SECTION B: The Short and Long Parliaments Flashcards
Background to the Short Parliament: What key events should you be mindful of? (The Scottish Crisis?)
- 1637: The Prayer Book Revolt
- 1638: The National Covenant
- 1639: The first Bishops’ War
The Short Parliament, a very brief overview
- 13th April-5th May 1640. Key figures: John Pym, John Hampden
- Charles recalls Thomas Wentworth, AKA the Earl of Strafford, to London in September 1639 due to the Scottish Crisis
- Stratford advises Charles that he should call another Parliament
- Stratford suggests this because he realises that a war effort would be dependent on Parliamentary concessions. Stratford believed that he could play on their anti-Scottish sentiment to make them act favourably. A letter had been intercepted from Scotland to France asking for aid, which made it more essential that Parliament should be submissive
- The Parliament were not as submissive as expected. They refused to grant the King taxes and quickly turned to religion
- King dissolves Parliament 5th May 1640
The second Bishops’ War, a very brief overview
- English army move North against the Scots
- Difficulty finding commander (Earl of Northumberland is ill and Strafford has gout)
- Scots are on the offensive. Whilst English march on York, Scottish forces sidestep them at the Battle of Newburn with minimum losses. Newcastle is captured
- Scots initiate embargo on London’s coal
- No commander–> Indecisive army –> fraternisation and desertion occur
- 24th September, Council of Peers meet at York and advise King to call a Parliament
- 21st October, Treaty of Ripon: Scots won’t march on York if
(i) They occupy Newcastle
(ii) Charles calls a Parliament
(iii) They are paid £850 daily until their demands are met
–> November 1640: Charles issues writs to county Sherifs to hold Parliamentary election = End of Personal Rule
Timeline: Key dates in 1640
- April-May: Short Parliament, New Ecclesiastical canons issued by a convocation of the CofE, Laud is attacked at Lambeth Palace by apprentices as he is seen as the architect of religious grievances and therefore the Scottish Crisis that had by extension caused the Parliament to fail
- August: Second Anglo-Scottish Bishops’ War, Battle of Newburn, Newcastle captured, Coal Embargo
- September: Council of Peers
- October: Treaty of Ripon
- November: Long Parliament + end of Personal Rule
The Long Parliament as a ‘Climacteric’ (Austin Woolrych)
- Period from Nov 1640- dissolution in 1642 is one of four that Austin Woolrych has identified as a ‘Climacteric’
- Climacteric: “bursts of change…in which political crisis was particularly intense and decisions particularly momentous”
- Other periods include 1066, 1485 and 1832
- In this period:
1) Long Parliament meeting in November 1640- outbreak of war August 1642
2) NMA’s defiance of Long Parliament in 1647–> second Civil War–> Regicide in 1649
3) 1653, Cromwell’s quarrel with Rump and establishment of the Protectorate
4) Army’s confrontation with Cromwell’s son Richard –> Restoration of Charles II 1660
The early months of the Long Parliament, November 1640
November
- Optimism, hopes that Reformation could be finished
- Strafford impeached and imprisoned
- Charles expected Parliament to finance further war with Scots
- Bastwick, Burton, Prynne, Leighton, Lilburne…all freed
The early months of the Long Parliament, December 1640
Dec 1640
- 1640 Canons voted illegal
- Laud impeached
- Judges who upheld Ship Money/Tonnage and Poundage are impeached
- Some flee to contenant (ie Finch)
The early months of the Long Parliament, January 1641
Jan 1641
- Law for the destruction of images, Charles promises to defend “true” religion of Elizabeth’s days
- Bishop Williams, Laud’s enemy, appointed Archbishop
The early months of the Long Parliament, Feb 1641
Important month for the dismantling of the Personal Rule
Feb 1641
- Root and Branch Petition proposed abolition of episcopalism
- -> Good indicator of later side taking
- February 1641, Triennial Act is passed meaning that a Parliament must be called every three years
Long Parliament, March 1641
March 1641
- Trial of Earl of Strafford begins (separate cards for this)
Long Parliament, April 1641
April 1641
- Prosecution of Strafford fails to prove case (separate cards for this)
- Army Plot: Pym reveals that some army officers had planned coup d’état with King’s support. Army would move from York to London, free Strafford and forcibly dissolve Parliament. May 3rd, army cannot breach Tower of London
- -> Bill of Attainder passed
Long Parliament, May 1641
May 1641
- Bishop’s exclusion bill: to prevent Bishops sitting in the House of Lords
- Strafford executed (separate cards for this)
- Riots in London
- Parliament can no longer be dissolved without its own consent
Long Parliament, June 1641
June 1641
- Tonnage and Poundage Act: Tonnage and Poundage abolished
- House of Lords rejects the Bishop’s exclusion bill (the Lords had several Bishops sitting on it
- Charles REJECTS 10 Propositions: Evil ministers excluded and Parliament to consent to all future appointments. Catholics around queen and children to be replaced with Protestants
Long Parliament, July 1641
*Important month for dismantling PR *
July 1641
- Act abolishing Star Chamber and the Court of High Commission
Long Parliament, August 1641
*Significant month for the dismantling of the Personal Rule
August 1641
- Act abolishing Ship Money
- Limitation of Forests Act
- Act abolishing the Distraint of Knighthood
- Charles visits Scotland
Long Parliament, October 1641
- Irish Rebellion, reports of violence by Catholics against Scotland. Rumours that Charles and Henrietta orchestrated it to advance popery, of a Catholic invasion, and that Charles will again try to use Irish troops in England
- The Incident: Attempted kidnapping of Marquiss of Argyll is foiled, Charles denies all involvement but is later forced to consent to abolition of episcopacy in Scotland
Long Parliament, November 1641
- Violent moods in light of Irish rebellion, mobs demonstrate across country
- John Pym presents the Grand Remonstrance to Parliament, an attack on the King’s rule. Proposes it be printed, claiming it is the Catholics in the court that have corrupted him
- Key moment: Parliament is threatening to overrule the King*
Long Parliament, December 1641
- Mobs frequent in London, terms ‘roundhead’ and ‘cavalier’ used
- Militia bill proposed by Oliver St John. Militia to be raised by Lord-General. Parliament to choose commanders. Bill passes but opposed by King (further encroachment on royal prerogative)
- Rumours that Henrietta Maria is to be impeached
Long Parliament, January 1642
- 4th: Charles attempts to arrest Pym and four others. Takes soldiers into Parliament. They had been tipped off and slipped away
- Mob denounce King and uphold the privileges of Parliament. Rumours of conspiracy against Parliament now believe them!
- Charles heads North, abandoning capital in a hurry. Conrad Russell stresses that this physical distance made Civil War a real possibility
Long Parliament, February 1642
Clue: February–> (F) stands for…
- Bishops’ Exclusion Bill is finally passed. Bishops, and many Royalists, leave Lords
- Henrietta Maria (F)lees to Holland
Long Parliament, March 1642
Clue: March–> (M) stands for…
- (M)ilitia Ordinance is issued without Charles’ consent. Allowed Parliament to control Militia and Navy by means of a Lord-General and Lord-Admiral
Long Parliament, April 1642
- Confrontation at Hull. Sir John Hotham refuses to surrender the royal arsenal to the King
Attempt on the 5 Members, 4th January 1642…name the 5? Acronym: “Slim John…”
- John Pym
- John Hampden
- Denzil Holles
- Sir Arthur Haselrig
- William Strode
- Edward Montagu
Slim John Doesn’t Wanna Eat Jam
Long Parliament, May 1642
- 37 of England’s 40 counties send petitions to Parliament requesting reconciliation and moderate religious reform