The English Revolution

Revolution: A revolution is a forcible overthrow of a government or social order, in favour of a new system.

Examples of Revolutions:

• French Revolution

• Russian Revolution

• Haitian Revolution

• American Revolution

Important people in the English Revolution:

• Charles I

• Oliver Cromwell

• Charles II

• New Model Army

Context:

Charles I needs money because he is hugely in debt with other countries, but he is having no success running the country. At the time, there are two ‘sides’ in Britain: parliamentarians and royalists. They both majorly disagree with what each other are saying and believe the country should be run in a different way. Charles I responds to this undermining of power by dissolving Parliament on various occasions. The two sides then battle each other for a long period of time. Another reason that the Parliamentarians were made angry, was because Charles I ordered the Scots to invade England to abolish the Parliamentarians but that plan fails. Charles I was then executed for treason. There is a then a Commonwealth formed by Thomas Cromwell to run the country, but after a while the Commonwealth fails at its job, and so Cromwell dissolves them. Thomas Cromwell was never established as king, but as ‘Lord Protector’. Cromwell was not a popular leader as he was known to have banned many things.

Reasons why this could not be considered a revolution:

There was always a king on the throne as ‘Lord Protector’ does the same things as a king.

Reasons why this could be considered a revolution:

The war and reform of Parliament limited the kings power during this period.

There was significant financial reform.

There was a new political inheritance.