Disputes with Parliament

Question 1

Prerogative Rights

Answer 1

The monarch’s rights that they can exercise without Parliamentary approval.

Question 2

Parliamentary Privilege

Answer 2

Legal immunity for MP’s to speak freely without fear of legal action - this means they can raise controversial issues for discussion

Question 3

What 4 rights did Parliamentary privilege give MP’s?

Answer 3

Free access to monarch + House of Lords to convey opinions
Right to correct mistakes that might prejudice the commons
Freedom from arrest while Parliament is sitting
Freedom of speech (with limits sufficiently vague to leave scope for debate)

Question 4

What were the dates of James’ First Parliament?

What was the main focus of the first parliament?

Answer 4

1604-1611

> Royal Prerogative vs Parliamentary privilege

Question 5

The Buckinghamshire Election

When was it?
What was it?

Answer 5

1604

The election of Francis Goodwin as MP for Buckinghamshire was annulled as he had been outlawed for outstanding debt summonses. He was replaced by John Fortescue (privy councilor) but this was seen as a royal interference so Commons reinstated Goodwin.

Question 6

Shirley’s case

When was it?
What was it?

Answer 6

1604

MP Thomas Shirley arrested for debt. This upset MP’s trying to establish Parliamentary privilege of freedom from arrest while Parliament was sitting. To prove their point Parliament sent the governor of the prison holding Shirley to the Tower of London until Shirley was released.

Question 7

Union of Scotland and England

When was it proposed?
Who proposed it and what was proposed?
What was the response?

Answer 7

1606

It was proposed by James who wanted to Unify England and Scotland to make the country internally secure. He would be King of the whole unified country, and it would be called ‘Great Britain’.

Immediate intense opposition to everything, even including name!

Question 8

Advantages to a Union of England and Scotland for James I

2 reasons

Answer 8

Would create security or him within the country

Would create peace with Europe

Question 9

Disadvantages of a Union to Parliament/the Political Nation

7 reasons

Answer 9

There was great anti-Scottish feeling in England
It would be very expensive to run another Kingdom/control more land
Fears the King would change English laws to favour Scottish ones
Fears the King would replace courtiers with Scots = less power to English
Fears James would prioritise Scottish matters over English ones
Great increase in power for James
Would create competition within Political Nation for King’s affection/favoritism

Question 10

What was the nickname of James’ second Parliament?
When did it begin?
Why was it given this nickname?

Answer 10

The Addled Parliament!
1614
Named because it was so ineffective and confused it only lasted 8 weeks.

Question 11

When was the Great Contract + why was it an issue in James’ first parliament?

Answer 11

1610
Primary reason for parliament dissolution = failure to reach a parliamentary solution to Crown financial difficulties. Negotiations over Great Contract alienated James from parliament.

Question 12

Why couldn’t MPs discuss foreign policy?

Answer 12

It was a royal prerogative

Question 12

When did James’ Third Parliament begin?
What was it focused on?
Why did it focus on this?

Answer 12

1621
-> MP’s focused on abuse of monopolies (as a way of attacking Buckingham)
-> monopolies had been exploited by courtiers as a way of attacking their opponents. Created tensions through factional infighting

Question 12

What were the 5 reasons for the failure of the 1614 Parliament?

Answer 12

Financial Need = James was put under pressure for funds after the ‘Great Contract’ failed, Robert Cecil died and James continued selling of crown lands

Factional Conflict = emergence of competing political groups such as ‘Howard faction’ and ‘Protestant faction’. Caused political dysfunction.

Manipulation of MP’s = controversial Crown plans to ensure parliamentary support are leaked making MP’s fearful of absolutism as James seemed to be manipulating them.

James’ Indecisiveness = James couldn’t choose so only appointed Secretary of State to represent him in commons at last minute + then picked someone incompetent!

Impositions = financial issues from 1606 were a key issue

Question 13

What did James try to use parliament for in 1621?

What was the response?

Answer 13

> James tried to use parliament to scare Spain into agreeing to Spanish Match by backtracking on foreign policy rule.
Parliament went further in anti-Spanish stance than expected (petition criticising Spanish Match)
Led James to backtrack and state MP’s couldn’t discuss foreign policy (claimed it under Royal Prerogative).
MP / Commons protest to his backtrack
James eventually dissolves Parliament.

Question 14

When was the Madrid Trip?

What was the Madrid Trip?

Answer 14

1623
> Buckingham & Charles travel to Spain to help complete Spanish Match but treated v poorly by Spanish (anti-Protestant sentiments)
> Charles & Buckingham return to Eng favouring war with Spain

Question 15

What was a result of the failed Spanish Match and Madrid Trip?

Answer 15

Buckingham & Charles try to implement aggressive foreign policy (anti-Spanish legislation)
actions of Buckingham and Charles leads to Anglo-Spanish war

Question 16

What was the Spanish Match?

Answer 16

Proposed marriage between Charles and Spanish Princess (but it failed)

Question 17

When did Charles marry Henrietta Maria?

What did this mean politically?

Answer 17

Proposed marriage between Charles and Spanish Princess (but it failed)

Question 18

What was the Holy Roman Empire?

