Stuarts And The Civil War

Question 1

How had Charles alienated the people/parliament during personal rule?

Answer 1

• religion
• finance
• foreign policy
• absolutism

Question 2

What was the anti court consensus and who/what were the leaders and aims?

Answer 2

• party opposed to the king’s policies
• lead by John pym, with assistance from vane and St. John
• aims included stopping slide to Catholicism, punish king’s advisors (laud, Stratford, windibank), remove prerogative courts (star chamber), remove financial innovations (ship money) and restore old constitutional balance - NOT regicide and republicanism

Question 3

Parliamentarian demands after personal rule as leading to the civil war

Answer 3

• ended ship money/ other financial methods
• star chamber and high commission went
• triennial act passed
• strafford impeached and executed

Later.. demanded Charles accept such things as ten propositions and 19 propositions and grand remonstrance

Question 4

Why were the constitutional royalists formed?

Answer 4

• parliament insisting on appointing king’s advisors, commanders of castles and education of royal children. The 19 promos wanted control of military and root + branch petition wanted end of bishops. Parliament began to seem tyrannical
• led by sir Edward Hyde, Falkland and digby

Question 5

5 members coup 5th jan 1642 as leading to civil war

Answer 5

• In response to rumour Henrietta Maria would be impeached, Charles marched into House of Commons, proving his catholic and absolutist sentiments, as was appointment of Thomas Lunsford as lieutenant of Tower of London.
• parliament insisted Lunsford be removed and the king obliged

Question 6

Scottish incident in the road to the civil war

Answer 6

•earl of Montrose attempts to control section of army increased parliament distrust of Charles, though he was out of London at this point

Question 7

Charles responsibility in leading to civil war

Answer 7

• inconsistent in terms of parliament issues. Accepted triennial act, end of ship money and forest fines, star chamber and execution of strafford,
• but rejected 10 propos, 19 propos and grand remonstrance, causing parliament to push further. Rejection of 19 propos leads to parliament creating the committee of public safety
• did not appoint Essex to lead army in Ireland. This causes him to be on parliament’s side during war, depriving Charles of skilled general who fought in 30 yrs war

Question 8

Other factors contributing to civil war

Answer 8

• duke of Bedford death, had been negotiating betw pym and Charles
• poor harvest and trade in 1642 led to riots and radical preaching and gentry arming themselves. Charles was in the north whilst parliament was in London, so it was unclear who was in charge
• propaganda of royalist and anti-royalist pamphlets began appearing, causing many to join sides

Question 9

The Irish rebellion Oct/nov 1641 as contributing to the civil war

Answer 9

• an army would be needed to suppress it but parliament did not trust Charles with one which angered him
• rebels in Ireland claimed that they were supporting the king, which added to belief that Charles was catholic.
• Charles refused to appoint Essex, depriving him of an ally and irritating parliament

Question 10

The outbreak of the civil war

Answer 10

• Charles declares war on parliament on the 22nd August 1642 from Nottingham
• parliament err, stating that people who do not support parliament will be classed as delinquents

Question 11

The two sides and advantages during the civil war 1642-1646

Answer 11

•Charles - raised army and had better cavalry
- commanded by prince Rupert, skilled commander
-had to rely on gifts for money and finance was therefore an issue and Charles was not in a position to finance a long war.
-Dominated north and west of England. -15,000 men initially
•parliament - had navy under earl of Warwick, therefore had control of trade and transporting troops, and prevent potential Irish Catholic royalists from landing
-had control of London and east anglia, south and east, which was more wealthy and populated than north.
-pym’s system of tax collecting and compounding allowed for better finances for a long war
-15,000 men initially

Question 12

Opening shots of civil war

Answer 12

• king suffered setback by not capturing hull. First death in Manchester
• Charles slowly moved on London w army of 10,000, opposite Essex under parliamentary side

