Steps to civil war

1. Expectations and attitudes, NOV 1640

Pyms junto had organised oppositions against the King and had political policies people would support

2. 1640-41, constitutional reform

• Triennial act - parliament to be called even if the King didn’t

• Abolition of the prerogative courts

• Act to declare ship money illegal

• Strafford / wentworth declared guilty of treason

3. The summer of 1641, parliament attepr to ensure security - placing them at risk

parliament issued 10 propositions

• parliament would appoint the Kings ministers

• Catholics removed from queen and court

• Army to be disbannded before the king went to scotland

• Pardon for those who committed offence during personal rule

4. Religious grievances, 1641

• the root and branch petition was presented to the long parliament on the 11th of december 1640

  • From 15,000 london puritans supported by John Pym

  • Called on parliament to abolish episcopacy (having bishops in church)

  • By june, the removal of bishops in office leads to divisions in the commons

  • Between April and May 1641, fears of catholic plots rise through the first Army plot

4. Continued

Soon after, acts were passed

• to ensure parliament met every three years and could not be dissolved without its own consent

• To abolish prerogative courts which were seen as challenging the supremacy of the law

• To declare the collection of non-parliamentary taxation illegal

Irish rebellion

the 1st of november 1641

• thousands of English protestants were being massacred, and many castles and strongholds had fallen to the rebels

• Charles I was still in Scotland when this occurred - the irish claimed they were acting for the king, parliament was unsure if Charles should command the army

• a further opportunity for Pym to weaken the King

• John pym granted the money to put don the rebellion - on the condition that parliament would decide who would command the army

Pym issues the grand remonstrance, 1641

a review of the kings entire reign

• contained a list of demands for radical constitutional changes

• parliament to control the kings ministerss

• Bishops and catholic peers to be exluded from the house of lords

• Root and branch reform of the church

Passed only by 11 votes

Militia ordinance 1641-42

parliament claimed the authoirty to issue laws without the kings approval

• the king would not allow the ordinance to go unchallenged

• He commanded his subjects not to obey it through the commission of Arras, June 1642

• Parliament raises an army in july 1642

• Charles standard is raised at Nottingham castle in August 1642

Attempt of the Five members, 1642

• the king attempted a coup d’etat against parliaments leaders

• On the 4th of january - he entered parliament with 400 soldiers and called for the arrest of the 5 mot rebellious MPs

• They had already escaped by boat across the thames

The 19 propositions

• in june 1642

• These called for the approval of parliament in all affairs of state and the appointment of all ministers and the right of parliament to control the army