English Civil WarEnglish Civil WarBy Chris AndersonBy Chris Anderson

Randolph-Henry High Randolph-Henry High SchoolSchool

• When Elizabeth came to power, she had to share power

with Parliament• Parliament will gain more power under Elizabeth• She saw Parliament as an integral part of English

Politics• 1603: Elizabeth dies, Parliament attempts to gain more

power over national policy• this attempt for more power will lead to a major conflict

between the crown and Parliament--erupting into a Civil War

Opposition to the CrownOpposition to the Crown

• After Elizabeth comes James VI of Scotland--he becomes James I of England

• James starts a new English dynasty--Stuart• by 1603, he is already king in Scotland• soon after his coronation, James and Parliament

begin to have problems• James was not a good judge of people or situations• he was used to working with the very weak Scottish

Parliament

James I

• James was not ready to handle the powerful

English Parliament

• James believed in divine right of kings--that he received all of his power directly from God

• this belief in the divine right of kings will worsen the relationship between the crown and Parliament

• James will be somewhat dependent on Parliament--he keeps asking them for $

• James was not money wise--he kept spending $ on himself and the government (parties, etc.)

• James kept asking Parliament for $, but Parliament refused to give him all that he asked for

• in order to get all the $ he needed, James began selling titles of nobility

• Parliament and James differed over his

foreign policy

• Parliament becomes very upset when James ends the war with Spain--the peace treaty ending the war placed England into debt

• James will infuriate Parliament again by attempting to arrange a marriage for his son Charles

• James wanted his son to marry a Spanish (Catholic) princess

• Parliament feared that this marriage may bring Catholicism back to England

• Luckily for Parliament, the marriage plans did not carry through

• Religion was still playing a large part in the politics of

England• most people in England belonged to the Church of England• people in the Church of England still questioned the

doctrine and rituals of the Church of England• the Puritans will be a group that oppose the doctrine and

ritual of the Church of England– they wanted to get rid of all remaining Catholic ritual in the

church

– Puritans in Parliament also wanted to purify the church

• When James became king, the Puritans in Parliament asked James to sign a petition to make Puritan reforms--getting rid of Catholic ritual--in the Church of England

• James will reject this petition

• James told the Puritans to either conform to the Church of England or he would force them out of England

Charles I Inherits the ThroneCharles I Inherits the Throne

• 1625: James I dies leaving his son Charles to take over the throne

• Charles will inherit the problems that his father also had

• Charles did not like the Puritans and also believed in divine right of kings

• Charles also marries a Catholic--Henrietta Maria--the King of France’s sister

Charles I

Henrietta Maria

• Charles will eventually go to Parliament asking for $ to fight a war against France and Spain

• Parliament gives him some, but not all that he had asked for

• Charles dissolves--breaks up--Parliament because they did not give him all of the $

• he then will try to raise $ without Parliament– he tries to force landowners to give him $, but they refused

– those that refused the king, however, were placed in prison

– many in England become upset with Charles’ actions

• Charles will also upset people when he demands that his troops be boarded in peoples’ homes--billet

• Charles declares martial law--military rule--in many parts of England– in these places, the people lost their rights

• 1628: Charles recalls Parliament into session• by 1628, Charles had already engaged in wars

with both France and Spain

• This recalled Parliament has decided that they want to limit Charles’ power

• Parliament agreed to raise taxes for Charles’ wars if Charles signed the Petition Petition of Rightof Right

Petition of RightPetition of Right• 1.) the king could not collect taxes or force loans

without Parliament’s consent• 2.) the king could not imprison anyone without

just cause• 3.) troops could not be housed in a private home

against the will of the owner• 4.) the king could not declare marital law unless

England was at war

• Charles will sign the Petition of Right, but Charles’ behavior will remained unchanged

• nearly 1 year after he had signed the PoR, he again disbands Parliament and vowed never to recall Parliament back into session

• for the next 11 years, Charles rules over England without Parliament

• Charles collected his own taxes and imprisoned his enemies--direct violations of the Petition of Right