Question 13

Earl of Essex

Answer 13

•military experience,
Fought in 30 yrs war
•supported peace
•unsure about fighting king
•lost 6000 men as prisoners at lostwithiel

Question 14

Prince Rupert

Answer 14

• fought in 30 yrs war
• brilliant tactician and military commander
• lost control of cavalry at naseby
• ruthless, as seen in slaughter @ Bolton in 1644
• fought and won at battle of edge hill in October 1642

Question 15

Battle of edge hill October 23rd 1642

Answer 15

• first pitched battle. Both sides claimed victory
• royalists under prince Rupert and parliamentarians under Essex. Royalist cavalry superior whilst parliament had better infantry
• Essex forced to withdraw leaving oath to London open but Charles was too slow. 24,000 londoners has built defences in the delay and Charles was forced not to attack at Turnham Green and withdrew to oxford which meant the war would continue to the next year

Question 16

1643 during the war

Answer 16

•Charles aimed for 3 pronged attack - Newcastle moving south through Yorkshire
-hopton to Kent
- main force to London
• Newcastle won @ Walton mood, gaining control of entire north. Hampton successful in south but undisciplined troops wouldn’t advance further (localism, detriment to royalists). Charles delayed London’s and later siege to Gloucester
•Cromwell formed Ironsides - a well disciplined and trained cavalry
•Charles made cessation treaty in Ireland whilst parliament agreed to solemn league and covenant with the Scots (establishment of Presbyterian church after victory
•Scots under earl of leven pushes Newcastle into York. Rupert came for relief but was trapped by leven and eastern association army leading to marston moor in 1644

Question 17

Marston moor 2nd July 1644

Answer 17

• royalists under Rupert trapped between 3 parliamentary forces and Scotland
• royalists completely defeated, king lost north and York surrendered to parliament

Question 18

Why did the civil war last so long?

Answer 18

• poor leadership - royalists saw feud betw digby and Rupert and goring didn’t follow orders - parliamentarians saw Essex and Manchester acting on their own
• eg in marston moor, Essex and Waller wouldn’t work together (Essex beaten in lostwithel in West 6,000). Manchester also missed chance to destroy royalists after 2nd battle of Newbury

Question 19

Self denying ordinance

Answer 19

• failure of command saw removal of Essex and Manchester and dispute betw war and peace party
• Cromwell in war, independents, appeared radical. Manchester in peace, political Presbyterian, did not want to defeat king or overthrow him.
• peace party defeated in house of commons, issued self deny ordinance, which states that no MP could be commander (except Cromwell)

Question 20

Creation of the new model army 1644/1645

Answer 20

• NMA creates under command Of sir Thomas fairfax. Cromwell controlled cavalry. Skippan (influential Puritan) controlled infantry. Henry Irbton also had position
• promotion was based on merit not birth and the NMA became a disciplined and professional force that did not suffer from localism as the royalists did.
• independent religion spread through the army (belief in toleration, hostile to Anglicanism and Presbyterianism)
• NMA were militarily aggressive but religiously more tolerant, whilst Presbyterians were more passive militarily but more intolerant religiously

Question 21

Independents

Answer 21

• believed in religious toleration
• national church but no powers to force people to attend
• patron was Cromwell
• challenge to parliamentary Presbyterianism

Question 22

Battle of nasebey 14th June 1645

Answer 22

• Royalists caught at naseby by NMA, who had advantage
• Rupert defeated NMA In field but he lost control of cavalry, which allowed Cromwell and the parliamentary infantry to defeat them
• afterwards other royalist strongholds and forces were defeated such as siege of basing house and stoe-on-the-wald
• Charles surrendered to Scots in may and oxford surrendered in 1646

Question 23

Why did parliament win the civil war?

