Political Instability 1625-1688 Flashcards
What type of financial situation did Charles succeed?
- An empty treasury
What did Parliament not grant Charles for life?
- The excise tax of tonnage and poundage.
How did Charles raise funds in 1626?
- He introduced enforced taxation which led to the Five Knights Case in 1627.
What was the reoccuring issue between King and Parliament between 1625-1629?
- The dissolution of Parliament 4 times.
What was the Petition of Right in 1628
- The Petition of Right (1628) was a constitutional document sent by the English Parliament to King Charles I, demanding limits on royal authority and the protection ofpeople’s rights. It challenged the king’s power to levy taxes without Parliament’s consent, imprison people without cause, impose martial law in peacetime, and quarter troops in private homes.
Who a main puritan challenger of Charles II’s rule?
- John Pym
What happened when Charles refused the Petition of Right in 1628?
- Charles dissolved Parliament for 11 years as part of his Personal Rule.
What were the religious suspicions regarding Charles I?
- His support of the Arminian policies.
- His marriage to Henrietta Maria, a French catholic.
- His appointment of William Laud in 1628 as the Bishop of London.
Why did Charles I’s foreign policy cause discontent amongst puritan leaders?
- 1625 - Buckingham’s failed attack on Cadiz
1627 - Buckingham once again failing at La Rochelle in France.
What was the financial life of Charles I during Personal Rule?
- Charles couldn’t call on Parliament for funding anymore so he uses excise taxes such as fines for building on royal forests, the soap monopoly crisis in 1634 and the controversial ship money in 1635.
Why was Ship Money controversial
What? A tax traditionally levied on coastal towns to fund the navy.
Why Controversial? Charles I extended it to all of England without Parliament’s approval.
Impact? Seen as taxation without consent, angering landowners and fueling opposition to the king.
Result? Contributed to tensions leading to the English Civil War (1642–1651).
What was religious life like during Personal Rule?
- In 1633, Laud made changes to the church such as stained glass and windows, moved the altar, hinting a move towards catholicism.
- Laud was made Archbishop of Canterbury, a higher profile than before.
- Laudian authority was seen when Puritans Prynne, Bastwick and Burton criticised his regime and were executed.
Why was John Hampden’s ship money case controversial?
He lost by 7-5 which showed the unpopularity of Ship money taxation.
What happened between England and Scotland during the Personal Rule?
- In 1637, Charles imposed the Anglican prayer book on Scotland, a Presbyterian country, leading to riots in St Giles.
- As a results, the Scots signed a National Covenant, declaring their commitment to the Presyterian Church (1638)
- 1639, The first Bishops’ War
- 1640, The second Bishops’ War leads to an English loss and the Scots paying £850 per day to keep the Scots at Newcastle.
Why did the war with Scots create difficulty between Parliament and Charles?
- Charles had to call a short Parliament for funding with the Scots war but was dissolved in 3 weeks.
- He then had to call the Long Parliament, due to the Scots holding Newcastle, Parliament took control and imprisoned Laud.
What was the eventual cause of Civil War?
-Charles I raised his royal standard in Nottingham on 22 August 1642, officially declaring war against Parliament.
Why? After failed negotiations, tensions between Royalists (Cavaliers) and Parliamentarians (Roundheads) exploded over who should control the army and government.
How did Parliament try to negotiate with the King after the outbreak of Civil War?
- The Newcastle Propositions which called for a compromise in 1646 were rejected by the King.
What were the key features of the Newcastle Propositions?
Parliament controls the army for 20 years.
Bishops removed from the Church of England.
Strict Presbyterianism established for three years.
What was military activity during the 1640s?
- After the Battle of Edgehill, Cromwell led the New Model Army, a ruthless force which won Marston Moor and Naseby.
- The Case of the Army Truly Stated proposed the demands of the army to Parliament.
What were the key features of the Case of the Army truly stated?
Called for wider voting rights (not just property owners).
Challenged Parliament’s authority over the army.
Demanded legal and economic reforms for ordinary people.
What were the key features of the Heads of the proposals?
Regular biennial Parliaments.
Parliament controls the army for 10 years.
Religious tolerance (no strict Presbyterianism).
Royalists pardoned, except a few key figures.
What was Pride’s purge?
- The exclusion of roughly 100 MPs who hoped to reconnect with the King, for those who wanted his execution to take place.
What 3 ways to Parliament gain control between 1640 and 1649?
- Parliament gained control by passing the Triennial Act of 1641, executing Laud in 1645 and the execution of the monarch in 1649, establishing themselves as the rulers of England.
What were ideas of radicalism during the Civil War?
- Leveller influence in the New Model Army
- The Irish Rebellion in 1641 was overexaggerated by protestants who would slam catholic involvement.
- Ranters and digger influence in 1649.
What were the events of 1649?
- Charles was tried and executed in January
- The Rump Parliament abolished the monarchy and the House of Lords
- The Rump began selling crown lands to raise money.
- England was declared as a Commonwealth.
