stuarts 2- interregnum Flashcards
stages of interregnum
- execution of Charles and establishment of commonwealth
consolidation fo commonwealth - 1550-1551
1553-55 Cromwell rise to power and protectorate
1655-57- Cromwell rule and challenges
1658- death of Cromwell political instability
1659-60- restoration of monarchy
when Charles I executed
- January 30, 1649: Charles I is executed at Whitehall following the English Civil War and his trial for high treason.
establishment of commonwealth
- monarchy abolished and eng declared republic
commonwealth established
leveller rebellion
eng declared republic
- February 1649: The monarchy is abolished, and England is declared a republic, with the Rump Parliamenttaking control of the government.
commonwealth established
- March 1649: The Commonwealth of England is formally established, led by the Rump Parliament, which excludes Royalist members.
leveller rebellion
- April 1649: The Leveller Rebellion is suppressed, as radical political factions demand more democratic reforms.
consolidation of the commonwealth
miniliarty success against scottish and royalist
Charles flees
Cromwell defeat scot
- March 1650: Oliver Cromwell defeats Scottish forces at the Battle of Dunbar, ensuring English control over Scotland.
Cromwell defeat royalist
- 1651: Cromwell defeats the Royalist forces at the Battle of Worcester, effectively ending the Royalist threat in England. Charles II flees to France.
cromwell rise to power and protectorate
- rump dismissed
lord proctor
instrument of gov
rump parliament dismissed
- April 1653: The Rump Parliament is dismissed by Oliver Cromwell. Dissatisfied with the Rump’s inefficiency, Cromwell uses military power to end Parliament’s rule
lord protector
- December 1653: Cromwell is named Lord Protector, marking the beginning of the Protectorate, a de facto monarchy, although still within a republican framework.
instrument of gov
- 1654–1655: Cromwell establishes the Instrument of Government, which sets out a constitution for the Protectorate and centralizes power in the hands of the Lord Protector.
Cromwell rule
- 1655: Cromwell divides England into 11 military districts, governed by major-generals. This is an attempt to enforce law and order, but it is unpopular.
- 1657: Cromwell is offered the Crown by some members of Parliament, but he refuses, choosing instead to remain Lord Protector, though with more power. This is a pivotal moment in his rule.wh
when is Cromwell offered crown
1657
death of Cromwell
- September 3, 1658: Oliver Cromwell dies, leaving the Protectorate to his son, Richard Cromwell. Richard lacks the authority and military backing of his father.
problem following Cromwell death
- May 1659: Richard Cromwell is forced to resign as Lord Protector. The Rump Parliament is reinstated, but the political instability continues.
restoration of monarchy
rump dissolved to convention parliament
Charles ii invited and does return
convention parliament formed
- 1659: The Rump Parliament is once again dissolved, and a new Parliament, known as the Convention Parliament, is formed. The situation grows more chaotic, with no strong leadership.
Charles ii invited return
- April 1660: Charles II is invited to return to England after exile in France. The monarchy is restored under the Declaration of Breda, which promises amnesty and religious tolerance.
restoration of the monarchy
- May 29, 1660: Charles II returns to England, marking the end of the Interregnum and the Restoration of the Monarchy.
radical projects for reform- success?
