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40 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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What did James have little doubt about? |
His divine right to rule. Added to this belief was his experience of Scottish parliaments, which were more the tool of the Crown than the English institution. |
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Quote James' speech to Parliament in March 1610 |
"The state of monarchy is the supremest thing upon earth... even by God himself they are called gods." |
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What was evident in the latter part of the same speech? |
James' pragmatism and willingness to compromise for political stability, that was the mark for the rest of his kingship. |
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What was the key conflict of James' first Parliament? |
Prerogative and parliamentary privilege. As Britain has no written constitution, the balance between the monarch's and parliament's rights was a matter of interpretation and a source of conflict across the Stuart Age. |
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What was parliamentary privilege? |
A legal immunity enjoyed by MPs that allows them to speak freely without fear of legal action, such as not being arrested for controversial debates. This allowed Parliament to function effectively as a legislative body to the monarch. |
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List the 4 ancient privileges of Parliament |
-Free access to the monarch and the House of Lords to convey their opinion -Right to correct mistakes or misunderstandings that might prejudice the Commons -Freedom from arrest while Parliament is sitting & 20 days after disillusion -Freedom of speech (scope for dispute) |
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Outline Shirley's Case, 1604 |
Thomas Shirley MP was arrested for debt. His arrest upset MPs who were keen to establish their privileges (including no arrest unless for treason, felony or breach of the peace.) To assert their point, Parliament sent the governor of the Fleet debtors' prison, where he was held, to the Tower of London until Shirley was released. |
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What was The Form of Apology and Satisfaction? |
The document protested against James' handling of political issues, drew up by only some MPs. The Commons was more united against the king on the issues of union and finance, which dominated the session of 1606. |
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What was the union of England and Scotland a part of? |
James' design for a new kingdom to be secure internally and to have peace with Europe; James protested that he did not want to be a "husband to two wives." |
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Why was there opposition to union? |
Many were concerned about whether the new state would abolish English laws, because the king was the source of law and could reform legislation to give himself more scope to exercise absolute authority. There was opposition even over the name of 'Great Britain.' MPs displayed radical intolerance as well as economic logic. |
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What did James declare under royal proclamation? |
-His title would be 'King of Great Britain, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith' -A new 'unite' currency would be issued -All ships were to carry the new union flag |
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How does historian Croft describe the failure of union in 1606? |
'Hostility to the union proved impossible to overcome. MPs opposed on religious, legal, economic and political grounds. They also expressed distaste for the Scots.' The anti-Scottish stance alienated James from Parliament. |
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What was the reason for the dissolution of James' first Parliament? |
The failure to reach a parliamentary solution to the Crown's financial difficulties (collapse of the Great Contract), not solely conflict over the issue of union. |
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Quote James' letter to the Privy Council after the dissolution of his first Parliament |
"...no house but the House of Hell could have made so many complaints as they have already done... We do not know how were are supposed to have misbehaved. Spite and ill-will have been used against us. The Lower House has endangered our health, wounded out reputation, encroached upon many if our rights, and plagued our finances with their delays." |
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List the reasons why the Addled Parliament (1614) lasted no more than 8 weeks |
-Finance (Crown debt stood at £680,000; the ability to levy impositions remained a source of conflict) -Factional conflict (Howard's supported Catholic Spain, counterpart Protestant conflict) -Manipulation of MPs (Bacon's 'undertaking' attempted to influence elections through patronage) -James' indecisiveness (last minute Sectary of State, Winwood) -Impositions (issue remained since 1606) |
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What did 1621 parliament focus on? |
Monopolies, as a means of attacking Buckingham; factional infighting. |
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When did foreign policy become a parliamentary issue? |
1621, when James implied MPs could discuss it to frighten the Spanish into agreeing to the dynastic Spanish Match between Prince Charles and the infanta. |
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What happened on 3rd December 1621? |
The Commons went further on their anti-Spanish stance than anticipated and produced a petition criticising the Spanish Match. They later produced a protestation declaring it was their 'undoubted birthright' to discuss foreign policy; James ripped it from the Commons Journal and dissolved Parliament. |
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Describe the Madrid Trip, 1623 |
Prince Charles and Buckingham travelled to Spain to help complete the Spanish Match, but were intent on war with Spain upon their return, due to anti-Protestant sentiments in the court. Many MPs agreed with this, which made Charles politically popular on the surface; James warned of the long term political damage and the interrelated issues, which went on to torment Charles' early reign. |
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Outline the position of Rex Pacificus |
James secured peace with Spain in 1604 and continued to attempt to reconcile relations through the Spanish Match. Upon the outbreak of the Thirty Years War in 1618, James' response to this made him unpopular, the root of opposition in the 1621 Parliament. |
