Part 5: The Interregnum, “The Kingless Experiment” - 1649 - 1660 Flashcards
What happened in Scotland after Charles I was executed?
Scottish Presbytarians announced Charles II as their king.
Charles II promised to uphold the Solemn league and covanent by allowing Presbytarinism to grow in England - plus the Scots did not like the NMA.
What happened in Ireland after Charles’ execution?
Cromwell’s army landed in Ireland in 1649 and began a brutal campaign. His forces took the city of Drogheda in 1649, where they killed over 3,000 people (including civilians), and Wexford was similarly attacked.
The violence and brutality of Cromwell’s campaign, combined with heavy economic exploitation of the Irish people, led to widespread suffering and the decimation of the Irish population.
Explain the Battle of Dunbar?
Battle of Dunbar, 1650
After Charles aligned with the Scots and promised to install Presbytarianism like orginally agreed in the Solemn League and Covanent they became a formidable force.
The Rump decided to act first and led by Cromwell attacked the Scots in Dunbar.
Despite being outnumbered and a weaker position, Cromwell decsively defeated them. They controlled parts of Scotland cutting off Charles II army from going back into Scotland.
Why was it Cromwell leading the invasion of Ireland / Scotland?
Fairfax (the old general of the NMA) was NOT a regicide and was critically worried by the increasing radicalisation of the NMA and so retired.
Cromwell took over.
Explain what happened after Dunbar?
Charles II and the Scots pushed into England 20,000 strong to restore the monarchy. Again, demoralised and unmotivated they were defeated at the Battle of Worcester in 1651 by Cromwell.
Charles’ army was overwhelmed and suffered heavy casualites.
Charles fled to Europe hiding behind an oak tree.
What was the outcome of Worcester?
The Battle of Worcester (1651) marked the end of the Royalist hopes for regaining the throne in the short term.
What did Cromwell’s victories in the Kingdom after 1649 mean?
Cromwell’s victory in Scotland, Ireland, and at Worcester secured the Rump Parliament’s hold on power, prolonging the Commonwealth and delaying the restoration of the monarchy until 1660.
The victories in Scotland, Ireland and Worcester saved the Rump in the short term and consolidated Cromwell as the dominant figure of the age.
It also meant that the army leaders had their belief that they were gods instruments reinfoced, and they became determined to force the conservative Rump politicans to usher in reform.
What were the 2 main towns destroyed by Cromwell in Ireland?
Drogheda and Wexford.
Summarise Cromwells time in Ireland argument?
“Cromwell spent only 9 months of his eventful life in Ireland, and yet he stands accused there of war crimes, religious persecution and ethnic cleansing on a dramatic scale. The massacres of thousands rank among the greatest atrocities in Anglo - Irish history.”
Summarise the NMA campaigns after Charles’ execution
The success of the NMA campaigns in Ireland, Scotland and England secured the Rump from the immediate military threat to its survival, although the NMA had to continue with lesser campaigns in the various kingdoms until 1660. The control they did exert prevented Charles II from taking control of England.
Yet, the political success of the NMA campaign was that the army leaders had their belief that they were god’s instruments reinforced, and they became determined to force the conservative Rump politicians to usher in reform. It was this that brought the underlying tensions between Parliament and the Army to surface in 1653 and ultimately led to Cromwell’s removal of the Rump.
What where the NMA views on the dutch?
The army saw the Protestant (mainly merchant class) Dutch republic as a natural ally because during the years of Laudian persecution, the religiously tolerant Dutch Republic was a haven for many religious radicals.
What was the First Dutch War?
The First Dutch War (1652 - 1654)
- A source of division between the army and the rump was the Dutch War.
- The NMA were more allied with the Dutch but the Rump strove for strategic and economic superiorty over them.
- After the Navigation Act in 1651 - only British ships could bring goods into England and its colonies.
- The martime tensions from the Act lead to skirmishes until a full on engagement in 1652 pushed the countries into war.
What was the Navigation Act?
Navigation Act, 1651
- Passed by the Rump.
- Supported by Cromwell - disputed by the army.
- The act specified that only English Ships should bring goods into England and its colonies. Decreasing British dependency on imports.
What were the impacts of the Dutch War on Rump / NMA relations?
The Dutch War not only created practical problems but also stoked army resentment over money being spent on the navy instead of the army, as well as the Rump’s use of the navy as a political counterweight to the army.
The army also disliked fighting against another Protestant Republic.
How was the Navy a “Political Counterweight” to the NMA?
The navy acted as a loyal, alternative military force that could be relied upon in situations where the army might pose a potential threat due to internal unrest.
By using the navy to project England’s power and maintain domestic order, the Rump ensured that the army’s dissatisfaction wouldn’t translate into a political challenge.
Why did the Rump fail?
The army grew increasingly frustrated with the Rump’s limited reform. Whilst there was a core of republicans who dominated the Rump, many of the MPs were relatively conservative (loads of MPs sat out of voting to execute Charles but had returned unhappy with the regicide).