Answer 18

The Empire around from 800-1806 that was made up of lots of areas/principalities in Central Europe.

Question 19

The 30 Years War
What were the dates?
What was the War initially about?
What did it later Change to?
What did this cause?

Answer 19

1618-48
> War was about the religious tensions between Protestant and Catholic states in the Holy Roman Empire. (Over time more nations became involved)
> The war later became about limiting the power of the Habsburg family after they elected Catholic Prince Frederick (1617) to be king of Bohemia.
> Caused a rebellion from the Protestants.

Question 20

What was James’ opinion on the 30 Years War?

Answer 20

He had a personal connection = his daughter married to Prince Frederick
1604 Treaty of London = he had only just made peace!
He wanted to negotiate peace instead of fight = led to him straining his relationship with the Political Nation.
He saw himself as ‘Rex Pacificus’ so didn’t want to get involved.

Question 21

1625 Parliament

Why was there tension between Charles and Parliament?
3 points
What was the result?

Answer 21

Charles needed big funds for war with Spain - Parliament misunderstood and granted him 2 small subsidies + tonnage and poundage for a year = seemed like an attack on Charles’ prerogative (angered him) so he kept collecting T+P after 1 year (angered parliament)
Buckingham had major influence over Charles as favourite so caused tension (became Gentleman of the Bedchamber).
Charles supported Arminian cleric Montagu + made him Royal Chaplain (1626) = angered Parliament
-Charles eventually dissolves Parliament

Question 22

Why did Charles want war with Spain in 1625?
What was Parliament’s response?
What was the problem and what caused this?
Why does Parliament end up angered?

Question 23

Foreign Policy Failure = Cadiz

When was it?
What happened?
Effect

Answer 23

Cadiz expedition 1625
Expedition against Spain (important port) by English and Dutch. Failed disastrously = fleet didn’t manage to take port or capture Spanish treasure fleet
Meant Charles had to call parliament again for finance.

Question 24

How did Charles solidify his position in 1626 Parliament?

2 points

Question 24

Who preached at Charles Parliament 1626?

Answer 24

Laud (anti-Calvinist + stressed obedience to King)

Question 25

How did Charles create tensions w/ Parliament 1626?

3 points

Answer 25

> Parliament wanted to blame Buckingham for Cadiz failure (lord high admiral)
Charles blamed Parl instead for inadequate funding
after threat of impeaching Buckingham, Charles suggested Personal Rule to frighten Parl into recinding threat
Charles dissolves 1626 Parl to stop impeachment

Question 26

How did 1626 Parl create tensions with Charles?

Answer 26

Began impeachment proceedings against Buckingham

MP John Eliot & Earl of Bristol key in this

Question 27

La Rochelle

When was it?
What was it?
Why was it such a useless expedition?
Effect

Question 28

The Knight’s case

When was it?
What was it?
What did it prompt?

Answer 28

Five Knight’s case 1627
76 people imprisoned for resisting forced loan 1626, 5 main resistors wrote court of order habeas corpus and went to trial with Charles. King judged he could imprison w/o trial (prerog/ rights). Charles did not have right to imprison w/o trial - he falsified legal records to say he did. This was discovered and 5 knights eventually released.
prompted the creation of the petition of rights

Question 29

1628-29 Parliament

What does Parliament agree to?

Answer 29

> agrees to 5 subsidies on condition that Charles addressed issues:

Taxation (T+P/ illegality of extra taxes)
Billeting
Martial Law (imposed on billeted troops + seen as too absolutist)
Also issue of imprisonment w/o trial after 5 Knights case

Question 30

Petition of right

When was it?
What prompted it?
What was it? = 4 main points
Charles’ initial response?
Charles’ eventual response?

Answer 30

Petition of Right 1628
Concerns Charles could be trusted to rule with unwritten constitution
1. Parliament had to consent to taxation
2. People could only be imprisoned with just cause
3. Imposition of Martial Law was illegal
4. Imposition of Billeting was illegal
Initial response = denies ruling and ignores Royal Assent
Eventually accepts petition because he needed 5 subsidies + under threat of further Parliamentary action

Question 31

Parliament reaction to Petition of Right

What does this lead to?

Question 32

Who were the Huguenots?

How was Charles initially involved with them?

Parliament’s views on his actions?

Answer 32

French Protestants persecuted in their own country for being a threat to Catholicism.

Charles I helped French to crush the Huguenots at La Rochelle due to the terms of his marriage

Parliament were very against siege = anti-catholic + anti-French so disliked alliance with Catholic France.

Question 33

When was Buckingham assassinated?
Who assassinated Buckingham?
What happened to assassin?

Answer 33

August 1628
> Disgruntled soldier John Felton
> confessed and was hanged

Question 34

What was the public reaction to Buckingham’s death?
What was a result of Buckingham’s death for Charles?
(3 points)

Answer 34

> pubic rejoicing = celebration bonfires
tensions with Parl (blames Parl for negative portrayal of Buckingham as cause of his assassination)
Charles withdrew further from public life and relied more on advice from wife Henrietta Maria