Charles I and the victory of parliament 1640-1646

Question 1

When did the short parliament sit?

What was the outcome of the short parliament? (3)

Answer 1

The short parliament sat from April-May 1640

1) Disastrous for Charles, he asked for twelve subsidies worth around £300,000, however parliament were reluctant to grant any money until their grievances had been redressed.
2) Parliament had no enthusiasm for war as they did not see the Scots as enemies of the crown and they were eager to see an end to ship money an impositions.
3) Charles dissolved the parliament after three weeks because of their slowness to respond to his demands.

Question 2

What events took place in Scotland in 1640? (5)

Answer 2

1) The scots did not disband their army has had been agreed at Berwick-on-Tweed and their parliament continued to sit and pass reforms that limited the role of the crown.
2) By August 1640, they were again in armed rebellion against Charles.
3) The English army was led by Strafford who had raised grants in the Irish army to pay for it.
4) Due to english reluctance to fight, the Scots led by Leslie and Montrose were able to take Newcastle and much of Northumberland.
5) Charles made an agreement to the Scots that he would pay them £850 a day until a settlement had been reached and the scots were allowed to hold on to Newcastle.

Question 3

What reforms were brought in by the long parliament? (6)

Answer 3

1) Triennial Act - There could be no more than three years between meetings of parliament.
2) Parliament could not be dissolved without its own consent.
3) Ship money made illegal.
4) No one could be forced to take a knighthood.
5) Royal forest boundaries were returned to how they were in 1623.
6) Prerogative courts (Star chamber, councils of the North and Marches and Court of High commission) all abolished.

Question 4

What were the aims of the king in the short parliament? (3)

Answer 4

1) Grant of money to fight the scots.
2) Defiance of Scottish court had to be countered.
3) Scottish presbyterians had been in contact with English Puritans and Ulster Protestants, so the king required a quick resolution to the problem - Strafford suggested war.

Question 5

What were the aims of the opposition in the short parliament? (2)

Answer 5

1) Redress of their grievances
2) They knew that Charles would dissolved the parliament as soon as they granted him money so they were determined not to do so until he had heard their grievances.

Question 6

Aims of the king in the Long parliament? (2)

Answer 6

1) The treaty of Ripon had left him in a desperate situation with regard to finance.
2) He hoped that he could get the funds he needed without too much in the way of concessions.

Question 7

Aims of the opposition in the long parliament? (4)

Answer 7

1) Removal of Charles’ evil advisors, especially Strafford.
2) Reforms to prevent personal rule.
3) Reform of the church in accordance with Puritan principles.
4) Increase role of parliament in government.

Question 8

What actions were taken against Strafford?

Answer 8

1) Strafford was the main target of the opposition because he was the most likely to take a hard line against them.
2) It became clear that impeachment would fail so the used an Act of Attainder and pressure from the London mob which was stirred up by John Pym, to ensure his execution.
3) Charles despite having given Strafford his word that he would protect him, was forced to sign the Act.

Question 9

When did the Irish rebellion take place and what was it’s significance? (3)

Answer 9

The Irish rebellion took place on October 1641.
This was a catholic rising against the Ulster Protestants which seemed to confirm the Puritan belief in a Catholic conspiracy to root out Protestantism.
1) It provided useful propaganda for the opposition.
2) It raised the issue of who was to lead any army that was sent to crush the rebellion.
3) Parliament did not trust Charles to use an army against the Irish for fear that he would use the troops closer to home.

Question 10

What was the Grand Remonstrance and when did it take place?
By what majority was it passed?
What did it show?

Answer 10

1) The Grand Remonstrance was a document produced by parliament in November 1641 which listed all of the wrongs committed by Charles since 1626 in an effort to deny Charles the control of the army.
2) It also laid down the reforms needed to right these wrongs.
3) It was passed by a slim majority, with 159 MPs voting for and 148 against, while almost 200 abstained.
4) The slim majority showed that a royalist party was beginning to emerge in parliament.
5) The proposals put to Charles were so radical, that moderates felt he was justified in rejecting them.

Question 11

What actions did parliament take in terms of religion?

What were the effects of these actions? (2)

Answer 11

The House of Commons passed the Root and Branch bill to abolish bishops which was a signal for an outbreak of attacks on Laudian reforms and features as well as interruptions to prayer book services.

1) Such anarchy alarmed the ruling classes, as an attack on the authority of the church could easily lead to a similar attack on the authority of the state.
2) As a result, conservatives began to move away from the reformers and back to supporting the crown.

Question 12

What was the ‘Attempted arrest of five MPs’ and when did it take place? (5)

Answer 12

The attempted arrest of the five MPs occurred in January 1642.

