charles 2nd Flashcards
when was parliament restored
the convention parliament in april 1660. was an informal, unofficial parliament but had a HOC + HOL
what did the convention parliament do
CofE was reestablished
bishops resumed their seats in the HOL (after the exclusion bill of 1642)
Crown and church lands were restored to their former owners
gentry and and aristocracy resumed as governors of localities.
clarendon general info
Edward Hyde
Chief Advisor - affairs of the state were left to him
Moderate for CofE
intended to recreate the political and religious system that was in place in 1641. he was assisted by bishops and members of the cavalier parliament who were eager to stamp out religious dissent and political radicalism.
why could charles have been so politically aware
he remembers the regicide so just aims to stay in power.
when was the declaration of breda
april 4 1660
what did charles say in the declaration of breda
- he will pardon all except those involved in the regicide
- mixed monarchy, king in parliament = parliament is NOT sovereign
- freedom of religion - “liberty to tender consciences” except those who “disturb the peace of the kingdom” which is decided by parl
- proposes that the army will be paid their arrears if he is let into power = makes ally
- property that was sold or bought etc will de decided by parliament.
why was charles welcomed back
general feeling of the pol nat that to have stability, there should be a king to return to the old order
concessions of the restoration settlement -
- all acts of 1641 which constrained the monarch’s power would never return
- removal of feudal dues eg ship money, forest fines, and the Distraint of Knighthood
- closure of the prerogative courts of Star Chamber and High commission
- removal of the Council of the North
however - the settlement went towards charles as
- attempts to restrict charles 2’s prerogative powers by explicitely confirming parliamentary privileges and the laws of Magna Carta failed in the HOL
- none of the terms that parliament had tried to impose on Charles 1 eg Nineteen propositions of 1642, or Newport negotiations of 1648 were incorporated into the constitutional settlement of 1660
restoration settlement - religion
- church land that was sold during civil wars was restored without compensation
- episcopal govt of church restored + bishops returned to their dioceses
- Worchester Conference
Worcester Conference
Meeting between charles 2 and presbytarians
charles proposed a settlement where presbytarian councils limited the powers of bishops
the cavalier parliament rejected these proposals.
when did cavalier parliament sit
1660 - 1679
cavalier parliament stats
had a session every year apart from ‘72
name from the large number of royalists who sat
restoration settlement - property settlement.
- royal and church land sold by parliament to be reinstated without compensation
- royalists whose estates had been sequestered and sold by parliament were able to get them back through courts => royalists benefit - rewarding and shifts power balance.
- HOWEVER royalists who had sold land to pay Decimation Taxes or fines or to raise forces for the King had little chance of receiving compensation
restoration settlement - finance
- parl paid crown £1.2 mil per year (settlements per year so he would have to call parliament every year)
- king granted tonnage and poundage for life (worth £800,000 a year)
- dunkirk sold for £400,000
- parl expected the king to raise a further £100,000 per year from Crown lands
HOWEVER left the crown in a deficit of £120,000 a year.
restoration settlement - amnesty
- Act of Indemnity and Oblivion (1660) took u charles’ offer of a “free and general pardon” for his opponents in the civil war
- 10 committers of regicide were hanged, drawn and quartered.
charles 2nds actions at the great fire of london
- he took personal command of the efforts to halt the spreading of the flames
charles’ leading style
preferred to ensure his supremacy by setting counsellor against counsellor etc instead of dominating and leading.
woudl have different lines of policy running at once, made by different groups of advisors
when was the clarendon period
1660-1667
when was the cabal
1667-1674
when was danby
1674-1678
when was exclusion bit
1678-1681
clarendon period in brief
- Edward Hyde chief advisor
- charles was partying
- 2nd Dutch War
the unsuccessful war and clarendon code meant he sacrificed clarendon to reset his role w/ parl
CABAL period in brief
- crown supporters, pro-french, toleration, pro-catholic
- 3rd Dutch War,
- Charles negotiating with France for finance, lost parliamentary support.
blamed on CABAL