Answer 23

• possession of London - wealth, trade, logistical and authority advantage, infrastructure
• pym and finance - compounding tax is steady and sustainable for long war. Pym keeps parliament fairly united and makes deal with Scots
• Charles’ strategic failures - delays after edgehill leads to longer war he cannot finance. Goes to Gloucester rendering the 3 pronged attack useless. His cessation treaty with Ireland caused parliament to ally w Scots
• parliament control of sea - helps with trading, allows transportation of troops, prevents assistance of Ireland for Charles
• NMA - trained and disciplined, standing army not affected by localism, promoted on merit
• neutralism - ‘club men’ decided to ally with parliament and so their troops were replenished as opposed to Charles
• king’s advisors - digby and Rupert rivalry causes Rupert to be sacked. Rupert loses control at naseby leading to defeat. Digby and goring not soldiers but are advising Charles on military matters

Question 24

Discuss the various peace terms offered by parliament after their victory in the civil war

Answer 24

• oxford propositions - king to settle military with parliaments advice (becomes more drastic), only 2 royalist not to be pardoned. Bishops abolished. During the civil war
• Newcastle propositions - following civil war. Parliamentary control of militia for 20 years. 58 royalists not to be pardoned. Bishops abolished
• head of proposals - better deal for Charles. Parliament control of militia for 10 years, 7 royalists not pardoned.
• four bills - reverts to Newcastle proposition terms after Charles delaying

Question 25

Charles’ tactic dealing with parliament following defeat in civil war

Answer 25

• procrastinate and buy time in hope that parliament would reconsider or someone would rescue him
• results in parliament and Scots falling out as Scots have control of king and won’t give to parliament because they want a Presbyterian church implemented
• parliament and the NMA then fell out because parliament proposed a Presbyterian church for 3 years and the NMA are owed pay
• Scots and NMA fell out over religion
• main Scottish army fell out with Covenanters
• political independents and political Presbyterians in parliament fall out. Presbyterians but king for £400,000 from Scots

Question 26

Conflict between the NMA and parliament in 1647

Answer 26

• Parliament intend to disband a large portion of the NMA and sent the rest to Ireland whilst still underpaid which the NMA refused after being ordered to disband
• NMA issues solemn engagement stating they will not disband on the 29tb may 1647. They then took the king to Newmarket
• army marched to London demanding impeachment of various political Presbyterians including holles. The Presbyterians fled and caused sympathy. They then returned and 60 independents took refuge with army
• the NMA took London on 6th August and reinstated the 60

Question 27

Conflict within the army 1647

Answer 27

• rank and file v grandees
• soldiers believed generals would deal with king. Sent agitators as representatives to grandees. Mostly radical levellers demanding republicanism in all but name.
• grandees offered Charles head of proposals, a better deal for Charles than the Newcastle propos but he refused
• the grandees then met with the ageterers in the Putney debates
• Charles briefly escaped and later befriended a servant at carisbrook castle after he was recaptured who smuggled messages. He was thus able to negotiate with Scots and incite the second civil war, after which parliament forbade further negotiations

Question 28

Second civil war 1648

Answer 28

• large areas such as Kent and Essex were revolting against parliament and the Scots were marching south
• the rebellion was short lived because of the skill of the NMA and the Scots were defeated in August 1648
• parliament negotiated with Charles and offered four bills even after vote of no addresses forbidding negotiation. Charles procrastinated again

Question 29

Pride’s purge and Charles’ execution 1648-49

Answer 29

• army advocated heavily for Charles’ execution. Sent remonstrance to parliament stating that Charles was “the capital and grand author of all our trouble”
• pride’s purge - colonel pride stood at entrance of parliament and allowed only army supporters in (the rump) who decided to charge Charles with treason. The House of Lords refused to participate.
• a high court of justice was established and the trial was presided over by Oliver Cromwell. The people did not support this and Charles refused to acknowledge their authority
• Charles was found guilty and 59 commissioners signed his death warrant and he was executed on the 30th jan 1649

Question 30

Interregnum, protectorate and move to restoration timeline

Answer 30

• rump parliament 1649-53 - bareboned parliament/of saints/new Jerusalem. Republic/commonwealth
• protectorate 1653-59 - run by Cromwell as lord protector, then by his son Richard Cromwell
• move to restoration 1659 onward - after Richard loses power

