Stuarts 1640-9 Flashcards
Why did Personal Rule end?
When L Parliament assembled Nov 1640 Charles was in a weak position:
• his 1630s / 1640s actions were universally condemned
• his privy counsellors were divided into competing factors
• he was dependant on Parliament to grant him money to pay Scots (£850 per day) and save him from humiliation of further military defeats
How did Parliament attack the prerogative?
- Lot of PR features swept away Feb-Aug 1641. Desire to dismantle religious and £ innovations of 1630s and punish those responsible- PR can’t be repeated, initially united
- Pym uses opportunity arrest & impeach advisors, Laud imprisoned Tower of London Dec 1640
- Triennial Act 15 Feb 1641
- 22nd March Strafford put on trial, Act of Attainder passed against him. Excecuted 12 May
- First Army Plot
- Perpetuity Act 10 May 1641 this Pa can only be dissolved at its own consent
- June 1641 Ch granted T&P but all other customs charges are abolished
- June 1642 Ten Propositions (inc P rights to approve kings advisors, measures to protect themselves from royal vengeance & Ch lose army control/ catch wife/ kids edu) refused went to Sct made Peace treaty, no longer pay
- July 1641 abolition of Prerogative Courts (Star Chamber, High Commission)
- August abolition of: ship money, distraint of knighthood
What problems remained when Parliament attacked the Perogative?
- Pym was not able to gain Ch agreement over appointment of new ministers
- no new source of £ to replace revenue lost
- 24 June HofL/C agreed 10P, Ch refused
- deep religious division. Root and Branch Bill (LDN) HofC Feb 1641 (hard line proposal abolish episcopacy, gov of church by bishops) endangered opposition to Ch, but Pym diverts attention to Westminster Assembly
What happened during the build up to war?
- Oct 1641 MPs return to Westminster, rumours of Irish Cath uprising ( attack prot 200,000 deaths, Irish army will land NW eng) reality less than 5,000
- 22 Nov Grand Remonstrance Pym attempt to unite against Ch, asserted 10P. Passes HofC only 11 votes, extent of divisions. More directed at people not king
- Dec Militia Bill army under P control. 158 vs 155, moderates flocked Ch
- Jan 1642 Rumours Pym impeach queen
- 3 Jan Ch orders HofL impeachment opponents, with support of 300 soldiers, 5 leading members already fled. Looks ineffective & tyrant
- 10 Jan Ch leaves Ldn, P pass militia ordinance
- 19 June 1642 19Propositions, education
- July P raise army
- Aug king declares war
Why had the position been transformed by the summer of 1642?
- P now deeply divided
- Ch sufficient supporters, could raise army
- Ch opponents equally determined to resort to force if necessary
Why did Parliament win the civil war?
- control of seas
- Scottish alliance
- self denying ordinance
- role of New Model Army
- Administritive & financial measures
- possession of wealthy territories (LDN)
- role of leaders, initially Pym, militarily Fairfax&Cromwell
Why did the royalists lose the civil war?
- ch was no war leader
- failure to press home early advantage
- reliant upon promotion based social status not merit
- failure to introduce new tax during early stages
- lack of successful alliance
- controlled less wealthy areas
- lacked foreign assistance
Failure to compromise: what were the post-war groups?
- Presbyterians- majority in P, eager to see Pres church and army disbanded
- Independents- minority in P but growing in influence as reps of religious sects resistant to State Church
- Army- theoretically under authority of P, but it’s rank and file soldiers supported by officers refused to disband until their pay had been met and they had received a guarantee that they would not be prosecuted for war deeds
- Scots- unhappy with P’s failure to impose Pres in accordance with the Solemn League and Covenant
• Charles plan to play these groups off each other, he judges that at this stage none of them intended his removal as king.
What were the attempts to reach a political settlement between the king & parliament?
• Newcastle Propositions: from P Jul 1646, from dominant Pres, restrict religious freedoms & bring radical elements under control. Also : P nominate key officers of state, P control militia for 20 years, bishops abolished, Pres church for 3 years
— Ch delayed answer, but u likely to accept
• Scottish Proposal: more generous, dissatisfied with P religious settlements
— Ch delayed, Scts handed him to Eng Feb 1647
• Whilst they were waiting radical Levellers developed political programme with NMA support, but amin concern was soldier pay. Cromwell spoke, P voted to disband army without pay = AMRY EMERGE AS RIBAL POLITICAL FORCE and elect own spokesman, Agitators
What conflict emerged between Parliament and the army April-August 1647?
- June 1647 Ch taken to Hampton Court under army supervision
- 5th June leading officials (inc Crom) signed Engagement to stand with army and established General Council consisting of Officers & Agitators, Cromwell placed army unity above other concerns
- Mid June rep of army Ireton published, included expulsion of 11 Pres MPs, reasonable reli tol, fresh elections and wider electorate
- 2nd Aug Heads of Proposals by Ireton presented by Council of the Amry to Ch as basis for negotiation. Included Biennial P (replaced Tri Act), P nominate key officers of state/control militia for 10 yrs, bish in church, restriction in civil matters. ch not accept
What conflict was there within the army Sept-Dec 1647?
- Leveller influence in army more pronounced, many demanded more radical demands. Oct 1647 L-influenced soldiers proposed Case of the Army Truly Stated, potential Settlement of The Agreement of the People (P dissolve, freedom of worship, law equally all men)
- Putney debates radicals vs leading officers. Radical spokesman Colonel Rainsborough demanded complete religious freedom, annual P elected by all adult males. Ireton for the army ‘grandees’ voters must have enough property to prevent easy migration. Cromwell sought to avoid breakdown
- debates ended by Ch escape from captivity. 26th Dec signed secret Engagement with the Scots, promised to establish Pres church for 3 years in return for military assistance, army learns and broke all negotiations with king
What happened during the Second Civil War Jan- Nov 1648?
- Jan angry P vote to hold no more negotiations, some MPs doubts but Ch refused to abolish bishops for more than 3yrs
- April Scots enter Eng triggering brief 2nd Civil War, easily defeated in Aug by Cromwell army
- Army presented a Remonstrance to Commons 20th Nov by Ireton which demanded Ch brought to justice, Crom saw Ch as betraying his people in eyes of God
- P sent 4 bills to Ch as a final demand (modified Newcastle P) Ch replied he would consider allowing P some militia control but confided his friends he had no intention, Ireton forestalled this settlement
What was Pride’s Purge?
- 5th Dec HofC voted 129 to 83 P commissioners should continue Ch talks
- 6th Dec HofC surrounded by soldiers from regiment of Colonel Pride, acting of Army Council. Excluded 186 MPs (who supported continued negotiations), arrested 45 (active in promoting further)
- left the Rump 240, 71 would be active in execution
- Commons asserted early Jan 1649 ‘supreme power in this nation’, no need HofL/king
- High Court of Justice created to try Ch, found guilty 27th Jan, beheaded 30th Jan
