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85 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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What date did the Long Parliament first sit? |
3rd November 1640. |
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Where does the term Long Parliament derive from? |
The argument of some MPs that only they could agree to dissolution. They did not do so until 1660, which meant that they technically sat for 12 years. |
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What was the consensus among MPs? |
The majority of MPs wanted their grievances addressed from the start, but despite different ideas about religion and politics, few wanted a civil war. Most were loosely united against the abuses of Personal Rule and wanted to reform Charles' rule from within. |
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Who was the 4th Earl of Bedford? |
Francis Russell, a moderate politician who wanted to participate in Charles' government in the House of Lords to ensure good government. He was appointed as a Privy Councillor in 1641 and played a key role in the financial settlement for royal income, which meant Charles would not need to exploit prerogative. |
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What was involved in Bedford's 'bridge appointment' scheme? |
-Abolition of the most confrontational financial and political aspects of the Personal Rule -A return to an Elizabethan-based broad Protestant church -A separate financial settlement (as agreed by Parlaiemnt) for Charles |
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What positions did Bedford and Pym take? |
Bedford proposed taking the position of Lord Treasurer with Pym and Chancellor of the Exchequer. |
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What happened in May 1641? |
Bedford's death from smallpox made further progress difficult. |
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Why was Wentworth recalled from Ireland in 1639? |
To aid Charles in facing the Scots. |
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Outline the King's relationship with Wentworth |
-He was loyal to Charles & had shown his capability of dealing with conflict in Ireland -He was becoming Charles' main adviser, to sort out growing problems such as bankruptcy and war with the Covenanters -He supported Charles' desire to renew war against the Scots, whereas Parliament wanted to make peace |
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Outline Parliament's criticisms of Wentworth |
-Rough approach in Ireland & wanted subsidies for war against the Scots -Blamed 'evil councillors' for the Scottish crisis -A direct attack on Charles would undermine divine right and might prompt an unwanted revolution -Moderates: Bedford wanted him imprisoned -Radicals: Warwick & Scots wanted him executed |
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What was one of the first acts of Long Parliament? |
To impeach Wentworth for attempting to bring the Irish army to England to help Charles control his country. |
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Outline why Wentworth's impeachment was imposed |
-Parliament hoped that without his 'evil councillors' Charles would see the need to except reform and rule with Parliament -Rather than changing the whole system, the removal of Wentworth would allow replacement with men like Bedford and Pym, who would ensure what Parliament saw as good government |
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When did Wentworth's trial begin? |
March 1641. |
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What was a Bill of Attainder? |
A medieval method that allowed anyone who was seen as a threat to the state to be removed by Parliament without the need for a formal trial. |
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Why was a Bill of Attainder used against Wentworth? |
Pym was one of the leading figures in prosecuting the impeachment charge against Wentworth, but he very skillfully defended himself. |
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Why was there divided opinion about the Bill of Attainder? |
Some Parliamentarians such as Warwick fully supported the bill, but others such as Bedford were more cautious. Bedford was trying to negotiate 'bridge appointments' in return for a prevention of Wentworth's execution. |
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What happened in February 1641? |
The limits to Bedford's influence became clear when the Scots declared that they would not make peace unless there was an end to bishops in Scotland and Wentworth was dead. |
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How did Charles heighten political tension and undermine Wentworth's position? |
In April 1641, Charles ordered all officers to return to their commands with the English army in the north. This was seen as a plan to use the army against Parliament and there were also rumours that Charles was intending to dissolve Parliament. |
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Describe the Army Plot |
On 3rd May 1641 Pym revealed rumours of a royalist plot to Parliament. The plot centred on an attempt by officers to seize the Tower of London, release Wentworth and dissolve Parliament. The evidence for Charles' involvement was circumstantial, but many MPs believed he played a part. |
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What Acts did Parliament pass as a result of the Army Plot? |
Parliament passed a bill stating they could not be dissolved without their own consent, which Charles agreed to on 10th May. Parliament also drew up the Protestation Oath, reflecting the contemporary belief that Catholicism and absolutism were linked, and that there was a plot to establish them. |
