to nominate an assembly of devout men to create a Godly society

Question 38

What were the key names given to Harrison’s proposed government?

Answer 38

The Nominated Assembly

The Parliament of Saints

Question 39

What were the successes of the Parliament of Saints?

5 points

Answer 39

• members attempted to secure trade routes by continuing Dutch War
• legal measures to help debtors introduced
• regulations concerning treatment of lunatics introduced
• civil marriage allowed (officiated by JP’s)
• assembly included members from Wales, Scotland and Ireland making it the first Parliament representing the whole of Britain

Question 40

What people were instrumental in the failure of the Parliament of Stains?

Answer 40

Couple of radical members (Barebones people)

Mostly made up of members of lesser gentry who were conservative and not that interested in reform.

Question 41

Why was there a divide in the Parliament of Saints?

Answer 41

140 members not just selected from Independant Churches as suggested, but Council of Officers in Army added several names (including Cromwell). Army were much more radical.

Question 42

What key issue exacerbated the split in the Parliament of Saints?

Answer 42

Assembly suggested abolishing tithes.

This angered the propertied members as tithes were key to their financial wellbeing.