Chapter 5 - Relations And Disputes With Parliament Flashcards
Prerogative rights
The monarch’s rights that they can exercise without Parliamentary approval.
Parliamentary Privilege
- What is it?
Legal immunity for MP’s to speak freely without fear of legal action - this means they can raise controversial issues for discussion
What 4 rights did Parliamentary privilege give MP’s?
- Free access to monarch + House of Lords to convey opinions
- Right to correct mistakes that might prejudice the commons
- Freedom from arrest while Parliament is sitting
- Freedom of speech (with limits sufficiently vague to leave scope for debate)
What were the dates of James’ First Parliament?
What was the main focus of the first parliament?
1604-1611
> Royal Prerogative vs Parliamentary privilege
The Buckinghamshire Election
- When was it?
- What was it?
1604
The election of Francis Goodwin as MP for Buckinghamshire was annulled as he had been outlawed for outstanding debt summonses. He was replaced by John Fortescue (privy councillor) but this was seen as a royal interference so Commons reinstated Goodwin.
Shirley’s case
- When was it?
- What was it?
1604
MP Thomas Shirley arrested for debt. This upset MP’s trying to establish Parliamentary privilege of freedom from arrest while Parliament was sitting. To prove their point Parliament sent the governor of the prison holding Shirley to the Tower of London until Shirley was released.
Union of Scotland and England
When was it proposed?
Who proposed it and what was proposed?
What was the response?
1606
It was proposed by James who wanted to Unify England and Scotland to make the country internally secure. He would be King of the whole unified country, and it would be called ‘Great Britain’.
Immediate intense opposition to everything, even including name!
Disadvantages of a Union to Parliament/the Political Nation
7 reasons
- There was great anti-Scottish feeling in England
- It would be very expensive to run another Kingdom/control more land
- Fears the King would change English laws to favour Scottish ones
- Fears the King would replace courtiers with Scots = less power to English
- Fears James would prioritise Scottish matters over English ones
- Great increase in power for James
- Would create competition within Political Nation for King’s affection/favouritism
Advantages to a Union of England and Scotland for James I
2 reasons
- Would create security or him within the country
- Would create peace with Europe
When was the Great Contract + why was it an issue in James’ first parliament?
1610
> primary reason for parliament dissolution = failure to reach a parliamentary solution to Crown financial difficulties. Negotiations over Great Contract alienated James from parliament.
What was the nickname of James’ second Parliament?
When did it begin?
Why was it given this nickname?
The Addled Parliament!
1614
Named because it was so ineffective and confused it only lasted 8 weeks.
What were the 5 reasons for the failure of the 1614 Parliament?
- Financial Need = James was put under pressure for funds after the ‘Great Contract’ failed, Robert Cecil died and James continued selling of crown lands
- Factional Conflict = emergence of competing political groups such as ‘Howard faction’ and ‘Protestant faction’. Caused political dysfunction.
- Manipulation of MP’s = controversial Crown plans to ensure parliamentary support are leaked making MP’s fearful of absolutism as James seemed to be manipulating them.
- James’ Indecisiveness = James couldn’t choose so only appointed Secretary of State to represent him in commons at last minute + then picked someone incompetent!
- Impositions = financial issues from 1606 were a key issue
When did James’ Third Parliament begin?
What was it focused on?
Why did it focus on this?
1621
> MP’s focused on abuse of monopolies (as a way of attacking Buckingham)
> monopolies had been exploited by courtiers as a way of attacking their opponents. Created tensions through factional infighting
Why couldn’t MPs discuss foreign policy?
It was a royal prerogative
What did James try to use parliament for in 1621?
What was the response?
> James tried to use parliament to scare Spain into agreeing to Spanish Match by backtracking on foreign policy rule.
Parliament went further in anti-Spanish stance than expected (petition criticising Spanish Match)
Led James to backtrack and state MP’s couldn’t discuss foreign policy (claimed it under Royal Prerogative).
MP / Commons protest to his backtrack
James eventually dissolves Parliament.
When was the Madrid Trip?
What was the Madrid Trip?
1623
> Buckingham & Charles travel to Spain to help complete Spanish Match but treated v poorly by Spanish (anti-Protestant sentiments)
> Charles & Buckingham return to Eng favouring war with Spain
What was a result of the failed Spanish Match and Madrid Trip?
> Buckingham & Charles try to implement aggressive foreign policy (anti-Spanish legislation)
actions of Buckingham and Charles leads to Anglo-Spanish war
What was the Spanish Match?
Proposed marriage between Charles and Spanish Princess (but it failed)
When did Charles marry Henrietta Maria?
What did this mean politically?
1624
> aligned Eng w/ France (main rival to Spain)
What was the Holy Roman Empire?
The Empire around from 800-1806 that was made up of lots of areas/principalities in Central Europe.
The 30 Years War What were the dates? What was the War initially about? What did it later Change to? What did this cause?
1618-48
> War was about the religious tensions between Protestant and Catholic states in the Holy Roman Empire. (Over time more nations became involved)
> The war later became about limiting the power of the Habsburg family after they elected Catholic Prince Frederick (1617) to be king of Bohemia.
> Caused a rebellion from the Protestants.
