Rule of Charles I: 1625-39 Flashcards
What were Charles I’s 3 main problems?
Foreign policy, finance and religion
What was foreign policy like during the Personal Rule?
Failure. Disastrous raid of Cadiz, Spain 1625. War= very costly.
When Charles sought to help the Protestant French Huguenots, defeated at La Rochelle 1627.
Who oversaw foreign policy?
Duke of Buckingham
Who did Parliament want impeached after the defeats at Cadiz and La Rochelle?
Duke of Buckingham (foreign policy). Charles I refused to sacrifice Buckingham as a scapegoat
When was Buckingham assassinated?
Buckingham was assassinated in 1628, the public rejoiced= increased Charles I’s hostility towards parliament
Why had Charles I’s religious policy created political tension?
King= Arminian (form of Protestantism) which alienated the majority of the political class. Arminianism= very similar to Catholicism.
What did the attempt to impose the new Prayer Book on Scotland lead to?
Bishops Wars
What was finance like during the Personal Rule?
Parliament refuses king taxation (Tonnage and Poundage) for life. Charles needed to finance foreign policy (wars) through taxation, which needed parliamentary approval. In 1625 parliament agreed to 2 subsidies amounting to £140,000 (Charles needed £1 million), so he asked Commons for more. Parliament refused so in 1626, when short of funds, he dissolved parliament and decided to raise income himself
How did Charles raise income?
Forced loan (refusal to pay led to Five Knights case), Ship money, monopolies, fines for distraint of knighthood, forest laws
What was the forced loan?
forced loan from all taxpayers (not been agreed by parliament). It was successful in raising money, but caused significant resentment
Describe the Five Knights Case
In 1627, Five knights who refused to pay the loan were imprisoned and refused bail. Sued for release under habeas corpus. Charles= absolutist
What was Ship Money?
Originally coastal to fund maintenance of ships for war; Charles tuned it national.
Raised £200,000 annually
Who refused to pay Ship Money and why?
1636, John Hampden (member of Buckinghamshire gentry), as he believed it was an illegal tax imposed without the consent of Parliament. His trial= test case on legality of Ship Money; Judges in court were in the king’s favour when they made their decision, but margin of decision= 7-5
What were monopolies?
gave an individual/ company the right to dominate production of certain products. In 1634, Charles issued a monopoly for the production of soap: many driven out of business and prices increased
What were fines for the distraint of knighthood?
medieval custom whereby all those with land over £40 per annum were expected to be knighted by the monarch; fined if didn’t go
What were forest laws?
fines for building on, or encroaching on, royal forests
When did Charles first dissolve parliament and why?
In 1626, to raise income himself
When did Charles recall parliament and why?
In 1628 to provide funds for foreign policy
What was the Petition of Right and why was it created?
1628; MPs decided no money would be granted unless their grievances were addressed: no taxation without consent of parliament, no imprisonment without cause shown, no martial law or forced billeting of soldiers upon households against will
Did Charles accept the Petition of Right?
The king accepted the Petition as he was desperate for parliamentary funds, but his written reply didn’t use traditional form of words. The Commons insisted on the correct response and Charles gave it. This forced MPs to make a more direct statement of their concerns with the Three Resolutions of 1629. These denounced Arminianism and encouraged merchants to refuse to pay tonnage and poundage
When did Charles announce the dissolution of parliament?
- He resolved to govern without parliament = eleven years of Personal Rule
When Charles began his Personal Rule, how did Charles seek to secure his financial position?
Peace with France in 1629 and Spain in 1630 (Treaty of Madrid) and feudal dues (forest laws, monopolies, Ship Money)
When was Laud appointed as Archbishop of Canterbury?
1633
What did the key measures of Laudianism focus on and what religious reforms take place in the Church?
the ‘beauty of holiness’
vestments, decorated with statues and colour, organs restores, altar moved to east end of Church
How was conformity ensured in the Church?
measures enforced through the use of visitations and supervision through church courts (bishops’ representatives reported which churches were conforming and brought offenders before church courts)
How much opposition was there to Laudianism?
