English Civil War Flashcards
When did the English civil war break out?
1642
Long term causes of the civil war breaking out
Problems began under the reign of James I as he was a firm believer in the “divine right of kings”.
James expected Parliament to do as he wanted. However, Parliament had one major advantage over James - they had money and he was continually
short of It and Parliament told him that he could not collect it without their permission. In 1611,
James suspended Parliament and it did not meet for another 10 years. This caused great offence to
MPs.
Divine right of Kings
This is a belief that the king can do what he wants as God made him king.
Short term causes
Charles I was a strong believer in the divine rights of kings. From 1625 to 1629, Charles argued with
Parliament over most issues, but money and religion were the most common arguments.
In 1629 Charles refused to let Parliament meet. They were locked out for eleven years.
Charles also clashed with the Scots when he ordered that they should use a new prayer book for
their church services. This angered them so they invaded England in 1639. As Charles
was short of money to fight the Scots, he had to recall Parliament in 1640 as only they had the necessary money and the required authority to collect extra money.
In 1642, he went to Parliament with 300 soldiers to arrest five MPS that had criticised him but they
had already fled
Who was John Hampden
One MP John Hampden refused to pay the new tax as Parliament had not agreed to it. Hampden
was put on trial and found guilty. However, he had become a hero for standing up to the king.
What did the Parliament do in return for paying to fight the Scots for the King and why.
In Return for the money and as a display of their power, Parliament called for the execution of the
Earl of Strafford, one of the top advisors of Charles. After a trial, Strafford was executed in 1641.
Only six days after trying to arrest the five Members of Parliament what did Charles do
Charles left London to head for
Oxford to raise an army to fight Parliament for control of England. The English Civil War had begun.
Who was Oliver Cromwell?
During the Civil War, Parliament gave Oliver Cromwell the job of training a new set of troops to
defeat the Royalists. This new force was England’s first truly professional army and was called the
New Model Army.
Who was Charles 1
Charles came to the throne in 1625. Relations between Charles I and Parliament gradually got worse.
foreign policy
The actions and plans of one country when dealing with other nations.
Puritan
Strict Protestants who wanted to get rid of ritual in church services and lead a plain and simple life.
Charles 1 angered Parliament (summary)
Charles married a French Catholic against the wishes of Parliament. Charles revived old laws and taxes without the agreement of Parliament. When Parliament complained in 1629, he dismissed them. Until 1640, Charles ruled without a Parliament – this period is often referred to as the ‘Eleven Years Tyranny’.
War with Scotland forced Charles to recall Parliament (summary)
Instead of granting Charles money, Parliament sent him the Grand Remonstrance (1641). This was a list of 204 complaints about the way he was running the country. After Charles had tried and failed to arrest the five leaders of the Parliament, a civil war broke out.
Advantages of Parliament in civil war and what it led to.
Parliament had the support of the south-east of England, merchants, London and the navy. Charles’ forces were gradually worn down. After Oliver Cromwell set up the New Model Army, Parliament won decisive victories at Marston Moor (1644) and Naseby (1645).
What happened after the civil war
Charles surrendered in 1646. He failed a second time to defeat Parliament during the the Second Civil War in 1648. Parliament put him on trial for treason and he was executed in 1649. England was a republic for the next 11 years, ruled by Oliver Cromwell.
