Charles I: The events culminating in the Second Civil War Flashcards
Who did the King surrender to?
The King surrendered to the Scots and Parliament remained divided by tensions
How did many MPs feel towards the newly powerful parliamentary army?
Many MPs felt threatened by the religious views, political ambition and muscle of the army’s officers
- these tensions would not be resolved peacefully
When was the army coup?
December 1648 - known as the Pride’s Purge
What did the Pride’s Purge settle?
Settled the outcome of the conflict by effectively removing from the Long Parliament all those who were determined to continue negotiations with the King
-> imposing more radical views
What was the state of the NMA by 1646?
They were more radicalised
What was the root cause of the army purge?
The root cause lay in the balance of forces both inside and outside Parliament
What impact did the victory over the King at Marston Moor have on the War Party?
Whilst the victory over the King at Marston Moor had strengthened the War party, and paved the way for victory over Charles I, its dominance in Parliament was to be short-lived
What did the War party’s success on the battlefield suggest?
Success on the battlefield suggests its unnecessary to have an aggressive army
What did Parliament beginning in 1645?
Began arranging elections to seats in areas that had previously sympathised with the Royalists (e.g. Cornwell)
What were the replacement MPs like?
Generally conservative n their outlook.
How many new MPs were there by 1647?
235 MPs - nearly half of its total membership had entered Parliament, where they generally sided with the Presbyterians
Describe the key features of each period in the First Civil War?
- 1642-44: Marked by stalemate, military paralysis, indecisive battles
- 1645: War Party is dominant
- By 1646: Political Presbyterians most dominant faction (more conservative than radical independents)
What were the Presbyterian group also aided by?
The fact that Parliament’s victory had been achieved with help from the Scots
- keen to ensure that the terms of the Solemn League and Covenant were adhered to
What had the civil war encouraged in terms of religion?
- The growth of radical religious sects amongst the poor who criticised the Puritan moral code
- They started from the position that had existed among small groups of heretics in the middle ages, that the ‘inner light’ of direct experience of God freed the soul from the normal rules of behaviour
What did the ‘inner light’ mean?
Engagement with the Bible can establish a close relationship with God
- do not need to uphold conformity to Bishops
What had separatist congregations in London experimented with?
Experimented with lay preaching, open debate and discussion instead of formal services, even women’s meetings and women preachers
What were separatist congregations accused of?
Recruiting women without their husbands’ consent and servants without their masters’
Who joined the army fighting against Charles I?
Many of the most radical separatists and the most committed puritans joined the army
What did radical soldiers destroy early in the Civil War?
Spontaneously destroyed ‘popish’ ornaments in churches - such as statues and alter rails
What did the New Model Army become a hotbed of and who did this scare?
The NMA became a hotbed of radical views which horrified many who would go on to form the Presbyterian party
What outcome did many MPs particularly in the Peace Party prefer?
Many MPs (e.g. Holles) as well as former commanders Essex and Manchester favoured a quick peace settlement with Charles based around a Presbyterian national church, as per the terms of the Solemn League and Covenant
What did many people believe about the social order by 1646?
- Many people believed that social order was breaking down.
- The Presbyterian church appeared to offer structure, hierarchy and discipline at a time when the country seemed to be descending into religious anarchy
- social order requires religious hierarchy and stabilism
What did most seventeenth-century Englishmen regard as an important aspect national life?
Englishmen regarded religious unity as an essential aspect of an orderly national life
What was Charles’ view on the Presbyterians?
‘useful idiots’