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What was the vote for the Bill of Attainder against Wentworth? |
204 votes to 59. However, the total votes cast represented about only half total MPs. |
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Why did not every MP vote? |
Many simply did not vote or absented themselves from both the House of Commons and Lords. Increasingly, when it came to making real decisions, only the more committed were prepared to act. |
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What date was Wentworth executed? |
12th May 1641. |
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What was the impact of Wentworth's execution on Charles? |
Having agreed to his execution, Charles is said to have been less inclined to negotiate with Parliament. |
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What was the impact of death? |
Wentworth's death and, more fundamentally, the death of Bedford were quite literally the death knell for the 'bride appointment' scheme that otherwise yielded a settlement to the 1641 political crisis through Charles accepting some of his opponents in government. |
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What was the London crowd/ mob? |
A negative term given to Londoners who participated in politics and supported parliamentary causes. At its lowest level, it was a derogatory term based on fear of popular revolution. |
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How many Londoners signed the Root and Branch Petition? |
15,000. MPs were well aware of the potential of mobilising Londoners' support for their campaigns. |
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What was the significance of London? |
London was a sophisticated political arena with its own multi-layered systems of government and representation that had been established for centuries. |
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What was the Common Council? |
An established political system. The elections for this body in December 1641 produced a much more radical body more willing to organise popular support for Pym. |
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What impact did the London crowd have on Charles? |
It clearly made him fear for the safety of himself and and his family. |
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When did Pym emerge as a leading figure in the Commons? |
By 1640 he was the chief opponent to Charles. |
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List Pym's main aims |
-Removal & punishment of Charles' 'evil councillors' -Political settlement without the threat of being overturned by Charles -Removal of the threat of Catholic popery & the establishment of strong Protestantism |
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Quote historian Morrill on the link between Pym's aims |
What linked the three goals for Pym was what Morrill calls Pym's obsession with 'true religion.' |
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How were Charles' policies of the 1630s interpreted? |
As a dual policy of establishing Catholicism and absolutism. |
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What could not be isolated from politics? |
Religion. |
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What was Pym's agenda in the 1620s? |
He had sought to achieve from 'within' the adequate funding of royal government, and he wanted the Political Nation unified. |
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Why did Pym become more radical? |
Pym became more radical during Long Parliament as Charles continued to threaten to use force, as as a result of the heightened religious and political tension created by the Irish Rebellion. |
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List Pym's methods to achieve his aims |
-Impeachment of Wentworth & Laud -Alliance with the Scottish Covenanters -Supporting Bedford's 'bridge appointments' -Using parliamentary financial pressures to control Charles' political options -Parliament transferred itself some key prerogative powers of the Crown -Using parliamentary committees to steer towards settlement |
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Who was Pym? |
The visible and vocal face of what seemed an increasingly far too radical attack on Charles' prerogative, coupled with a dangerous appeal to the people outside Parliament. Thus Pym was seen as a symbol of how Parliament became more of a threat to moderates than Charles was in 1641. |
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What was the impact of Pym on moderates? |
The reaction to Pym led to the development of constitutional royalism, the formation of a royalist party and, most importantly, the two divisions leading to an English civil war. |
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How was Pym referred to from 1641? |
"King Pym" as an indication of his prominence for the public and others at Westminster. His faction was "Pym's Junto" as Pym and his allies, such as Denzil Holles, had become the new ruling power through their control of Parliament. |
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What did the Root and Branch Petition demand? |
The end of bishops and episcopacy, and Puritanism was the force behind it. |
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Why did the Root and Branch Petition debate cause division? |
-Pym was seen as a chief supporter, but he did not aim to destroy the Church; he sought the removal of Charles' influence by establishing a system of lay patronage -What to replace Laudianism with; Laud was impeached in 1640-1 but not executed until 1645 -Removal of bishops undermined order of society |