What were the 2 key reasons for the dissolution of the Rump?
- The political Nations conservative nature was set against a radical minority who wanted to see further reforms to follow what they saw as the limited political revolution of 1649.
- The relationship between the NMA and parliament was fragile. The Rump theoretically held the power but they could only function under the protection of the NMA which held the real power.
Why was the Rump conservative despite Pride’s Purge?
(4 Reasons)
- The Rump came to power at the time of the worst economic crisis of the 17th century, which necessitated a more conservative approach.
- The threat from Ireland and Scotland and other European states meant that establishing a regime was more important than reform.
- Fear of radical religious groups. (Blasphemy Act)
- The Dutch War
What shows the authorative political nations conservatism?
Of the 41 MPs on the Council Of State - 22 refused to swear an oath acknowledging regicide and abolition of the Lords and Monarchy.
What was the Council Of State?
The Council of State was established by the Rump Parliament in 1649, immediately after the execution of Charles I. It was created to serve as the executive branch of the Commonwealth of England, effectively functioning as the government of the nation in the absence of a king. Its role was to carry out the policies decided by the Parliament and oversee day-to-day governance.
There were 41 members.
What was the Blasphemy Act?
Blasphemy Act, 1650
- The Act aimed to curb blasphemy and ensure that religious practice in England adhered to a more orthodox Protestant tradition.
- It put the cherry on top about the Rump’s conservatism.
- It supressed religious radical ideas and groups.
Why did Cromwell dissolve the Rump?
Cromwell was concerned with the Rump’s lack of progress and valued army unity over Parliamentary authority. Cromwell acted as a moderator of both and began the process of dissolving parliament in 1653.
What did Cromwell discover as he was dissolving the Rump?
Cromwell discovered that the Rump intended to set up its own committee to judge those who would be elected to the new parliament
He felt this would maintain the Rump’s power and prevent reform.
Thus, Cromwell acted and with Major - General Harrison, the leading millenarian fifth monarchist - he forcibly dissolved the Rump in April 1653.
Despite their conservatism and lack of reform, what did the Rump still do of relevance from 1649?
In 1650 they brought an end to compulsory attendance of the National Church.
They also changed all legal proceedings from Latin to English and established advancements of the gospel in Wales, Ireland and the North - key measures for Millenarian army leaders such as Harrison who wanted what they saw as less godly areas to be converted to their own views.
However, the Rump’s failed to embrace the full scale of the reforms they desired.
What did the dissolution of the Rump leave the political landscape like?
The dissolution left power in Cromwells hands - he was not interested in becoming a dictator and so sought another form of parliament. He turned to those he could trust the most - the godly (5th monarchists)
What did the 5th monarchists want after the dissolution of the Rump?
The Fifth Monarchists wanted a regime run exclusively by the “saints” based on their interpretation of the biblical books (Like the Book of Daniel). They became a group that aimed at removing the Rump and establishing godly rule. At the forefront of this pressure was Harrison.
Cromwell knew that the dissolution provided an opportunity to develop a godly parliament, and so he and Thomas Harrison formed the Barebones parliament / Nominated assembly / Parliament of saints.
What was the Fifth Monarchists views of the Rump Parliament?
The Fifth Monarchists, like many in the army, increasingly regarded the Rump as preventing the establishment of godly rule.
What was the nominated assembly?
BAREBONES PARLIAMENT (1653)
- Post Rump Parliament that was composed of “Godly” men.
- Members were nominated rather than elected - only 144 members (1/5th of the Long Parliament).
- 12 Fifth Monarchists led by Harrison who were organised and powerful.
What was negative about the nominated assembly?
It lacked popular legitimacy (as it was nominated not elected) and alienated non members of the political nation due to its religious radicalist nature.
It also failed to address political and economic issues exposed by the Dutch War.
What did the radicals push for in the nominated assembly that led to its downfall?
The radicals pushed for the abolishment of Tithes and cut army pay. This was provocative to a group the assembly was reliant on (the NMA).
Reforms were starting to seem too radical again and so the moderates (who never really supported the assembly) outvoted the radicals to hand power back to Cromwell where he was established as Lord Protector in the instrument of Government.
What did Cromwell say about the nominated assembly?
Cromwell later stated that if he allowed the continuation of the Nominated Assembly, it would have resulted in the** “destruction of all your laws and liberties.”**
They were simply too radical.
What did the Nominated Assembly represent in terms of Cromwell?
After the dissolution of the Rump, his own millenarianism saw him drawn to and influenced by the more radical millenarian Harrison.
The subsequent nominated assembly was thus a reflection of Cromwell’s own religious radicalism while its removal was illustrative of Cromwell’s political conservatism.
What was Cromwell generally torn between?
Cromwell remained torn between his competing religious radicalism and political conservatism.
How did the First Dutch War end?
Treaty of Westminister, 1654
