English Civil War Study Notes

English Civil War

Part 2

Table of Contents

  • Early Stuarts 01 02 Civil War

  • The Restoration 03

  • The Glorious Revolution 04

Background (1215-1603)

Magna Carta (1215)

  • King John I was forced to accept the Magna Carta, which was a list of demands made by the nobility.

  • This document established a contract between the king and the aristocracy and included principles that limited the king's power:

    • Established basic legal rights.

    • The king must ask for popular consent for taxes.

    • Accused persons must have a jury trial.

Model Parliament (1295)

  • King Edward I convened a Parliament consisting of military leaders and nobility to ask for consent for new taxes.

  • Established the principle of parliamentary "power of the purse," which signified that a monarch needed to seek parliamentary approval for taxation, a radical departure from previous practices.

Elizabethan “Bargain”

Parliament's Powers:

  • Given the power to tax.

  • Allowed to debate and amend disputed bills.

Monarch's Powers:

  • Retained royal prerogative concerning foreign policy.

The Early Stuarts (1603-1649)

James I (1603-1625)

  • Came to power peacefully following Elizabeth I.

  • Established the Stuart dynasty and ruled over England, Ireland, and Scotland (also known as James VI in Scotland).

  • Authorized the King James Version of the Bible.

  • Sought absolute power and wrote about the concept of Divine Right for kings, which alienated Parliament as he did not wish to cooperate with them like the Tudors had.

  • Alienated the Puritans through his staunch defense of the Anglican Church, leading many gentry (wealthy landowners below nobility) to sympathize with Puritanism. These Puritan gentry made up a significant portion of the House of Commons.

Growing Discontent

  • The suppression of Catholics and Jesuits under James I led to an armed revolt known as the Gunpowder Plot, spearheaded by Guy Fawkes, who attempted to blow up Parliament during a speech by James.

Problems Faced by James I:

  • Large royal debt.

  • Lack of familiarity with English customs and laws, having been Scottish.

  • Belief in the Divine Right of Kings led to conflicts with Parliament.

  • Pro-Catholic sympathies heightened tensions within the country.

  • Raised money without obtaining parliamentary consent, causing further alienation.

Charles I (1625-1649)

  • Engaged in elaborate ceremonies associated with the Anglican Church, which Puritans viewed as excessively pro-Catholic.

  • Engaged in continuous wars with Spain and France, leading to persistent financial needs.

  • Frequently faced Parliament's refusal to grant funds, which led him to dissolve Parliament and seek alternative revenue through forced loans and selling aristocratic titles.

The Petition of Rights (1628)

  • To obtain funds for his wars, Charles I made concessions:

    • No imprisonment without due cause.

    • No taxation without Parliament’s consent.

    • No housing of soldiers in private homes.

    • No imposition of martial law during peacetime.

  • After signing, Charles I ignored the petition and dissolved Parliament.

The “Short Parliament” (1640)

  • Summoned due to a rebellion in Scotland regarding land issues, but lasted only three weeks as Charles dismissed them after they demanded more property protections.

The “Long Parliament” (1640-1660)

  • Functioned from 1640 until 1660, largely due to military losses against Scotland which necessitated funds.

  • Passed the Triennial Act requiring Parliament to be called at least once every three years and forbade Charles from adjourning it without consent.

The Civil War (1642-1649)

Factions Involved

  • Royalists (Cavaliers):

    • Supported by the House of Lords, aristocracy, large landowners, and church officials, primarily from northern and western England.

  • Parliamentarians (Roundheads):

    • Supported by the House of Commons, Puritans, merchants, and townspeople, mainly from southern and eastern England.

Key Figures

Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658)

  • An officer in the Parliamentary army, he led the New Model Army that defeated royal forces and took control of the government.

Major Battles

  • Significant battles included Marston Moor (1644) and Naseby (1645), where Charles I was ultimately defeated and handed over to Parliament.

