Charles I: Political divisions -> When did civil war become inevitable Flashcards
What are the key dates/events in the second session of the Long Parliament?
- May 1641: The Root and Branch bill
- June 1641: The Ten Propositions
- October 1641: The Irish Rebellion
- November 1641: The Grand Remonstrance
- January 1642: Attempted ‘armed coup’
When was the Root and Branch Bill?
May 1641
What was the Root and Branch Bill?
A bill aiming to reconstruct the existing structure of the Church by abolishing episcopacy from the ‘roots’ and in all its ‘branches’
How many Londoners signed the root and branch petition?
15,000
How many presented the petition to Parliament?
1500
Who introduced the Root and Branch bill?
Oliver Cromwell and Henry Vane the Younger
Why was the Root and Branch Bill significant?
It signified how sides were being taken and was the point of no return
Who was one of the chief supporters of the petition?
John Pym
What did Pym seek through the petition?
The removal of Charles influence by establishing a system of lay patronage in place of bishops, to allow locals more control of their church
How did the petition cause divisions when debated in parliament?
Parliament could not reach a consensus on radical religious reform, dividing Parliament
When was the Root and Branch Bill defeated?
August 1641
What did all the Commons agree on?
The secular powers of bishops should be curtailed
What did Parliament decide despite the Root and Branch bill’s defeat?
To exclude the bishops from the House of Lords in December 1641 in the Bishops Exclusion Act
When was the Bishops Exclusion Act?
December 1641
When was the Ten Propositions?
June 1641
What was the Ten Propositions?
A document making it clear that the king would need to make some concessions
Who accepted the Ten Propositions?
Both the Lords and Commons on 24 June 1641
- defined parliament’s negotiating position in any discussion on a settlement
What were some of the contentious clauses placing limits on the royal prerogative which Charles could never accept?
- ‘Control’ of Charles’ wife Henrietta Maria and her Catholic connections loomed largest in the propositions
- Parliamentary input and control over the King’s councillors and those in the Privy Council -> prevent ‘evil councillors’
- Demanded that parliament have control of the religious education of any royal children -> prevents Arminianism and ‘crypto-Catholicism’
Did Charles accept the Ten propositions?
No, he rejected it so it could not be implemented
When was the Irish rebellion?
October 1641
Why was Parliament conflicted and divided about how to respond to the Irish rebellion?
As fervent anti-Catholics they wished to see the rising put down but they didn’t know what to do
- wished to see the Confederates’ rising put down
What was the main dilemma Parliament faced in the Irish rebellion?
- issue over allowing Charles an army to put down the rebellion
- could be used to subdue parliament
Why did the Irish rebellion further radicalise the Puritan faction?
To them, it was evidence of a ‘Popish Plot’
Who was John Pym?
A dogmatic Puritan ideologue who led radicalised opposition against Charles