Question 31

The rump 1649-1653

Answer 31

•first parliament o sit after execution of Charles consisting of those who supported the deed, referred to as such by Walker, an excluded mp from prides purge “this rump of a parliament with corrupt maggots in it”
•were not radical enough for NMA but not respectable enough for gentry/majority MPs
•republic officially established in 1649 and House of Lords abolished. Governing body called council of state
•rump then imposes the engagement demanding obedience in an attempt to legalise Charles’ execution. Many refused
•religion - wanted to prevent religious liberty. Introduced blasphemy act to deter radical groups such as ranters.
- various religious groups gained influence at this time including the ranters (nothing was a sin in the name of god) and the quakers, who did not believe in church organisation and were the largest of the extremist
groups. Cromwell does not approve
-religious acts designed to appease but upset anglicans
•adultery act introduced in an attempt to impose moral standards which briefly gained support for rump but was difficult to enforce (only 4 executed)

Question 32

Ireland and Scotland during the rump 1649-53

Answer 32

• Cromwell wants revenge against Ireland for porter down massacre in which 300 Protestants killed
• Ireland hates republic and a recon quest was needed for the rump due to fear it would provide base for Charles II
• Cromwell defeated Ireland in 1652 after landing in 1649 and the defeat was helped by Irish Catholic and royalist divisions. Made Cromwell popular in England
• Scots declares support for Charles ii in exchange for Charles favouring Presbyterian church. Cromwell defeated Scots at Dunbar in 1650 and Charles ii invasion failed at Worcester in 1651. Charles fled abroad afterwards

Question 33

The end of the rump

Answer 33

•Cromwell ejected the rump in 1653 using general Harrison’s (5th monarchist) regiment of army after levellers called for legislative reform

Question 34

Achievements/failure of rump 1649-53

Answer 34

• achievements - smashed Irish army and reconquered it - invoked 2 popular religious acts - dealt with Scots at Dunbar - prevents Charles ii invasion and 3rd civil war
• failure - did not make any legislative reforms - religious acts not enforced - did not embrace religious toleration - engagement act 1650 seen as tyrannical

Question 35

Barebones parliament and end of commonwealth April-December 1653

Answer 35

• parliament dominated by religious extremists through Arthur Squibb and do not like Cromwell or NMA
• Cromwell and other moderates stage a coup in December and power is returned to Cromwell

Question 36

Instrument of government and Cromwell as lord protector

Answer 36

• instrument of government attempt to provide a written constitution, pushed by general John lambert. Offered to Cromwell
• Cromwell accepted instrument of government and became lord protector on 16th December 1653.
• instrument of government includes that lord protector is head of state, toleration of all but catholics and every male over 21 with lands over £200 allowed to vote, amongst others

Question 37

England under the protectorate 1654-59

Answer 37

•royalists opposes Cromwell and the protectorate, as do republicans who oppose any single person head of state, as do religious radicals

Question 38

Church under Cromwell in the protectorate 1653-59

Answer 38

• England became most religiously tolerant country under Cromwell - catholics in practice allowed freedom, Jews readmitted, Cromwell attempts to prevent persecution of ranters and quakers
• though radicals don’t like protectorate for removing barebones parliament

Question 39

First protectorate parliament sept 1654- jan 1655

Answer 39

• Cromwell makes MPs sign recognition accepting gov as in instrument of government.
• parliament auspicious and question protectors right. They draw up measures at this point to reduce power of NMA and increase their own
• many MPs refuse to sign and many did not want to pay for army of 50,000 as states in the instrument of government (wanted no more than 30,000). Cromwell couldn’t risk it as he feared rebellion and needs support of NMA
• Cromwell appears as a dictator

Question 40

Royalist uprisings in protectorate

Answer 40

Cromwell always feared royalist uprisings but had little to fear except one which was easily defeated