The Interregnum (1649-1660)

The Commonwealth (1649-1653)

  • Governed by Cromwell and the Rump Parliament, which was a constitutional republic.

  • This period produced a new constitution, establishing Cromwell as the executive with a Council of State annually elected by Parliament.

  • The governmental model was unprecedented, leading to a lack of recognition from European nations.

Regicide

  • Resulted in the beheading of Charles I in 1649, with the vote in favor of execution narrowly passing at 68-67.

The Protectorate (1653-1660)

  • Cromwell dismissed the ineffective constitution of the Commonwealth and ruled through military force.

  • Declared martial law and acted as a military dictator, crushing rebellions in Scotland and Ireland, leading to significant loss of life (40% of the Irish population affected).

Cromwell as Lord Protector

  • There was a longing for an end to martial law following Cromwell's death in 1658, at which point his son Richard succeeded him but proved ineffective and lasted only two years.

The Restoration (1660-1688)

King Charles II (1660-1685)

  • Noted for his charm, poise, and political skills.

  • Restored theaters and public entertainment that had closed during the Interregnum, and favored religious toleration despite secret Catholic leanings.

  • Led to the establishment of the "Cavalier Parliament" in 1661, composed of Royalists, which disbanded the Puritan army, pardoned Puritan rebels, and restored authority to the Church of England.

Legislation and Acts

  • Clarendon Code (1662): Required conformity to the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, forbidding non-conformists from public worship, teaching, and university attendance.

  • Test Act (1673): Excluded non-Anglicans from civilian and military roles, classifying Puritans as radicals and Catholics as traitors.

  • Habeas Corpus Act (1679): Allowed unjustly imprisoned individuals the right to challenge their detainment legally.

Foreign Policy

  • Charles II sought alliances against the Dutch, particularly with Louis XIV, culminating in the Treaty of Dover in 1670 to enhance British naval superiority.

King James II (1685-1688)

  • A Catholic convert, James II alienated many within Parliament.

  • Introduced Catholics into military leadership and maintained a standing army near London, surrounded himself with Catholic advisors, and undermined Anglican control of universities.

  • Declared the power to suspend or modify Acts of Parliament, further provoking opposition among the ruling classes.

Declaration of Liberty of Conscience (1687)

  • Extended religious toleration without parliamentary approval.

The Glorious Revolution (1688)

  • Leaders from the Whig and Tory parties invited James II's Protestant daughter Mary and her husband, William of Orange, to assume the throne. In exchange, they had to agree to establish a new constitutional monarchy aligned with the English Bill of Rights.

English Bill of Rights (1689)

  • Settled major issues between the monarchy and Parliament, serving as a model for the U.S. Bill of Rights and laying the foundation for the expansion of civil liberties in the 18th and 19th centuries in England.

  • Key provisions included:

    • The King cannot suspend the operation of laws.

    • The King cannot interfere with the normal course of justice.

    • Taxes cannot be levied, nor armies maintained in peacetime without Parliament's consent.

    • Freedom of speech in Parliamentary debates.

    • Sessions of Parliament must be held frequently.

    • Subjects have the right to seek bail and petition, as well as protection from excessive fines and cruel and unusual punishment.

    • The monarch must be Protestant.

    • Freedom from arbitrary arrest and censorship of the press was lifted.

Economic Changes in Britain

  • Britain emerged as the first country to loosen government control over markets, leading to:

    • Increased wages for workers.

    • Higher production and competition.

    • Decreased or eliminated tariffs.

  • The "putting-out system" expanded, resulting in:

    • More workshops and urbanization.

    • Increased market opportunities for buying and selling goods.

New Economic Practices

Venture Capital

  • The rise of banks and specialized lenders to finance new projects, leading to:

    • The establishment of the Bank of England as a limited liability corporation with the exclusive rights to lend to the government.

Property Rights

  • Protection of noble land ownership which increased profitability and spurred improvements.

Insurance Industry

  • Emergence of property insurance as a vital new industry, providing protection for assets and investment opportunities.