Initially, there was little opposition to Laudianism. Those who opposed were a minority, predominantly the more radical Puritans
What are some examples of Protestant groups?
Calvinists, presbyterians and puritans
In what years did Charles reign in eleven years of Personal Rule?
1629-1640
When did Charles recall parliament and why?
1640, as Charles called an army to finance an army to crush the Scots. This Short Parliament only lasted 3 weeks before it was dissolved by Charles who refused MPs demands to remove Laudianism and end the practice of fuedal dues before they would grant funds
How long did Short Parliament last?
3 weeks in 1640
What was the National Covenant?
organisation of resistance by Scottish Presbyterians (to defend the Kirk and restore their religious rights) to Charles I
What did Charles have the opportunity to do when Short Parliament assembled but what did he do instead?
Charles had the opportunity to make concessions, but instead he demanded money, so he was compelled to dissolve parliament after 3 weeks
Who won the Bishops’ Wars?
The Scots. Charles was forced to negotiate with the Scots and agreed they could keep Newcastle until a settlement was reached. Charles was forced to pay the Scots £850 a day until there was a settlement
When was Long Parliament called?
November 1640
What was the Royal Prerogative?
Charles believed that he had the power to make decisions beyond the competence of parliament
Why did parliament view Charles’ wife as a threat?
Queen Henrietta Maria was a Catholic and brought priests with her to court. She encouraged her children to practice Catholicism
What is an example of harsh treatment of opposition?
Trial of Prynne, Bastwick and Burton 1637. The Star Chamber sentenced 3 Puritan writers, who had published attacks on the government, to have their ears cut off and be branded on the cheeks before being imprisoned. Punishments usually given to common criminals, not gentlemen
In 1640, what did most MPs agree to abolish and what act did they pass in order for Charles to not repeat an extended period of Personal Rule?
Most MPs were united against the abuses of Charles’ Personal Rule. They agreed to abolish Ship Money and passed a Triennial Act, which meant that Charles would have to call a parliament every 3 years
Give 4 examples of divisions among MPs.
- Root and Branch Petition 1640
- Bill of Attainder 1641
- Militia Bill 1641
- Grand Remonstrance 1641
Explain what the Root and Branch Petition 1640 was and how conservatives viewed it.
15,000 London Puritans including radical MP John Pym, called for removal of bishops from the church. Conservatives viewed this as a threat to established order
Explain what the Bill of Attainder 1641 was and how conservatives viewed it.
Used in parliament by Pym to justify execution of Charles’ minister, Wentworth/ Strafford. Bill of Attainder needed less evidence to convict someone if they were threat to the state. Conservatives worried this was bending the law in a way that was as much a threat to constitution as Charles’ actions
Explain what the Militia Bill 1641 was and how conservatives viewed it.
proposed that parliament should control any army used to crush Irish Rebellion that began in 1641. Conservatives regarded this as a direct threat to most important royal prerogative: command of armed forces
Explain what the Grand Remonstrance 1641 was and how moderates viewed it.
Pym, in order to persuade MPs to pass the Militia Bill, made Grand Remonstrance, a document listing Charles’ faults and thus reasons why he couldn’t be trusted with armed forces. The moderates saw little point in dragging up old grievances which had been resolved by legislation already passed; also disliked how Remonstrance not addressed to king but appeal to people
Who were the Constitutional Royalists?
Moderate MPs that didn’t agree with Pym’s Junto. They supported royalism and favoured a settlement with both king and parliament
Who were the king’s ‘evil councellors’ and what happened to them during the Long Parliament?
Laud and Strafford. Imprisoned and impeached
What was ‘Pym’s Junto’?
group of Pym and his allies who led the opposition
What contributed to the build up to war?
Irish Rebellion 1641. Rumours of a rising amongst Irish Catholics and attacks on Protestant settlers in Ireland. 200,000 deaths (only 4,000 in reality). landing of Irish army in NW England
What did the Irish rebellion result in?
