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