limited
political/constitutional reform
law reform
religious
political/constitutional reform interegnum
o God determined political eents- Cromwell eyes- allowed palriamnetarian success and creation of republic free from kings
republicanism
but limited
republicanism sucesses
philosophical background
constitutional changes
destruction symbols kingship
oath
security -
republicanism Phil background
Phil 0 early modern euo[e rise humanism- ancient rome and Greek- against backdrop absolutist lousi xiv and Charles
Harrington oceana 1656- look back Aristotle Polybius
Oevellers pampets
consgtitional changes for republicanism
Abolition ofmonarchy and hold ‘unec burdensome and dangerous ‘
destruction symbols of kingship
2y after regicide- henry marten secured agreem if hisue for destruction symbols kingship, monarchical memory erased royal insignia removed public places, coinage changes, king statue old exchange replaced by plaque ‘enter the tyrant, the at of kings’
gain loyalty to republicanism
One stage gaininglyalty- engagement 2 jan 1650- adult males declare would be true an faithful to commonwelath’ ‘withouot a king or hold
security - republican ism
1655 major general Cromwell divided enga dnw ales ten regions- personal militias, enforce morality laws pace ecclesiastical courts
republicanism limited
- Cromwell
- mixed constitution
republicanism limited Cromwell
Kept dissolving parliament yet turned down official title of king , Cromwell found ‘a settlement with somehwta of monarchical in it ‘
mixed constition= limited republicanism
Humaisn mach wanted mixed constitution
* 1654 1st protestation parlismnte- contsitionsl bill- mean palriamnet snot be adjourned proprgued or dissolved without ist consent
* Give agency an dpowe rto parliament- pass laws without fear of dissolved, yet dissoleved so oudlnt pass
legal reform - radical projects
- leveller
- comms
barebones parliament
lt impact
limitations- vested interests, composition parliaments Cromwell restroation
levellers- law reform
mutineies and pa,plets- sprig 1649 denoucne new regime no change in law
parliamentary law reform com
o Parliament- cpmm utilised to consider reform of law- little progress seen in 1649 bt
greater clarity seen in 1652 palrimanetary law comm- chairmanship of hald, latetr comm prepared 16 bills reforming system of law0 criminal law, procedure and common law court
Failed to pass as Cromwell dissolved palriamnet 1653
barebones law reform
- passed all 8 days, civil marriage (conducting marriages taking away clergy altogether, parishes elect registrar keep records)
lt impact law reform
determine the furue carcyer of the English legal system ‘ – ecclesiastical law roelaced common alw and criminal procedure imporved in favour of accused, tortrie no longer recognised legal process
Movement witnesses allowed fefednce charest reason 1695 eng reintroduced legal landg 1731
vested interests -law reform
- Landowners businessmen
- Lawyers
o Bulstrode whoplocke- talked out bills stopig practicing lawyers being mps
o saw law reform threat privilieged monopoly position- oppose
o more resistance with rump rather barebones- more laywers present in foemer
composition parliament - limited law reform
o minimal number radicals pushing- levellers middling sort, diggers lower orders (agrarian socialist- Winstanley and evrard- attempts to farm common land, creation small egalitiarian rural dommunity
Cromwell limited law reform
- despite comm hoc sep 1656 revise and onsiderall leg to decide which cont in force and hwihc repealed, nothing came of comm
- felt threatened by royalty- popularity of eikon basilikon- thus prining act of 1649 against scandalous books and pamphlets and etter egilayion fo prining
restoration limited law reform
gov paked juries and latin legal system
* Ecclesatsitcia courts 1660 and cofe
religious reform -radical projects
morality laws
liberty of conscience
morality laws success
Reformation fo manners, desire to uphold gods will. To aboid god wrath – deepy unpopular
* Depredation of oc encouraged oethr radcal sects0 swearing blasphemy excessive drinking and poor observance of sbbath- ranters
* Puritans swearing problems – bunyan children swore impress companion,r anters not scare do fgod
o 1650 palrimanet law heavy fines each case of swearing
morality laws limited success
o Limited success- sussex summer 1686 convicted 8 offnders
* Uncertainity what ocnstute a crime, reluctance porsecute indivdi own rnak
* Blasphemy upheld -nayler quaker re-enacted christ entry to jreursalem on pal Sunday Bristol oct 1656- flogged on street,brnaded forehead and imprisoned for life
* deeply unpopular
*
liberty of conscience - success
Cromwell instrument of gov 1653-
* Toleration hoped for- 1655-
Toleration act sept 1650
limited success liberty of conscience
- Blasphemy act 1648- persecution of nayler despite instrument of gov
Owen- ‘architect of the Cromwellian church’ sought draw up essential truths of chritsianity - Insistence on calvinsit orthodoxy and promotion of trinitarianism – exacerbate divisons between diff sects of prot
- 1654 essentail truths abandoned
- Persecution fo anti-trinitarinas used against infiv such as bidle- books brunt faced detah penalty
king valued-restoration
- Cromwell had been asked to be King and Charles brought back by the popular will: he was declared King by the Convention parliament.
