britain political 1

when did Charles I inherit the throne of England, Scotland and Ireland?

1625

what was the centre of political life under a monarchy?

the Royal Court

what was the Royal Court made up of?

the monarch’s friends, servants and associates, and important office-holders and some foreign ambassadors 

what was the Privy Council?

inside the Royal Court, an inner circle of close friends and advisers, who advised the monarch

why was England the dominant seat in government?

due to the wealth and power of England and the inclusion of Wales

what made the king’s power not unlimited?

it was generally recognised that the highest form of law was statute law, made by the King-in-Parliament which took precedence over prerogative actions

what was the Archbishop of Canterbury usually a member of?

normally a member of the Privy Council

who appointed the judges who staffed the common law courts?

the king

who administered the local law?

the local law was enforced by Justices of the Peace

at the lowest level, who assisted JPs?

they were assisted by parish officials like constables, overseers of the poor and church wardens

what was the main issue that Charles I inherited when he ascended the throne?

the main issue he faced was the war with Spain that had been fought by his father

what had James I done to try and avoid entanglement in the fighting?

he tried to intervene with diplomatic means, by trying to negotiate a marriage between his son and the king of Spain’s daughter, Infanta Maria. 

what did James I do to ensure his credentials when trying to intervene with the war with Spain?

he called a parliament and sought financial backing to prepare for war

what was the economy that Charles I inherited like?

he inherited an empty Treasury and dwindling credit

what loan did Charles I gain from the City of London merchants?

£60,000

what were the actions of the MPs focused on between 1625 - 29?

recognising parliamentary functions of taxation, defence of the common law and occasional attempts to bring ‘evil counsellors’ to impeachment

where did disagreements begin between king and parliament?

they began when the Commons refused to grant Charles the right to collect an excise tax - Tonnage and Poundage - for life in response to the Mansfield campaign.

what did the MPs do that would ensure Charles had to call Parliament regularly?

they suggested that a grant should be made for a year, to ensure that he had to call another parliament to get more money

what further set Parliament and Charles apart in regards to religious divides?

the mood darkened when Catholic Henrietta Maria arrived in England and established her own court of Catholic advisers. Charles had also shown his religious sympathies as he promoted Arminian clergy in the church and offering a position at court to Arminians like Richard Montagu

what happened with the naval expedition in Cadiz in Spain in 1625?

it was poorly trained and equipped and badly led by Buckingham’s nominee, Viscount Wimbledon. Parliament then started discussing impeachment proceedings against Buckingham, and Charles dissolved Parliament.

what did the 1626 parliament focus on instead of the issues of subsidies?

they focused on an attack