THE ENGLISH CIVIL WARS, THE INTERREGNUM, AND THE RESTORATION Flashcards
How many civil wars were there?
3
*First Civil War Dates: 1642 – 1646
*Second Civil War Dates: February – August 1648
*Third Civil War Dates: 1649 – 1651 (after the regicide; also called Cromwellian Conquest of Ireland
What were the causes of the civil wars?
*Primarily about the role of the monarch vs. the role of parliament
*Another cause: the religious identity of the nation, the leadership of the Church of England
What were the outcomes of the English Civil wars?
*Execution of King Charles I on January 30, 1649
*Third Civil War leads to confiscation of most property belonging to Catholics in Ireland
What are the important parties of the civil wars?
*Parliamentarian faction (Support Gov’t)
*Royalist faction (Support Monarchy)
*Radical faction (For common ppl)
What were the Wars of the Three Kingdom?
Broader series of conflicts from 1639 – 1653 fought in England, Scotland, and Ireland
*Argues the “civil wars” framework is too Anglocentric
What were the Wars of the Five Kingdoms?
*Emphasizes the roles of European proxies (France & Spain) in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms
*Used by historians who want to locate the conflict within the European context
What was the parliament at this time?
House of lords (born into)
House of Commons (elected by land holding men)
Why was parliament pissed with Charles 1?
Buddy would straight up not call parliament
England follows divine right of kings (so bro decides when they meet)
What is “Personal Rule” (1629 – 1640)
Repeated conflicts between Charles I and Parliament
What were some things Charles 1 did while struggling with “Personal Rule” (Parliament)
- Hard to raise money without parliament (he finds loopholes) = Pisses ppl off
- Religious reforms:
- Appoints an archbishop
- Creates religious traditions (pisses off Calvinist’s cuz they don’t like traditions - associated with catholics)
- Attempts to impose a new Book of Common Prayer on the Church of Scotland
- Revolt in Scotland
What does the 1640: Insolvency + revolt in Scotland cause Charles 1 to do? What does charles want to do?
Call Parliament
*Parliament opposes an invasion of Scotland & has other grievances
*Charles I dismisses Parliament after 3 weeks = “Short Parliament”
What happened after Charles called “Long Parliament”?
Same year as Scottish issue
*Passes several reforms limiting Charles I’s ability to interfere with Parliament & pass taxes without Parliament’s consent
How does Charles respond to the long parliament removing some of his powers?
*4 January 1642: Charles I & 400 soldiers storm Parliament to arrest 5 members
What was happening in Ireland?
1641: Catholics in Ireland rise up against English Protestants; rumours that the king supports them
What is happening in general outside parliament?
Local grievances against the king intensify
What happens to censorship?
1642: the censorship office collapses ideas can be freely shared
What are the four factions in the war?
- Royalists (Cavaliers)
- Parliamentarians (Roundheads)
- Presbyterians (Scottish Calvinists)
- Radical Factions
- Royalists (Cavaliers)
- Support King
- Parliamentarians (Roundheads)
- Support Parliament as top authority
- Presbyterians (Scottish Calvinists)
- Scottish Calvinists
- Radical Factions
- Many diff types (levelers, diggers, and 5th monarchist)
What is the new modern army?
Parliamentarian army created by parliament (1645)
It takes untrained people, trains and pays them
- Fight as a group
New Model Army members were supposed to be religious zealots as well = this made the NMA a hotbed for radicalism = issues for command
*Oliver Cromwell commanded a cavalry force, “the Ironsides”
*Royalist army was smaller but initially better-provisioned and better-trained
What happened in the first civil war?
London had parliament side
Royalist side in Oxford
New Model Army and Scottish invasion turn the tide of the war towards Parliament
*1646: Charles I surrenders to the Scottish arm
What happens in the interwar period?
New model army seize the king
The power of the Army starts to make all the other factions (including Parliament) concerned
- (Presbyterian Pivot Presbyterians did not oppose the king, just his policies)
What happens in the second war?
1648: Scotland invades England on behalf of Charles I & Royalists rise up (Cuz he’s their king too)
*Royalists quickly realize they cannot win and turn to negotiations
1648 = Parliament votes to continue negotiating a peace but Cromwell & the NMA opposed talks with “the tyrant” and purged Parliament of members who opposed the NMA = Forms the “Rump Parliament”
So what did Cromwell do?
Coup with his army
- most radical faction gains control of the king
- His radical rump government convicts the king (treason and other crimes)
What does Charles 1 say to his conviction?
I argues no earthly court can have authority over a king
*The court argues that “king” is an office that is inhabited by a person
What happens with Charles 1’s trial? (end result)
Regicide
Court condemns king to death on January 26, 1649
*59 commissioners sign the writ of execution
*Charles I is beheaded January 30, 1649
*Tries to use the pageantry to solidify his legacy on behalf of his surviving children (including heir, Charles II)
What type of governance did they do after King Charles died?
