Civil War Flashcards
True or False: Charles had a standing army.
FALSE
What is the main financial issue during Charles’ rule?
- Charles lacks any real financial power
- He needs to solely rely on Parliament
What is the beaurocratic problem Charles has to deal with?
- Municipal governments are unpaid beaurocrats
- So, the King has to rely on their goodwill towards him
Describe the 1627-29 Anglo-French War:
- English find disaster at La Rochelle
- English try to support the Huguenots
- Largely a naval war
- It all goes horribly for the English from the start
What was the “Policy of Thorough”?
- A thorough examination of the nation’s finances
- Charles gets government to kick out useless offices
- Charles STOPS his extravagant expenditure on art
- He has his government go through all the medieval books to find old revenues and taxes from which to collect
- Example: Ship Money
What was Ship Money?
Levied by Charles in 1536
- An old tax for coastal regions to raise money to defend the coast against invasion
- Charles applied this to EVERY region, not just the coastal ones
- In 1536, 90% of people paid Ship Money
- Later on, this decreased to only 20%
What decade was seen as a glory time for the gentry?
1630s
What did Charles do to incite religious outrage in Scotland?
- Charles enforced Laud’s Common Book of Prayer in 1637, without consulting anybody
- Presbyterians are outraged, and see this as a reinstating of Papal ways
Why did Charles enforce the Common Book of Prayer?
- He wanted religious uniformity
What occurred at the Edinburgh Cathedral when the Book of Common Prayer was first read?
- Women threw stools at the pastor
- People were outraged
What was the National Covenant of 1638?
- A Scottish document listing all the fears of Catholicism returning
- Protests against religious changes done without consultation (i.e Common Book of Prayer)
- Around 300 000 people signed it
- This expels Bishops from the Catholic Church
- Charles sees this as rebellion, and acts (Starts the Bishops Wars)
Why are the Scots so militarily superior to Charles’ invading English army during the Bishop’s Wars?
- Many Scots had been fighting as mercenaries in the Thirty Years War
- Further, the Scots saw this as a religious crusade, and thus were more motivated
- Many of the English were sympathetic to the Covenanters cause
When were the Bishop’s Wars?
1639-40
What treaty ended the Bishop’s Wars?
Treaty of Ripon, 1640
What are the terms of the 1640 Treaty of Ripon?
- King has to give the Scots £850 a day until peace is secured
- Scots control Newcastle
- Scottish army stays encamped in Northern England
Why is the Short Parliament of 1640 called?
Because Charles needs more money to fund the Treaty of Ripon with the Scots
What occurs at the Short Parliament of 1640?
- Charles demands money from Parliament to pay off the Scots, who are encamped in Northern England
- Parliament sees this as Charles’ screw up, NOT theirs
- Charles is furious, and dissolves Parliament again
Why was the Long Parliament called in summer 1640?
- Called in the summer of 1640 because Charles still needed money for the Scots
- Technically it lasts until 1660 (but not in practice)
What is significant about the Long Parliament?
- First time elections to parliament were contested
- Some pro-Royal, some anti-Royal (but none at the extent of anti-king quite yet)
What demands does the Long Parliament make to Charles?
- Ban Non-Parliamentary taxes
- Respect the Triennial Act 1641
- Abolition of Ecclesiastical courts
- William Laud must be tried as a criminal
Why did Charles “agree” to all the demands of the Long Parliament? Did he plan on adhering to them?
- Scottish army was still in England
- Charles had NO intention of actually keeping these promises
- In his view, if he were to actually follow through with these, it would to be against God
What were the widespread feelings of Parliamentarians at the onset of the war? (3)
- Suspicion of the King’s sincerity in his promises
- Fear of eventual revenge for what they had achieved
- Hatred of Catholicism
Typically, the most radical Royalists in Parliament were:
Anglicans
What is the Grand Remonstrance, 1641?
A long, detailed indictment of all that Charles has done wrong during his reign
What are the 2 demands of the Grand Remonstrance?
- Parliament has to approve the King’s cabinet ministers
- The King must call a general meeting (Synod) of the Church for a general reform
True or False: The vote on the Grand Remonstrance in Parliament was very close
TRUE
How does the King react to the Grand Remonstrance?
- He, along with armed soldiers, march to the House of Commons to arrest the 5 MPs responsible for the document
- The MPs manage to escape
- This is the last time a King has entered the House of Commons
Who was the most notable of the 5 MPs who pushed forth the Grand Remonstrance?
John Pym
What was the Irish Rebellion of 1641, and why is it important?
- Catholic rebellion against oppressions from the last 30 years
- Fears that English or Covenants would invade Ireland
- 4000 Protestant settlers are killed
Importance:
- English media overexaggerates the number of Protestant deaths
- This creates further urgency for Charles’ needing of funds from the Long Parliament
What was the Confederation of Kilkenny?
- Irish plan to give Charles I a humiliating settlement
- AKA. Do what the Scots did at Ripon
When and Where does Charles I raise his standard for war?
Nottingham
22 August 1642
Describe geographic allegiances to the Roundheads and Cavaliers:
- Roundheads held London, and most industrial cities, particularly in the South-East
- Cavaliers held the countryside, particularly in the North and West
True or False: All aristocrats sided with Charles.
FALSE
Most, but not all
What is the main difficulty in fighting the King?
- Even if they beat the King in battle 100 times, he is still king
- BUT, if the Roundheads lose even ONCE, they will be hanged as traitors