The rump and the establishment of the commonwealth Flashcards
What was the reality if the rump Parliament?
It was a deeply divided body which only existed because of a military purge carried out by the army. It depended on the willingness of the army to support it.
What actions did the rump take in early 1649?
They abolished the monarchy and the House of Lords, they declared that England was now a commonwealth and created a council of state.
What was the rump’s purpose?
To consolidate what had been achieved with the defeat of the royalists, they did not want great social change or revolution.
What was the religious compilation of the rump?
There were many Presbyterians who wanted a state church, there were also independents, who wanted no state church and there were some who were harder to label such as the independent Presbyterians.
What did the rump pass in august 1650?
An act against blasphemy to curb the more extreme sectarians, they wanted to impose godliness upon the nation whilst also maintaining liberty of conscience.
What other religious reforms did the rump make?
They set up a committee for the propagation of the gospel in 1652 to create a system of supervision for clerical appointments. They had no intention of giving into the radicals’ demands for a complete break from the past.
Describe what the law was like in the 1640s
It was scandalously slow, highly expensive, corrupt and existed for the preserve of the privileged.
What legal reforms did the rump make and why were they so limited?
More lenient methods for punishing debtors and the use of English in court. They made no effort to make it more affordable or open it up for all people. This was because 70 of the rump’s 211 members were lawyers who benefitted from the system.
How did the merchant traders in the rump influence policy?
They prevented interference with monopolies and pushed for the passage of the 1651 navigation act which required all goods imported into Britain to be carried in on British vessels.
Did the rump pass any social reform measures?
Some limited measures such as the extension of education and poor relief, however, its preoccupation with war and national security deprived it of the opportunity to pass more measures.
How did the rump raise money?
The taxation of goods, the assessment, excise levies at ports, the sale of crown lands and the proceeds from confiscated royalist estates.
Why did the rump remain short of money even with its successful financial policies?
It could not keep up with the costs of campaigns in Ireland, Scotland and the dutch war.
What happened to the rump’s energy?
As the years passed it began to flag, in 1649 they passed 125 acts, by 1653, this was only 10.
Give a final judgment on the rump
In light of external pressures, doubts over legitimacy, divisions and military burdens, it could claim to have provided England with 4 1/2 years of relatively stable government.
Was the rump meant to be permanent?
No, in 1651 it had voted to disband itself by 1654, this worried the army as they thought the rump was maneuvering to prevent a genuinely new parliament being formed.
What worsened the army’s suspicions?
In April 1652 the rump began considering a bill bringing forward its dissolution, the army worried that the terms of the bill would allow the new parliament to be formed from virtually the same members.
What angered Cromwell?
The rump had previously promised they would suspend consideration of the bill, yet they went back on this promise.
Describe what Cromwell did
April 1653, he and his troops marched to Westminster and forcibly dissolved the rump, this was accompanied by the forcible dispersal of the council of state.
What had been Cromwell’s opinion of the rump?
He had genuinely wanted it to work, he had remained loyal to parliament throughout the period and really agonized over his decision to end it.
Explain why Cromwell did what he did
He had wanted the rump to succeed because, despite his radical religious ideas, he was a social and political conservative. Yet as time passed, he became outraged and disillusioned at the rump’s failure to live up to his expectations.