Republican Governance
Oliver Cromwell ruled as Lord Protector from 1653 – 1658
How did it go for Cromwell? (ruling)
He dismisses e Rump Parliament & replace it with a national assembly (Barebone assembly)
Cromwell is made Lord Protector by the Instrument of Government and granted executive power over the Commonwealth
dismisses the Protectorate Parliament and the Commonwealth is ruled by military men + then later calls second Protectorate Parliament
What did Cromwell do in Ireland?
-> Cromwell led a parliamentary invasion of Ireland to prevent Irish Catholics from allying with the Royalist
(He hated Irish ppl)
What brought Cromwell to leave Ireland?
1650: Cromwell is recalled to England to deal with the Scots who have just proclaimed Charles II King of Scotland
- Leaves son in law in charge (Ireton)
What does Cromwell’s son in law do? (Ireton)
Ireton’s attempts to crush Irish guerillas systematically removing and denying food to regions harbouring them = deliberate famine across Ireland
*Also executed any Irish leaders trying to defend their cities during English sieges
How did the commonwealth deal with Irish rebels?
1652: Commonwealth stripped land from rebels and passed it to planters, many Irish people were forced to move west of the River Shannon on pain of death, clergy banned, etc
How did the Scottish respond to Charles 1’s head in a basket?
Charles I was king of England and Scotland
Scottish parliament made Charles 2 king of Scotland (means war)
Charles II and Scottish forces invade England
*They are repelled and English forces under George Monck sack Dundee
- Charles 2 flees to france (and Scotland is ruled from England)
What did the Commonwealth Parliament reform?
*Banning Christmas and Easter celebrations (too much revelry) (noisy and happy)
*Banning the theatre and gambling
What reform does Cromwell see as his duty?
religious and moral reform as well as economic and jurisprudential policy*
Domestic policy: tolerationist, moralizing, austere
*Foreign policy: re-establish England as a dominant force in Europe, very anti-Spanish
*Cromwell becomes seen as the Protector of all Protestant
Does Cromwell accept or expel Jewish ppl?
Cromwell is in favour of re-admitting Jews to England but only achieves half-measures in 1654
Does / Can Cromwell bring censorship back?
Nope, free ideas everywhere
What are the two big colonial endeavors at this time?
- 1655: Western Design England wants to take Caribbean territory from Spain
- Plantations in Virginia, the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and Providence (they don’t like Cromwell)
What caused the succession crisis?
Cromwell kicks the bucket ‘58
Son is appointed (not like a king, just hereditary and called your highness)
- Son (Richard) brings back miliary rule
- New Model army takes over
How did people respond to Cromwell’s son handing over power to New Model Army?
1659: George Monck, Oliver Cromwell’s old ally, marched on London and convenes the Convention Parliament = largely Royalist
*The Convention Parliament negotiates the return of Charles II to England
What is the declaration of Breda?
Charles II promises if he is made king of England
drafted on George Monck’s recommendation
*Signed in Breda, Dutch Republic as a show of good faith
Charles II promises that, if he is made King of England again, he will:
*Pardon the people who wronged his family
*NOT reassign or confiscate property
*Continue Cromwell’s religious toleration policies
*Pay the army what it was owed
Why is Charles II the “merry monarch”?
*Return of the theatre, now with female actors!
*Lavish lifestyle, with at least 7 mistresses (and 12 illegitimate kids) but no heirs by his wife, Catherine of Braganza
*Patron of science as well due to personal interest = Royal Society
What does Charles 2 do about crimes committed during the wars? (Indemnity and Oblivion Act)
Indemnity and Oblivion Act
Charles gives royal assent to the Act, which gives a general pardon for crimes committed during the Civil Wars
*The Interregnum was “forgotten” by law
*Only exception: the regicide (executed the living ppl who signed bill to kill Charles 1)
Crown lands were restored to the Crown, private land seizures had to be privately litigated
What weird thing was done to the already deceased regicide supporters?
Posthumous execution
What was Charles 2 criticized for with Indemnity and Oblivion Act?
indemnity for his enemies, oblivion for his friend
Basically: Forgive enemies for crimes but doesn’t reward loyal friends
What is the Legacy of the Period?
Parliament = Legally Enshrined institution
Political parties form
No censorship
More toleration (Jewish) less for (catholic and atheist)
How did the monarchy continue after this?
Charles II died with no legitimate children
Brother James takes over (he’s catholic)
- Wife is protestant and daughters are too so okay
- Has a son and makes son catholic (Super unpopular dude!)
English politicos invite James’s son-in-law William of Orange to invade England and become king (they rule for a bit & die with no kids)
Anne inherits the throne; none of her children survived
*1707: Anne dies, ending the Stuart dynasty
What is the Act of Union?
combines England & Scotland into Kingdom of Great Britan