What was James’ opinion on the 30 Years War?
4 points
- He had a personal connection = his daughter married to Prince Frederick
- 1604 Treaty of London = he had only just made peace!
- He wanted to negotiate peace instead of fight = led to him straining his relationship with the Political Nation.
- He saw himself as ‘Rex Pacificus’ so didn’t want to get involved.
1625 Parliament
Why was there tension between Charles and Parliament?
3 points
What was the result?
- Charles needed big funds for war with Spain - Parliament misunderstood and granted him 2 small subsidies + tonnage and poundage for a year = seemed like an attack on Charles’ prerogative (angered him) so he kept collecting T+P after 1 year (angered parliament)
- Buckingham had major influence over Charles as favourite so caused tension (became Gentleman of the Bedchamber).
- Charles supported Arminian cleric Montagu + made him Royal Chaplain (1626) = angered Parliament
-Charles eventually dissolves Parliament
Why did Charles want war with Spain in 1625?
What was Parliament’s response?
What was the problem and what caused this?
Why does Parliament end up angered?
- wanted to fight because of failed Spanish Match (was humiliated)
- Parliament in support b/c they were anti-catholic
- Charles didn’t explain his position clearly so Parliament do not grant enough money (only 2 small subsidies and T+P for a year)
- Charles collects T+P after the 1 year granted.
Foreign Policy Failure = Cadiz
When was it?
What happened?
Effect
- Cadiz expedition 1625
- Expedition against Spain (important port) by English and Dutch. Failed disastrously = fleet didn’t manage to take port or capture Spanish treasure fleet
- Meant Charles had to call parliament again for finance.
Who preached at Charels’ Parliament 1626?
Laud (anti-Calvinist + stressed obedience to King)
How did Charles solidify his position in 1626 Parliament?
2 points
> removed anyone who criticised / might work against him (Wentworth / Coke) by appointing them as Sheriffs.
Buckingham removed people at court who he thought was a threat (John Williams / Earl of Arundel)
How did Charels create tensions w/ Parliament 1626?
3 points
> Parliament wanted to blame Buckingham for Cadiz failure (lord high admiral)
Charles blamed Parl instead for inadequate funding
after threat of impeaching Buckingham, Charles suggested Personal Rule to frighten Parl into recinding threat
Charles dissolves 1626 Parl to stop impeachment
How did 1626 Parl create tensions with Charles?
> began impeachment proceedings against Buckingham
MP John Eliot & Earl of Bristol key in this
La Rochelle
When was it?
What was it?
Why was it such a useless expedition?
Effect
- La Rochelle 1627
- England and France failed alliance caused tension + Buckingham in charge of reversing crown policy against Catholic French (supporting Huguenots). Buckingham took over 7000 soldiers to Ile de Re and laid siege to French stronghold but failed
- France and Huguenots had already made peace
- Britain now at war with France and Spain + King had no more funds so had to call Parliament.
The Knight’s case
When was it?
What was it?
What did it prompt?
- Five Knight’s case 1627
- 76 people imprisoned for resisting forced loan 1626, 5 main resistors wrote court of order habeas corpus and went to trial with Charles. King judged he could imprison w/o trial (prerog/ rights). Charles did not have right to imprison w/o trial - he falsified legal records to say he did. This was discovered and 5 knights eventually released.
- prompted the creation of the petition of rights
1628-29 Parliament
What does Parliament agree to?
> agrees to 5 subsidies on condition that Charles addressed issues:
- Taxation (T+P/ illegality of extra taxes)
- Billeting
- Martial Law (imposed on billeted troops + seen as too absolutist)
Also issue of imprisonment w/o trial after 5 Knights case
Petition of right
When was it? What prompted it? What was it? = 4 main points Charles’ initial response? Charles’ eventual response?
- Petition of Right 1628
- Concerns Charles could be trusted to rule with unwritten constitution
1. Parliament had to consent to taxation
2. People could only be imprisoned with just cause
3. Imposition of Martial Law was illegal
4. Imposition of Billeting was illegal - Initial response = denies ruling and ignores Royal Assent
- Eventually accepts petition because he needed 5 subsidies + under threat of further Parliamentary action
Parliament reaction to Petition of Right
What does this lead to?
Parliament questions his trustworthiness:
- issued a remonstrance = Charles taking tonnage and poundage against the petition of right
Leads to Charles’ suspension of Parliament
Who were the Huguenots?
How was Charles initially involved with them?
Parliament’s views on his actions?
French Protestants persecuted in their own country for being a threat to Catholicism.
Charles I helped French to crush the Huguenots at La Rochelle due to the terms of his marriage
Parliament were very against siege = anti-catholic + anti-French so disliked alliance with Catholic France.
When was Buckingham assassinated?
Who assassinated Buckingham?
What happened to assassin?
August 1628
> Disgruntled soldier John Felton
> confessed and was hanged
What was the public reaction to Buckingham’s death?
What was a result of Buckingham’s death for Charles?
(3 points)
> pubic rejoicing = celebration bonfires
tensions with Parl (blames Parl for negative portrayal of Buckingham as cause of his assassination)
Charles withdrew further from public life and relied more on advice from wife Henrietta Maria