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What was the main point of contention in the 1624 Parliament? |
Foreign policy, whether England should intervene in the Thirty Years War and the start of the Anglo-Spanish war. MPs were reluctant to provide funds for the aggressive foreign policy, because it was against their financial interests despite anti-Catholic sentiment. |
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Did James have a working relationship with the Political Nation when he died in March 1625? |
Yes. |
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What issues remained central? |
Reoccurring themes of foreign policy, religion, finance and favourites. This was with the added pressure of a new monarch who was much less inclined to negotiate over prerogative; these aspects of Charles' rule were more damaging than any action of James. |
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What was the issue of finance in the 1625 Parliament? |
Charles needed £1 million for war but, partly because he didn't explain himself well, he was only granted 2 small subsidies of £140,000 and tonnage and poundage for one year. Despite this, he ignored Parliament and continued to levy tonnage and poundage after a year. |
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Why was Buckingham a source of tension? |
The enormous influence he had wielded since he first emerged as James' favourite in 1616, and his power had been extended in the 1620s. Under Charles, Buckingham was made Gentleman of the Bedchamber with access to the king at any hour. |
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Discuss the issues surrounding Arminianism |
Parliament attacked support of cleric Richard Montagu, in response, Charles appointed him royal cleric in 1625. This was a clear sign that Charles approved anti-Calvinist sentiments and disregarded Parliament's views. |
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Why was did the 1625 Parliament collapse? |
Charles himself created many of the problems. He would not make any concessions, he did not consult the court's most influential supporters, nor did he engage with leading figures in the Commons. In the end, Charles' response to parliamentary criticism of Buckingham and Montagu was to dissolve Parliament only 2 months after it had assembled. |
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Describe the foreign policy failure at Cadiz, 1625 |
Troops for the Count Mansfeld were raised by force and shipped to the Netherlands with no training and limited equipment; 4000/6000 troops died of disease and starvation. The English fleet failed to take the Spanish port or capture the fleet; more troops were lost through starvation than enemy gunfire. The failure made it necessary for Charles to call another Parliament for finance. |
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Who preached the opening sermon of the 1626 Parliament? |
Anti-Calvinist William Laud who stressed obedience to the king. This antagonised Parliament. |
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Who was removed and re-positioned as a sheriff?
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Parliamentary critics, including Edward Coke and Thomas Wentworth.
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What happened with impeachment in the 1626 Parliament? |
MPs started an impeachment process against Buckingham. John Eliot MP in particular directed the attack; the Earl of Bristol was an even bigger threat because he knew that Charles had bribed Spanish courtiers and promised concessions to English Catholics if the match was secured. There were counter charges of treason for Bristol and Buckingham. Parliament was dissolved to save Buckingham. |
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Quote Charles to Parliament in 1626 |
"...you begin to set the dice and make your own game. But I pray you be not deceived. It is not the parliamentary way, nor is it the way to deal with a king. Remember that parliaments are all together in my power for their calling, sitting and dissolution." This statement smacked of absolutism. |
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Describe the foreign policy failure at La Rochelle, 1627 |
Lord High Admiral was in charge of a reversal of Crown policy to aid the Catholic French monarch against the Portentous Huguenots. Buckingham's attempt at direct assault failed because the scaling ladders were too short; only 2989/ 78333 soldiers returned. The reversal of policy was rendered useless because Louis XIII had already made peace with the Huguenots, meaning Britain was now at war with Spain and France. Charles had to call another Parliament. |
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Describe the Five Knight's Case |
5 of the main Forced Loan resisters were imprisoned by Charles claiming a writ of habeas corpus (tried or released.) A judgement upheld Charles' prerogative to imprison without trial those who refused to pay. This was not a general right, it only applied to the particular case, but Charles used it as such. Any critic of the king was in danger of being imprisoned without reason at Charles' whim. |
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List the terms of the Petition of Right |
-No taxation without Parliamentary consent -No imprisonment without cause -No billeting -No martial law |
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What did Selden MP and Eliot MP want instead of the Coke's Petition of Right? |
The extreme critics considered creating a Bill or Rights stating the rights of the subjects that the king could not overrule, to prevent anything like the Five Knight's Case happening again. The Petition was less aggressive. |
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What initially happened when Charles was presented with the Petition of Rights? |
He failed to give royal assent, which raised the question as to whether he could be trusted. |
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How did Coke denounce Buckingham? |
He called him the "cause of all our miseries." |
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What happened on 23rd August 1628? |
Buckingham was assassinated by disgruntled soldier John Felton. He was stabbed in the chest at the Greyhound Inn in Portsmouth. Many suspected a Frenchman, but Felton confess and declared that he believed Buckingham was "cowardly, base, and deserveth not the name of a gentlemen or soldier." He was hanged at Tyburn, the traditional execution place of traitors. |
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What was Charles' reaction to Buckingham's death? |
He blamed Parliament for their negative portrayal of his favourite. Charles withdrew even further from the public and listened to the advice of his French Catholic wife, which was to have damaging political consequences in the long term. |
