Causes for the Restoration in 1660

Caused by too much reliance on executive which meant psot OC's death, need for monarchy as head of exec branch was strong - but this was due to context of time not OC

Constitutional issues – crown and parl - here political instability*

• 1649-54 = Commonwealth

+ only est after CI executed Jan 1649 post vote of ~70 ppl

+ declared in May - only 129 in 1st council took the Engagement

+ 1953 Nominated Assembly - contained v few radicals, achieved few reforms

+ April 1953 NA shut down by Cromwell + 30 soldiers who marched into the Commons (Republic birth = unpopular -> lack of loyalty to it

+ Instrument of Gov Dec 1653 - made by Lambert and makes Cromwell Lord Prot

• 1654-59 = Protectorate

+ 1st Prot (Dec 1654-Jan 1655) - opposed OC, 100MPs forced to withdraw following Recognition Obligation

+ Republicans Marter and Ludlow challenge OC dictatorial rule

+ 2nd Prot (Sep 1656-1658) - 100 Reps excluded

+ end of decimation tax Jan 1657 = 1657 ends funding for Major Generals' rule, lots of diff leadership - instability

• 1659-60 = Commonwealth(return and failure)

+ 22 April 3rd Prot Parl dissolved/resigns - Rump recalled, works with army but by Oct 1659 collaboration failing

+ Rump challenges army -> physically crushed

+ army struggling - GCO* fails to collect taxes from London Merchants demanding 'free elections'

+ Monck intervenes Jan 1660 - og on Rump's orders, then sides with London in Feb -> instrumental to Declaration of Breda (as he organized secret negotiations w CII) therefore instrumental to Restoration

Finances

• 1649-54 = Commonwealth

+ Dec 1652 - Rump raised taxes from £90,00/yr->£120,000/yr, still had £700,000 revenue shortfall in 1653

• 1654-59 = Protectorate

+ OC + tried to maintain 10,000 cavalry and 20,000 footmen to be paid by 'constant yearly revenue' -> anger at high taxes -> uprising in March 1655 on behalf of CII (crushed)

+ decimation tax on royal estates (= anger) - then ended in Jan 1657 = end of Major Generals and undermined OC

+ Feb 1657 Humble Pet & Advice - £1.3m/yr to OC (£1m for forces)

+ Jan 1659 RC calls the 3rd Prot Parl to address serious financial issues -> April RC sides with Parl against GCO trying to dissolve it but GCO refuses it and wins so on 22nd April Parl dissolves

• 1659-60 = Commonwealth(return and failure)

Religious policy/tensions* - chaos = want of return of monarchy's stability

• 1649-54 = Commonwealth

+ 1649-50 inc Acts against the Detestable Sins of Profane Swearing and Cursing, Better Observation of the Lord's Day

+ compared to Toleration Act Sep 1650 - abolished need for attending church weekly (must go to some form of service though)

+ radical force - more attendance in gov than moderates, pass 30+ laws (inc Relief of Poor Debtors Sep 1949 and Civil Marriages) undermines Rump

+ 1653 OC asks 140 'godly men'  to bring about 'Godly Society' - instructions vague, greatened confusion of 1949-53

• 1654-59 = Protectorate

+ context of failed reforms - Major Generals (meant to apply laws vs drunkenness, blasphemy, profaning) fail to gain respect of gentry given low class staus

+ Quakers' growth - threat to social norms as refuse to pay tithe, don't take off hat

+ inc lack of religious toleration - brutal branding, hogging, imprisonment of Nayler (Oct 1656 enters Bristol on ass looking like Jesus)

+ other radical groups grew - Diggers, Ranters (legal and moral threat in belief of light of God in everyone), 5th Monarchists (threat as had military leadership support + wanted to purge country before arrival of Christ)

• 1659-60 = Commonwealth(return and failure)

 Foreign Affairs

• 1649-54 = Commonwealth

+ Summer 1649 20,000 troops go to Ireland under OC/Ireton successful (September Drogheda 3,000 killed)

+ Scots proclaim CII King Feb 1649 - CII arrives June 1650 setting up Presb Church so Scots attack England

+ OC leads 15,000 troops into Scotland - 3 Sep 1650 victory at Dunbar w 3,000 Scots killed but only 20 English (2:1 army ratio)

+ 3 Sep 1651 Scots invasion defeated at Worcester

+ Dutch - Navigation Act 1651 (Dutch ships can't stop in English ports as carry foreign goods, sailors refuse to salute Eng ships), War 1652-54

• 1654-59 = Protectorate

+ Dec 1654 English fleets set out to protect rights of merchants in Spanish Ports in Caribbean

+ April 1655 defeated by Spanish - (OC sees this as rebuke of god = most impose morals in country)

• 1659-60 = Commonwealth(return and failure)

Oliver Cromwell

(too much focus on him due to failed policies + reliance on army + no stable succession ensured)

• 1649-54 = Commonwealth

+ 1653 Cromwell made Lord Protectorate - introduced 'Heal and Settle' (moving away from Godly reform) and 'Just and Righteous Reformation' (aimed to purify country by outlawing drunkenness, swearing, sinful behaviours etc)

• 1654-59 = Protectorate

+ 1654 Triers and Ejectors introduced to purge/improve Clergy

+ 1654 Oath of Loyalty to OC personally as Lord Protector + Recognition of 4 fundamental principles

+ October 1655 purity instructions sent to major Generals to further purify Britain (hugely unpopular, contradictory to 'heal and settle')

+ tried to maintain 10,000 cavalry and 20,000 footmen to be paid by 'constant yearly revenue' -> anger at high taxes -> uprising in March 1655 on behalf of CII (crushed)

+ decimation tax on royal estates

+ 31st March 1657 Humble Petition and Advice - og form make OC King

+ Instrument of Gov - no provisions for amending judiciary

+ OC dided Sept 1658

• 1659-60 = Commonwealth(return and failure)

+ post OC death in 1658, no clear succession