1) As the pressure of the London mob continued, Charles reconstructed his government and aimed to take firm action.
2) He attempted to arrest the five MPs he saw as leaders of the opposition for treason.
3) He went to the commons to arrest them himself, in breach of MPs parliamentary privilege.
4) However the MPs in question had fled to the city and escaped their arrest.
5) The attempt provoked such as hostile reaction in London, that Charles feared for the safety of himself and his family and withdrew to Hampton Court.

Question 13

What was the Militia Ordinance and when was it published?

Answer 13

The Militia Ordinance was issued in March 1642.

1) The Ordinance took control of the local militias away from Charles which financing them through a county levy.
2) This was a clear breach of the constitution as it was without Charles’ consent, despite the fact it was his prerogative power to control the army.
3) This led to further concerns amongst moderate about overriding royal power.

Question 14

What were the nineteen propositions and when were they published?
Give two of the demands.
What was Charles’ reaction to the demands?

Answer 14

The Nineteen Propositions published in June 1642 were a list of demands drawn up by parliament and presented to the king.
They included:
1) Church reform to be decided by parliament.
2) Upbringing of royal children to be supervised by parliament.

The Nineteen Propositions were unacceptable to Charles and led to greater royal support from moderates.

Question 15

What were the political causes of the civil war? (5)

Answer 15

1) The relationship between the monarch and the people had been under strain for a long time.
2) James I had found relations with parliament very difficult and the issue of finance was one that was unsolved.
3) Ordinary revenue was insufficient due to inflation and the falling value of the parliamentary subsidy.
4) Hence, the monarch was forced to go to parliament for more money, but this meant parliament could use finance as a bargaining chip to press for reforms.
5) If parliament gave the crown a large grant then there would be no need for parliament, but if they were slow to grant money then they risked being dissolved - STALEMATE.

Question 16

What were the religious causes of the civil war? (5)

Answer 16

1) Elizabeth I established a moderate protestant church and refused to agree to any changes to it.
2) James I was no more inclined for reform.
3) As a result resentment grew amongst a number of groups for many years, especially Puritans.
4) In addition the European Catholic church was becoming more militant and Protestants were fearful of a Catholic plot to overthrow them.
5) These issues were worsened during the reign of Charles due to his move towards Arminianism and the promotion and reforms of Laud.

Question 17

How did the outbreak of war come about? (4)

Answer 17

1) The personal rule had worried opposition leaders such as Lord Say and Sele and the Earl of Bedford that Charles was trying to be an absolute ruler and to bring in a catholic church.
2) When Charles called parliament and demand for reform were made, the relationship between the king and parliament deteriorated.
3) Pym and other oppostion leaders worked with the scots to deepen the crisis and make it impossible for Charles to escape.
4) The extreme demand made by the opposition alarmed less radical MPs and Lords leading to the creation of a Royalist party.

Question 18

What was Charles’s role in the build up to civil war? (4)

Answer 18

Charles worsened the situation in a number of ways:

1) The attempted arrest of the five MPs.
2) He failed to build a working relationship with parliament and then attempted to rule without one for 11 years.
3) His support for Laudian reforms increased Puritan resentment and fuelled suspicion of the Catholic plot.
4) He was difficult in negotiation and often unwilling to compromise over matters he felt were vital for his throne.

Question 19

What were the Royalist strengths? (5)

Answer 19

1) Many men fought for the crown and the source of authority in the state and the church.
2) The royalists had wealth supporters such as Newcastle and Worcester.
3) Some supporters sold land and goods to provide funds for the king.
4) Prince Rupert, Charles’ nephew was a good cavalry leader.
5) Generals like Hopton were very able.

Question 20

What were the Royalist weaknesses? (5)

Answer 20

1) They controlled the North and West which were less wealthy and therefore able to generate less revenue.
2) Contributions from supporters ran out once they had sold all that they could.
3) Rupert’s relationship with other generals wasn’t always good.
4) They failed to recruit troops from abroad.
5) The loyalty of the trained bands or local militias was not reliable.

Question 21

What were the parliamentarian strengths? (6)

Answer 21

1) They were inspired by the religious belief that God was on their side and would bring them victory.
2) Controlled the more prosperous South and East and so generated more revenue in the assessments.
3) They held London, the capital which was a key source of revenue from loans and customs duties.
4) They controlled the navy which meant they could regulate trade and prevent troops from meeting Charles.
5) They had experienced generals such as Essex and Waller.
6) They could hope to form an alliance with the Scots.

Question 22

What were the parliamentarian weaknesses? (4)

Answer 22

1) London proved difficult to control because riots broke out.
2) Some of the parliamentarians were unwilling to inflict total defeat on the king.
3) There were religious divisions about the king of church they were fighting to set up.
4) Loyalty of the trained bands or militia was unreliable.

Question 23

When did the battle of Edgehill take place?

What mistake did Charles make following the outcome of the battle?