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What does historian Smith argue about the Root and Branch Petition? |
The Petition debate was significant because it 'accurately prefigured subsequent political alliances at such an early date.' |
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What could the Commons agree on at the Petition debate? |
All the Commons could agree on was that the secular power of bishops should be curtailed, and an exclusion bill was written stating that bishops should no longer sit and vote in the House of Lords. This was sent to the Lords in March 1641 but rejected on 8th June 1641. |
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What was the Triennial Act? |
Passed 15th February 1641, the act abolished ship money without parliamentary consent. It also stated that Charles had to call a parliament every three years and that is should last a minimum of 50 days. If he failed to do this, the legal written order for calling Parliament would be done by the Lord Chancellor. This ensured there would not be another period of prolonged Personal Rule. |
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State the reasons why divisions in Parliament came about |
-Bill of Attainder: breakdown of unity had begun when some saw it as constitutionally dangerous -Preventing Personal Rule: MPs generally agreed that they did not want a repeat, but how to prevent it or what to replace it with bought up differences -Religion: issues such as bishops |
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What is the main reaction across 1640-42 labelled as? |
Constitutional royalism. |
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What did many nobles and gentry do in the face of radical Puritsnism? |
In the face of radicalism, in which Parliament would take over royal prerogative and the mob hold power, many panicked and looked to the concept of monarchy, rather than Charles himself, as the best protection for a moderate Protestant Church, law, order and continued influence. |
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List the concessions for Charles in the Ten Propositions |
-Parliamentary input into who was in the Privy Council -Parliamentary control of those around the queen -Parliamentary control over religious education for the royal children |
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What happened in Scotland in 1641? |
There was also a reaction, as many felt that the radicals in the Covenanting alliance had gone too far too fast. |
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What caused a significant division in Scotland? |
In August 1640 the Earl of Montrose and 17 other Scottish nobles signed the Cumbernauld Band, stating a desire to defend the king. |
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When did Charles leave for Scotland? |
August 1641. |
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Why was the Committee of Defence organised? |
Some of the English House of Commons distrusted Charles and organised the committee to send commissioners, one of which was Hampden, to keep an eye on Charles in Scotland. |
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What was the Incident? |
While Charles was in Scotland, there was a royalist plot to kidnap radical Scottish Covenanters. The instigators included more extreme royalists (Montrose) and moderate Covenanters (Argyll.) |
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What was the impact of the Incident for Charles? |
It destroyed Charles' hopes of gaining further support in Scotland as he was linked to this plot because he attended the Parliament in Edinburgh on 12th October, accompanied by an armed force. |
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When did Charles leave Scotland? |
17th November. He no longer had any support from the Scots, and was forced to appoint his opponents to key posts in the English Parliament. |
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When did the Irish Rebellion begin? |
October 1641 and lasted over the winter of 1641-42. |
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What was the impact of the fear of Catholicism? |
Fear and the imminent invasion of Catholic forces were heightened by the distorted accounts of the massacres presented by the press. Because of the fear, some Protestant MPs became radicalised. This fear was also fed by the Army Plot. The radicalisation in turn affected the development of support for the monarchy from moderate MPs. |
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Quote historian Russell on the impact of the Irish Rebellion |
A 'billiard-ball effect' in that the rebellion was promoted by events in Scotland and Ireland but in turn it radicalised the situation in England. |
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What was the Grand Remonstrance? |
A list of criticisms of Charles' government since 1625 which, for Pym, clearly showed why the king could not be trusted with control of the army that needed to be raised to crush the Irish Rebellion. |
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When was the Grand Remonstrance released? |
It was timed to come immediately before the king's belated return from Scotland, this was done to appeal to the London crowd to illustrate why Charles could not be trusted with an army. |
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What was the Assembly of Divines? |
Essentially a parliament of clergy, held separately at Westminster to discuss religious settlement. |
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List the reasons why the Grand Remonstrance was significant |