Question 41

Lucy and colonel Hutchinson

Answer 41

• colonial Hutchinson fought in Civil war and signed Charles death warrant. Turned against Cromwell when he begins to behave dictatorially
• his wife Lucy uses this as evidence of his indiscriminate ideals in an attempt to release him from prison under Charles ii and protecting his legacy even after his death

Question 42

Major generals experiment 1655-56

Answer 42

• England divided to 11 districts to be ruled by major general to set up militia, enforce Elizabethan poor law, close brothels etc and were largely hated for removing entertainment. Basis of Puritan stereotype of grimness
• seen as imposing by gentry
• did help poor

Question 43

Second protectorate parliament 1656-1658

Answer 43

• major generals hated and Cromwell abandoned it
• Cromwell became more conservative but keeps some aspects of religious toleration such as James naylor
• Cromwell offered crown in ‘humble petition and advice’ but refused it as this would cause uproar with republicans, gentry and NMA
• Cromwell accepted revised petition which allowed him to name successor which was unpopular with men such as lambert
• petition was attacked and Cromwell dissolved parliament before a vote. He died on October in 1658 and his son Richard took over but quickly lost support

Question 44

Richard Cromwell’s protectorate 1658-59

Answer 44

• acceptable as not associated with death of Charles I. Had friends in gentry and even royalists
• not welcome in NMA led by lambert who schemed against him at Wallingford house.
• general monck advises Richard to disband a majority of the army bit Richard did not act at this point and Richard was thrown out of office on the 22nd April by lambert and fleetwood after members of the rump parliament began questioning the legality of the protectorate

Question 45

Restoration of the rump may 1659

Answer 45

•in debt and unpopular. Heselrige did not bring in radical reforms despite promising to do so

Question 46

Booths rebellion July 1659

Answer 46

• booth led rising in Cheshire demanding new elections.
• the NMA knew that due to unpopularity of rump this would result in restoration, so they, under lambert quashed the rebellion at winning ton bridge on August 18th

Question 47

Computer of safety October 1659

Answer 47

• NMA continued to put pressure on rump and when they approached parliament the rump disappeared. The army now had control and set up the committee of safety
• move to restoration growing as public debt was over £2 mil, support was low and religious/political extremism re-emerges ( levellers and quakers)

Question 48

General Monck

Answer 48

• has advised Richard to disband army
• threatened o march south against lambert if he did not restore civilian authority
• monck’s army paid from Scottish taxes and is loyal to him. His character is shrewd and underestimated by lambert. He manages to spread propaganda in lamberts army
• public support was on the side of Monck and he convinced 100 MPs who had been ejected in pride’s purge to return. They now outnumbered the rump and parliament was dissolved in 1660 after voting for new election
• he had convinced public opinion to swing onwards restoration, kept plan hidden. Referred to as grandmaster by Richard Hutton

Question 49

The convention parliament April 1660

Answer 49

• discusses whether Charles ii will be restored or not

* Monck had been in contact with Charles and his advisor Hyde and the result was the declaration of Breda

Question 50

Declaration of Breda 1660

Answer 50

• under the convention parliament stayed that
• enemies of monarch - must be punished by parliament not Charles and those who fought as parliamentarians must be pardoned
• religion - issues settled by parliament and catholics allowed to practice quietly. Charles grants toleration
• royalist land - taken from royalists not to be restored
• relationship betw king and parliament - king must convene parliament regularly and must not be absolutist
• monck’s army - must be paid

Question 51

Charles ii restoration

Answer 51

• declaration of Breda set terms of his restoration
• Charles had no intention of being absolutist and parliamentarians would not be punished
• Charles declared king on 8th may 1660. Ironic in that this was due to Monck who had been a parliamentarian during the civil war

Question 52

Hyde (advisor of Charles ii)

Answer 52

•liked by Charles ii but often claims that other advisors of Charles I were incompetent so as to absolve himself of blame