- Parliament
parliament value king
does grant subsidies of its own accord: in 1661 it granted £1.2m, in 1663 and 1671 too.
- 1664 Triennial Act
trinnial act
1664
king should have parliament every 3y, if not automatically operate regardless of his will
restoration king not values
- Cromwell offered to be king
- crown lost objectivity
- religion
Cromwell offered to be king- not valued
bespeaks the deingration of the ideas of ‘blood’, divine appointment and succession which underpin the monarchy. From Guy being able to argue Mary I won the “universal votes and acclamations” of her people due to the legitimacy of her claim to the succession, the Parliament in 1679-82 believing it can change the succession by Act of parliament.
crown lost objectivity not valued
became submerged by ‘rival truth claims’, Hobbes’ Leviathan warns of the danger of the law becoming above the sovereign.
religion- not valued
Parliament denies to King’s prerogative over religion, a rejection of the religion of the monarch principle, tries to dictate a pro-Dutch foreign policy.
Cromwell instrument of gov- religious toleration
1653- guaranteed rfreedom for protestant minoritiesquakers could be one
* ‘saints civil magna charta’ bought ‘sober liberty’- midway licecne and tyranny inetdned to end savate attacks on quakerd sand socianians by dress
toleration act
1650 abolish compulsory attendance pairsh churches, indivdi greater feedom worship as wished- eg form own churches- fenstanton
Limited and contradict before
* Blasphemy act 1648- persecution of nayler despite instrument of gov
toleration hoped for
1655- ‘glorious union of the people of god, made to be one spirit’ albeit not ctaholics
how radical was the British republic
loa- radical in ambitions but constrained by con forces and practicalities of maintaining power r
– establishment f o the republic
- political reforms
what made execution of Charles more radical
first European monarch tried and executed by his people
limitations. to radicalism of creating a republic
practical structures of gov remained trad- reliance on parliament and existing landowning elites
political reforms
- instrument of gov- 1653- constitutional gov- regular elections and sops
- limited enfranchisement
- Cromwell rule increasingly authoritarian
limited enfranchisement
voting rights remained restricted to property owning men, excluding the majority of the pop
limitations on poetical reforms
The lack of enduring reforms and reliance on Cromwell’s military authority suggest a conservative underpinning.
religious radicalism
- abolishment episcopacy
- cromwellian religious toerance-
allowed non conformist prot groups flourish
proliferation radical religious sects- quaker levellers, diggers ranters advocate equality communal living social justice
religious radicalism limitations
Republic suppressed many of these radical movements when they threatened order, and Cromwell supported a conservative Puritan vision.
social and Econ impact s republic
- group levellers- social equality democratic reform- influence suppressed ruling elite
-land reforms proposed diggers0 redistribute land to poor but not widely aodpted - Econ policies favoured land-owning and merchant classes w little structural change for lower classes
limitations social Econ change- repoublic
Republic maintained existing hierarchies, with the elite benefiting most from the new regime.
fp and military power republic
-Success in wars against the Dutch (First Anglo-Dutch War, 1652–54) and Spain reflected a powerful, centralized state.
-Use of the New Model Army to enforce the Republic’s authority domestically and abroad.
-Expansion of British colonial interests under Cromwell’s Western Design (e.g., conquest of Jamaica in 1655).
assertive transformitive radical ambition
fp limitation republic
less ideologically radical and more pragmatic, aligning with traditional imperial ambitions.