-Seen as a direct attack on Charles, even though it did not accuse the king directly -Political issues were being deliberately and openly directed away from Westminster in order to involve the people & put pressure on MPs -The debate whether to publish the Remonstrance shows division in Parliament (2 sides that would fight in the Civil War) |
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What was the result of the debate on the Grand Remonstrance? |
Passed 159 votes to 148 after a 12 hour debate on 23rd November. This result, along with the many MPs who had already left Parliament because of the development of parliamentary radicalism and Pym's growing influence, strongly indicated the reality of a royalist party. |
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Outline Royalist views in favour of Charles |
-Moderates reacted to the radicalism of the Grand Remonstrance -Moderates believed that Charles was the rightful commander of the army which was to be sent to Ireland |
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Outline radical views against Charles |
-Radical MPs supported the Grand Remonstrance, believing that Charles could not be trusted to lead the army against Catholic Ireland -One of the Irish leaders, Sir O'Neill, claimed to be killing English Protestants in Charles' name & produced a forged royal warrant (fuel to the idea he could not be trusted) |
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What was Pym's additional instruction in November 1641? |
It stated that if Parliament was going to help raise an army to subdue Ireland, Charles should appoint only councillors approved by Parliament; he won this 151 votes to 110. |
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State the aims of the Militia Bill, December 1641 |
-Remove the king's power over the trained bands completely -Give Parliament the power over the trained bands completely |
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Why was the Militia Bill revolutionary? |
It essentially proposed that Parliament would be in control of the army to crush the Irish rebels, it directly questioned Charles' royal prerogative and attempted to transfer those powers to Parliament. |
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What position did Charles appoint himself to in reaction to the Militia Bill? |
Defender of the 'fundamental law and constitution.' |
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Who was Edward Hyde? |
An MP in the Short and Long Parliament. Essentially a conservative, he moved over to support monarchy in 1641; he became a leading figure in the constitutional royalist party that sought to prevent the king taking any aggressive measures continuing in the search for settlement. |
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Who were the MPs that Charles announced the impeachment of in January 1642? |
Pym, Hampden, Haselrig, Holles, Strode and Edward Montagu. When he attempted to coup the members on 4th January, they had been forewarned and fled. |
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Why did Charles move his family to Hampton Court? |
For safety in the wake of popular demonstrations against him. The next time Charles went to London was for his execution in 7 years time. By leaving the capital, he effectively gave control of London to Parliament. |
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What was the purpose of the Exclusion Bill? |
To forcefully prevent bishops sitting in the House of Lords. It gained 30,000 signatures and was accepted by the Lords on 5th February 1642 after pressure from the London crowd, thus lessening the influence of the king on Parliament. |
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How much did Parliament propose raising to support the Militia Ordinance? |
£400,000, ironically through ship money. |
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What was the Commissions of Array? |
In response to the Militia Ordinance, Charles invoked a prerogative means of raising armed forces last used in the early 1500s. |
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Did the majority of both sides want to avoid war? |
Yes. |
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List the demands of the Nineteen Propositions, 1642 |
-All Privy Councillors were to be approved by Parliament -The 5 impeached MPs were to be pardoned -Charles had to accept the Triennial Act & Militia Ordinance -Parliament would direct a reformation of the Church |
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What did constitutional royalists write in response to the Propositions? |
The Answer to the Nineteen Propositions. It portrayed the king as the force that would prevent anarchy and stated that the proposals would lead to "a dark equal chaos of confusion" in which rebellion was imminent. |
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What was iconoclasm? |
The destruction or damage of icons in churches. In this period, it focused on stained glass or statues associated with the 'beauty of holiness' and Catholicism. |
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How did Puritans interpret icons? |
Superstitious and typical of Catholicism, they believed that the Bible was the word of God should be central to religion. |
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What became central to the emerging royalist party, 1641-42? |
The commitment to the established Church. |
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Who were most prepared to take action? |
Those most committed to religion. |
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Outline the role of Charles as the cause of the British Civil Wars |
He sparked the Scottish Rebellion; his policies in Ireland largely contributed to the outbreak of rebellion there; his imposition of Laudianism radicalised English Puritans. Without Charles, civil war would have been much less likely. |