- The Rump raised money through a monthly assessment.
What were the events of 1650?
- Blasphemy Act was passed against religious radicalism.
- The Toleration Act saw the attendance of national churches no longer compulsory.
- An adultery act was passed.
- Cromwell defeated the scots at Dunbar.
What were the events of 1652?
- The First Anglo Dutch War began
How many acts were passed in 1652 and what did this prove?
- 51 acts passed showing the slow progress of the Rump.
What happens to Parliament in 1653?
- Cromwell dissolves the Rump as he believes that settlement isn’t being progressive enough.
What Parliament is formed after the Rump?
- The Barebones (Sometimes referred to as the Nominated Assembly)
Why was the barebones dissolved?
- The presence of too many radicals called fifth monarchists being allowed to be in Parliament.
What is the Government called after Barebones?
- First Protectorate Parliament (In other words, the Instrument of Government)
Why was the First Protectorate Parliament dissolved?
- Due to Republican MPs deliberately not accepting Cromwell as Lord Protectorate, a condition of the Instrument of Government.
What were the events of 1646?
- The end of the first Civil War where Charles I surrenders to the Scots.
- Parliament abolished bishops.
- As the war went on, divisions occurred between Parliament and the army.
- Parliament offered Charles its proposals at Newcastle in July 1646 but this was rejected by Charles.
What were the political events of 1647?
- The Scots handed Charles to the Parliament.
- Army size saw a proposal of reduction
- Agitators were called in to represent the army.
- Fearing a mutiny, the army are granted more money.
- Cromwell quashes the Leveller influence at the Putney Debates, but Charles escapes.
- Charles signs a secret treaty with the Scots to enter the Second Civil War.
What were the political events of 1648?
- The Scots entered the Civil War but were suppressed by Cromwell.
- Parliament presented the Grand Remonstrance to King Charles I.
- Parliament tried to negotiate with Charles again.
- Pride’s purge left a Rump of 240 MPs.
What Government is put in place after the First Protectorate?
- The Major Generals were given the right to restore manual order.
- They ended gambling and horseracing in some areas of the country.
Which quaker causes a protest?
- James Nayler remakes the arrival of Christ naked which is deemed ‘Horrid Blasphemy’.
- Cromwell defends Nayler but he is inevitably imprisoned.
What position is Cromwell offered but ultimately declines (state the year)
- In 1657, Cromwell is offered the Humble petition and advice which gives him access to the crown.
- Cromwell accepts the Humble Petition and advice but refuses the crown.
- Cromwell was restored as Lord Protector.
- A new House of Lords is established.
What were the political events of 1658?
- Cromwell dissolved the Second Protectorate Parliament and appoints Richard as his successor.
- Cromwell dies and his son becomes successor.
What were the political events of 1659?
- Richard Cromwell attacks the army and tries to restrict religious freedom but is inevitably asked to not rule the Third Protectorate.
- Army leaders restore the Rump under Monck on the promise that free elections will be called (Something which should’ve happened after Charles I’s death)
What were the political events of 1660?
- Convention Parliament assembles voting for a King, Lords and Commons leading to Charles Stuart returning as Charles II.
What is Charles II’s aim on religion?
- To limit religious freedom to dissenters.
What acts are passed to ensure a limit to religious freedom?
- The Clarendon Code (1661-65)
- Includes the Five Mile Act, Act of Uniformity, Corperation Act, Conventicle Act.
What was the Five Mile Act?
- issued in 1665 which forbade banished clergymen from living 5 miles within their parished area.
What was the Act of Uniformity?
- An act issues in 1662 which aimed to regularise the Church of England as England’s religion.
What was the Corporation Act 1661?
- The restriction of the power of puritans and presbyterians.
Why was the Cavalier Parliament elected?
- Thomas Venner’s fifth monarchist uprising triggered conservative attitudes in Parliament.
Which acts give the King more power and revert Cromwellian reform?
- The Licensing Act 1662
- Militia Act 1661
- Hearth Tax 1662
What is the Licensing Act 1662?
- Censored radical pamphlets.
What is the Militia Act 1661?
- Gave the King control of the army.
What is the Hearth Tax 1662?
- An issuing of tax to increase royal revenue.
What happened during the Second Anglo Dutch War?
- England were terribly defeated, costing lost.
What was the secret treaty between Charles II and Louis XIV?
- The agreement that they would support each other’s foreign ambitions in return that Charles converts to Catholicism.
What was Stop of the Exchequer?
- An event in 1672 where there was a suspension of all payments of Government debts due to a financial crisis.
How did the 1666 Great Fire of London create religious tension?
- Blamed on catholics.
How did the Declaration of Indulgence create religious tension?
- Declaration suggest religious sympathy to catholics.
What is the Test Act?
- Test Act passed in 1673 which stops Catholics from holding office.
What was the Popish Plot?
- Plot led by Titus Oates which predicts that Catholics were looking to assassinate King Charles II and seize power.
- This added to hate for catholicism.