Answer 23

In October 1642, the royalists were victorious at the battle of Edgehill, as Essex and the parliamentarians retreated.

Royalist opportunity to take London was passed up by Charles who insisted on taking other towns on the road to London such as Oxford.
By the time the Royalists arrived in London, the trained bands had assembled to defend the city and the Royalist march was halted at Turnham Green.

Question 24

What did Charles do in the Winter of 1642?

What was the outcome?

Answer 24

Charles returned to Oxford for the winter of 1642 to plan his tactics for 1643, including a three-pronged attack on the City of London.
However, the three prongs needed to advance together to be sure of a victory.
Both Charles advancing from Oxford and Newcastle coming from York, were detained in besieging towns which were parliamentary bases, only Hopton in the west country was ready to advance. Thus the attack failed.

Question 25

What was the next major battle after Edgehill and in what year was it fought?
What were the decisive events in the war? (3)
What was the outcome?

Answer 25

The Battle of Marston Moor in 1644.
By the time this battle had been fought, the parliamentarians had made an alliance with the scots and were receiving reinforcements.
On the other hand, Charles had recruited troops from Ireland but failed to get help from the continent.
Decisive events:
1) Scottish reinforcements proved vital.
2) Surprise evening attack by parliamentarians.
3) Disagreements between Rupert and Newcastle.

Outcome: Charles lost control of the North.

Question 26

What was the next Major battle after Marston Moor and when was it fought?
What occurred?

Answer 26

The Battle of Naseby took place in 1645.

1) Charles’ forces were outnumbered and outfought by the New Model Army.
2) The capture of the Royal baggage train which contained material evidence showing the extent of Charles’ contact with continental Catholic monarchs provided the parliamentarians with a great deal that could be used as propaganda against the king.
3) The defeat allowed parliamentary forces to move into the West country.
4) Charles and Rupert quarrelled after the battle which led to Rupert’s withdrawal from the war.

Question 27

When did Charles surrender himself and to whom?

What were his hopes at this stage? (2)

Answer 27

Charles surrendered himself to the Scots in April 1646 and the royalists gradually abandoned the fight.

1) Charles hoped that he would be able to negotiate a settlement that would make concessions to him.
2) He might have lost the war but he hoped to win the peace.

Question 28

Why was the New Model Army formed? (3)

Answer 28

Bringing the three main armies together in the New model army would solve the following problems:

1) The reluctance of troops to leave their local areas and to fight on a national scale.
2) Reluctance amongst the aristocratic leaders such as Essex and Manchester to inflict total defeat on the king.
3) The desire amongst Cromwell and his men for a much more vigorous prosecution of war.

Question 29

Where did the New Model Army originate? (3)

Answer 29

1) Cromwell had distinguished himself at the battle of Marston Moor as Lieutenant in the Eastern Association forces and he attributed the victory to his forces and not the scots.
2) He had disagreed with Manchester over tactics and disliked the dependence on Presbyterian Scots.
3) His increasing prestige allowed him to press for the creation of the New Model Army.

Question 30

What were the characteristics of the New Model Army? (10)

Answer 30

1) National army with professional officers.
2) Paid regularly with revenue from assessments so no looting.
3) Paid a fair price for the supplies it needed as it marched.
4) Promotion on merit not on birth.
5) Strong biblical base - regular study, fasting and prayer meetings.
6) Convinced of god’s favour and therefore sure of victory.
7) Encourage by failure of negotiations in early 1645 to go all out to defeat the king.
8) Well disciplined cavalry
9) Fully trained and prepared
10) Religiously tolerant

Question 31

What was the impact of the New Model Army? (2)

Answer 31

1) The New Model Army was decisive at Naseby, where the return of Cromwell to the battlefield after his initial cavalry charge was important to their success.
2) At Naseby, the New Model Army outclassed the king’s troops in every aspect of the battle, but they did also outnumber the royal army so should have been victorious.

Question 32

How did neutralism develop throughout the civil war?

Answer 32

1) Several counties tried to keep out of the civil war altogether by drawing up agreements amongst the leading families that they would stay neutral and work together to keep out attacking forces.
2) In Cheshire, the agreement was hard to preserve when royal forces approached and attempt to make Cheshire a demilitarised zone failed.
3) In some areas, bands of Clubmen were formed to resist invaders from either side, they were not always successful. As the war continued, it became increasingly difficult to opt out.

Question 33

What was the self-denying ordinance and when was it passed? (3)

Answer 33

1) The self-denying ordinance was passed by parliament in 1645 and declared that no military commander could be a member of either Houses of Parliament.
2) It removed the noble commanders and the private regiments raised by wealthy politicians and paved the way for the New Model Army.
3) Fairfax made Lord General, Phillip Shippon as Major-General of the infantry and, eventually Cromwell as Lieutenant-General of the Horse, after he was made an exception to the ordinance.