Social divisions: political and religious radicalism Flashcards
What two parties were Parliament split into towards the end of the First Civil War?
Presbyterians (former Peace Party)
Independents (former War Party)
Who led the Presbyterian Party?
Denzil Holles, and the Earls of Essex and Manchester
What did the Presbyterian Party believe, in terms of Charles, and the NMA?
Believed that England needed to return to normality
- The NMA was too expensive to maintain and was a hotbed of radicals who threatened the natural order.
- They believed Charles should be given the benefit of the doubt and returned to full power.
What did the Presbyterian Party believe in terms of the Solemn League and Covenant?
They believe the Solemn League and Covenant offers the best chance at healing the divisions in the country and guaranteeing social stability, with a single national Presbyterian Church ensuring religious unity and stamping out radicalism.
What did Charles like about the Presbyterian Party?
Charles liked the social conservatism of the Presbyterian party, feeling this would benefit his cause.
- He understood that the longer he held out in reaching a settlement, divisions in Parliament would become more serious.
What did Charles continue to do during negotiations following the First Civil War?
Charles continued to draw out the negotiations, ensuring a settlement could not be reached.
What divisions began to emerge between the Scots and the English Presbyterians?
The Scots claimed that the Presbyterian church was based on Divine Law – but Parliament made it clear to the Scots that any religious settlement in England would owe its legal and moral authority to Parliament.
What were the Newcastle Propositions, when were they made, and what did they include?
Newcastle Propositions - July 1646
A Presbyterian settlement post-war which requested military subordination to Parliament, and punitive measures against prominent Royalists.
> Both Scots and English sought to impose harsh terms on the King due to his weakened bargaining power following the end of the First Civil War
How did Charles respond to the Newcastle Propositions?
Charles rejected it; harshness of the settlement meant it was unworkable.
How did the Independents relate to the War Party?
The Independents wanted the same thing as the War Party, they just also wanted an Independent religion – that is, religious tolerance for all strands of Protestantism.
Where did the social basis for the Independents lay?
Its social basis lay in the Parliamentarian army, and it drew its strength from small traders and artisans in London and people engaged in the manufacture of cloth in the provinces.
What were the Independents alarmed by?
The Independents were alarmed by the state of affairs.
They disliked the authoritarianism of Scottish Presbyterianism, and wanted a considerable measure of religious toleration.
What core concept did the Independents reject?
The Independents rejected the idea of an Established Church to which everybody was compelled to belong.
What did the Independents regard as a ‘true church’?
They regarded a true church as a gathering of ‘true believers’ – a voluntary association of like-minded people who agreed to form a church and to worship together according to their own lights.
> More diverse and radical religious thought
What two concepts were people promoted on in the New Model Army?
Godliness
Meritocracy
What impact did godliness and meritocracy have on radicalism and conservative-minded individuals?
- Godliness (promoted radicalism, more motivated, higher morale; compared to feudal armies composed of peasants)
- Meritocracy (Conservative-minded individuals may fear this as it is a system which undermines the existing social order and hierarchy)
Who were the Grandees of the NMA?
The Grandees of the NMA
- Sir Thomas Fairfax (Lord General of the Army)
- Oliver Cromwell (Second in Command)
- Henry Ireton (A leading general)
What was Sir Thomas Fairfax made in July 1647?
july 1647; made commander-in-chief of all Parliamentary forces
How many soldiers was the NMA composed of, and how much did it cost to maintain per month?
NMA, composed of 22,000 soldiers, cost £53,000 per month to maintain
What was ‘the first Presbyterian mistake’, and when did it happen?
March 1647 (‘the first Presbyterian mistake’)
- Presbyterian faction in Parliament misguidedly attempted to disband the NMA without settling arrears of pay, guaranteeing indemnity or making any provision for relief, enraging the common soldiery, and ensuring that many offices would become radicalised.
What was the response to the Presbyterian faction attempting to disband the NMA, and how did Parliament respond to this?
In response, a petition was circulated; Parliament demanded its suppression, and those who supported it condemned them as ‘enemies of the state’.
How did the New Model Army eventually respond to Parliament’s persistent attempts at disbanding the Army without redress of grievances?
The Army responded by kidnapping the King in July 1647, carried out on the initiative of the Agitators.
What did the kidnapping of the King in uly 1647 show about the relations between Parliament and the Army?
- Parliament could not negotiate with the King without the NMA’s approval
- Power of the rank and file soldiery, leading to opposition against the army, as ordinary people saw them as a threat to social order.
Where did rank-and-file soldiers get their radical ideas from?
Levellers, a radical, London-based political group which grew from 1646