Grand Remonstrance
Describe Charles I’s attempt to arrest the 5 MPs
- Tried to arrest 5 leading parliamentary opponents, including Pym and Hampden. Thought Pym was planning on impeaching Queen. Five MPs were forewarned and fled. Final straw for parliamentary opposition
What did Charles’ attempt to arrest the 5 MPs show about him?
Absolutism and tyranny. Determined to restore his authority by force
What happened after the attempted arrest of the 5 MPs?
Charles and his family fled London. The Commons and Lords passed the Militia Bill 1641. Commons presented the Nineteen Propositions in 1642.
What were the demands of the Nineteen Propositions?
Laws against Jesuits and recusants should be enforced, militia should be under parliamentary control, should be reform of the church, parliament should supervise marriage of Charles’ children.
Would have essentially made Charles into a constitutional monarch
What did the severity of the 19 Propositions suggest about parliament?
parliament were not seriously intending to negotiate with the king
What happened after the 19 Propositions?
July 1642 parliament voted to raise an army under the leadership of the Earl of Essex. In response, in August Charles raised his standard in Nottingham and declared war on parliament (Civil War)
Where did Charles raise his standard?
Nottingham
Describe the events of 1642 during the First Civil War.
Charles was in a strong position. He had support of most of nobility, and most royalist generals were professional soldiers who had fought in Thirty Years War (his nephew, Prince Rupert). First major battle, at Edgehill, didn’t give either side victory, but allowed royalist forces march south to take London (weren’t able to take London)
What was the first major battle of the Civil War?
Battle of Edgehill
Describe what happened in 1643-34 during the First Civil War.
parliament had control of finances (London). In 1643, the Scots had concluded the Solemn League and Covenant, promising parliament help from the Scottish army
What two significant developments confirmed the growing strength of parliamentary position in 1645?
- Self-denying Ordinance: all members of parliament agreed to resign their military commands and were replaced by generals of proven military ability.
- parliamentary forces reorganised into New Model Army. Placed under command of Sir Thomas Fairfax, with Oliver Cromwell given command of cavalry
Who were the leaders of the New Model Army?
Sir Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell
How successful was the New Model Army?
successful. In final battle of war, at Naseby, royalist forces overwhelmed. New Model Army defeated royalist forces
What happened in 1642?
Charles fled to Oxford and surrendered to the Scots. Oxford fell to parliamentary forces, bringing First Civil War to an end
In what years did the First Civil War take place?
1642-46
What was the difference between the Political Presbyterians and Political Independants?
Political Presbyterians: majority of MPs, linked to Scottish Presbyterians
Political Independents: minority group in parliament, linked to MPs in New Model Army
When and what were the Newcastle Propositions?
- Political Presbyterian’s way to seek a compromise: abolish Anglican Church, anti-Catholic laws, parliament to take control of armed forces for 20 years
What are the consequences of the Newcastle Propositions 1646?
Negotiations on these proposals broke down, so in 1647 the Scots handed the king over to parliament
What are the Heads of Proposals?
- Far more moderate document than Newcastle Propositions, which suggests army wanted to establish a lasting and stable settlement. Main concern was to strengthen power of parliament: parliament should meet every 2 years, Anglican bishops to remain
What did Charles do instead of agreeing to the Heads of Proposals?
engaged in secret discussions with the Scots. Signed an agreement with Scots in 1647, promising to impose Presbyterianism in England for 3 years in exchange for a Scottish army
Second Civil War 1648
Charles was guilty for starting Second Civil War, and should be put on trial
What was Pride’s Purge?
When parliament voted to continue negotiations with the king, troops arrested 45 MPs and excluded hundreds of others from the Commons
Trial of Charles 1649
Charles refused to accept that any court had power to place divinely appointed monarch on trial, and wouldn’t answer charges made against him
When was Charles I executed?
1649
