Failure Of Attempts To Reach A Settlement, 1646-9

Question 0

What did the Political Presbyterians believe?

Answer 0

Conservative in social and political matters
Opposed to religious toleration
Favoured a negotiation with the King
Mistrust of the New Model Army
Close with the Scots
Support for the Presbyterian Church to prevent social revolution
1646 - most influential in Parliament

Question 1

What are the four reasons for the failure of settlement?

Answer 1

Charles - failure to accept
Parliament - role, division
New Model Army - politicisation
Radicalism - religious and political

Question 2

What did the Political Independents believe?

Answer 2

Disliked Scottish Presbyterianism
Wanted a considerable measure of religious toleration
Allied with the New Model Army

Question 3

What were the main features of the Newcastle Propositions in July 1646?

Answer 3

Religion - establishment of Presbyterianism in England for three years
Militia - parliamentary control for 20 years
Parliament - Triennial Act to remain
Royalists - 58 not to be pardoned

Question 4

How and why did the New Model Army politicise?

Answer 4

Created in early 1645, commanded by Thomas Fairfax with Cromwell as Lieutenant General
Cromwell became an MP 1640 and the war and the NMA made him believe God had judged Charles (radical)
Belief that the Political Independents were aiming to create a rival army through Ireland and sympathetic allies in the west and north
Immediate concerns over pay - owed £3 million

Question 5

The Levellers and Diggers

Answer 5

L - Sought political, economic and social reform
D - saw their established communes as a solution to social inequalities, this challenged the nature of politics and society at the time

Question 6

The Levellers and the New Model Army

Answer 6

Levellers needed army support if they wanted success
Exploited the fear that the officers would sell the rank and file short in discussions with the King over the Heads of Proposals

Question 7

The Putney debates

Answer 7

Late October to early November 1647
General Council of the Army met with representatives of the Levellers to debate the nature of settlement
Ended with a clash between Rainsborough and Ireton

Question 8

Military opposition to Parliament 1646-9

Answer 8

P failed to address the army’s concerns so they became more radical
Charles third reply to the Newcastle Propositions was accepted and Charles wanted further negotiations - angered army as felt Charles could not be trusted and the terms were too lenient
25 May - commons voted to disband the NMA with 8 weeks of arrears, subsequent rendezvous at Newmarket saw the emergence of a more formal political structure, the General Council of the Army, to lead the army to settlement

Question 9

What was the impact of the NMA seizing Charles in June 1647?

Answer 9

Direct negotiations via Heads of Proposals
4 June - Humble Remonstrance declared that NMA would not disband until grievances were met
A Representation of the Army outlined the army’s political position - purge of parliament, future parliaments of fixed duration, guaranteed rights of freedom of people to petition parliament, Liberty to tender consciences
Made it clear that settlement had to take their grievances into account

Question 10

What was the Solemn Engagement?

Answer 10

5 June 1647
Principally the work of Ireton
Suggested co-operation between the officers and adjutators

Question 11

The Heads of Proposals

Answer 11

Direct attempt to negotiate with the King
MAIN POINTS
Regular biennial parliaments
Reform of parliamentary representation
Parliamentary control of army and navy
Religious settlement of a national church with bishops but no coercive power
Only a few royalists exempted via Act of Oblivion
Willingness to compromise brought division in the army to a head

Question 12

The Engagement (December 1647) and its results

Answer 12

Signed with the Scots, agreeing to Presbyterianism in England for three years in return for a Scottish invasion to restore him to power
As a result, parliament passed the Vote of No Addresses - no further negotiations with Charles

Question 13

Windsor Prayer Meeting, April 1648

Answer 13

NMA met to pray before facing their enemies
Articulated regicide in public for the first time
Charles “that man of blood”

Question 14

The Second Civil War

Answer 14

Invading Scots army routed by a force 1/3 of their size at Preston (lead by Cromwell)
Turning point - many regarded settlement with Charles as impossible
Scared by the radicalism of the army and desperate to end the war, Parliament repealed the Vote of No Addresses
New negotiations put forward in the form of the Newport Treaty

Question 15

Remonstrance of the Army

Answer 15

Forced officers who were still relatively unradicalised to accept that justice should be enacted on Charles
Position of the army more formally outlined
Demanded Charles be put on trial - refusal by parliament called for a purge and then the Kings trial

Question 16

Pride’s Purge

Answer 16

Vote in Parliament 129/83 to continue with the Newport Treaty made the army act on the Remonstrance
Colonel Thomas Pride led troops to remove those most forward in negotiating with Charles 
Cromwell arrived in London on 6 December 1648 after the purge 
Purged parliament (the Rump) brought Charles to trial

Question 17

Charles’ trial

Answer 17

Many of those selected refused to sit
Charles refused to accept the courts legitimacy
Idea of ‘providence’ - God had led them to remove Charles
59 signed Charles’ death warrant, becoming regicides
Executed on 30 January 1649 outside Whitehall