The failure to compromise, 1640-49 Flashcards
What did MPs agree to do in 1640 - what did this mean for Charles I?
Abolish Ship Money and pass a Triennial Act, which meant that the monarch would have to call a parliament at least every three years - Charles I would not be able to repeat an extended period of Personal Rule.
Where did divisions among MPs begin to emerge, in 1640?
- Root and Branch Petition December 1640
- Bill of Attainder, May 1641
- Militia Bill, November 1641
- Grand Remonstrance, November 1641
Explain the Root and Branch Petition of December 1640, and how Conservatives viewed it.
- A petition form 15,000 London Puritans and supported by radical MP John Pym, called for the removal of bishops from the church
- Conservatives viewed this as a threat to the established order.
Explain the Bill of Attainder of May 1641, and how Conservatives viewed it.
- Used in parliament by Pym to justify the execution fo Charles’ principal minister, Thomas Wentworth, Earl of Strafford - a Bill of Attainder need less evidence to convict someone if they were regarded as a threat to the state
- Conservatives worried that using such a device was bending the law in a way that was as much a threat to the constitution as Charles’ actions
Explain the Militia Bill of November 1641, and how Conservatives viewed it.
- Proposed that parliament should control any army used to crush the Irish Rebellion that began in October 1641
- Conservatives regarded this as a direct threat to the most important royal prerogative - command of the armed forces
Explain the Grand Remonstrance of November 1641, and how moderates in the Commons viewed it.
- Pym in order to persuade wavering MPs to pass the Militia Bill, produced the Grand Remonstrance, a document listing Charles’ faults since 1625 and thus reasons why he could not be trusted with armed forces
- The moderates in the Commons saw little point in dragging up old grievances which had been resolved by legislation already passed - they also disliked the war the Remonstrance was not addressed to the king but seemed to be an appeal to the people
What did the reaction of Pym and his supporters become known as?
Constitutional royalism - supporting royalism as a source of order and stability.
What did Charles attempt to do in January 1642?
Arrest his five leading parliamentary opponents, accusing them of seeking to subvert the laws and government of England and encouraging the Scots to invade England.
Charles I’s attempt to arrest the ‘Five Members’ was the…
final straw for parliamentary opposition and highlighted how the king could no longer be trusted and that he was determined to restore his authority by force.
Why did Charles I leave London in 1642?
He felt intimidated by growing demonstrations and unrest in the city.
When Charles left London, the Commons and Lords passed the…
Militia Bill, taking away the king’s right to control his army.
What were some of demands included on the Nineteen Propositions - when were they presented?
Presented in June 1642:
- The Lords and Commons should approve all Privy Councillors
- Laws against Jesuits and recusants should be enforced
- The militia should be replaced under parliamentary control
- There should be sweeping reform of the church
- Parliament should supervise the upbringing and marriage of Charles’ children
What did the severity of the Nineteen Propositions suggest?
The parliament was not seriously intending to negotiate with the king.
In July 1642, parliament voted to…
raise an army under the leadership of the Earl of Essex.
In response to parliament raising an army, Charles I…
raised his standard in Nottingham and declared war on parliament.