• At this same time, Charles is also causing problems with

England’s religion

• he appoints a new Archbishop of Canterbury--William Laud

• Charles and Laud will persecute the Puritans, denying the Puritans the rights to preach or publish their works

• Both Charles and Laud will burn Puritan works and publicly whip many Puritans

• Many Puritans will flee England and come to the English colonies looking for religious freedom

William Laud

• Between 1630 and 1643, hundred of

Puritans came to the Americas--Great Migration

• most Puritans did not leave England but stayed to fight against Charles

• Charles and Laud also began looking into the

religious realm of Scotland

• they both wanted to establish the Church of England in Scotland

• they tried to force the Calvinist Church of Scotland to accept the Church of England’s prayer book

• the Scots will deny the prayer book and pledge their religious freedom

• the Scots are ready for war

Beginnings of Civil WarBeginnings of Civil War• In the early 1640’s, Scotland will invade England• to defend England, Charles needed $• to get $, Charles will recall Parliament after it had

been dissolved for over 11 years• Parliament refused to talk about $ until they had

finished complaining about Charles• Charles wanted nothing to do with the

complaining and will again dissolve Parliament after only 3 weeks--Short ParliamentShort Parliament

• Charles still needed $ and will recall Parliament one more time

• members of Parliament wanted their complaints to be heard

• Parliament will be mostly controlled by Puritans• this Parliament will stay in session for a very long time

(20 years) and will be called the Long Parliament• the Long Parliament was determined to decrease

Charles’ power

• Charles’ special courts were eliminated by the Long Parliament

• the Parliamentary members pass laws requiring Parliament to be called every three (3) years

• illegal taxation was ended

• the Long Parliament will imprison Archbishop Laud and eventually execute him

• With all of the problems already occurring in England, more

problems will arise with Ireland

• since the 1100’s, relations between England and Ireland had been bad

• Ireland was Catholic and refused to accept the Church of England

• the Irish were upset over England’s taking of Irish land and giving it to Scotland

• 1641: the Irish rebel against the English

• Charles now had a major dilemma--both Ireland and Scotland were rebelling against him

• Charles now needed the Puritan Parliament’s

help

• however, Parliament began to split into 2 distinct groups

• the Puritans in Parliament were against the king

• the Royalist supported the king and opposed Puritan control over the Church of England

• 1642: Parliament created the “Nineteen Propositions”

• these propositions were designed to make Parliament the supreme power in England

• Charles, however, refused to follow the propositions

• Charles led troops into the House of Commons and attempted to arrest 5 Parliamentary leaders

• Charles’ show of force meant that war between the crown and Parliament was drawing very near

• Both sides begin to prepare for war

English Civil WarEnglish Civil War

• Charles created an army composed of nobles and landowners from the north and west of England– these were called Cavaliers

– mostly cavalry and horsemen

• the Puritans of Parliament gathered their military from the south and east of England– these people were called Roundheads

• The leader of the Roundheads--Oliver Cromwell• Cromwell was a very religious man and good

military leader• he led the Roundheads to many victories in the

English civil war • May,1646: the royalist forces--Cavaliers--

surrendered to the Puritans• Parliament will now have complete control over

English government

• Those Parliamentary members who

opposed the Puritans were removed

• the Puritan Parliament that was left behind was called the Rump Parliament

• Charles did not surrender until 1647

• Charles will be put on trial and be executed

• his execution shocked the English people

New GovernmentNew Government

• With the king now gone, Parliament attempts to create Republican form of government

• England will be declared a commonwealth--a state governed by elected representatives

• Parliament argued over reforms and did not hold new elections

• 1653: Oliver Cromwell took over Parliament by

force– Cromwell had been gaining lots of power and influence

because of his fighting in Ireland and Scotland

• Cromwell names himself Lord Protector and dismissed the Rump Parliament

• for 5 years, Cromwell will rule over England as a military dictator

Oliver Cromwell

Lord Protector to England

• Cromwell forced very strict rules on

the English people

• dancing, swearing, and gambling were outlawed in England

• swearing and missing church were punishable by fines

• 1658: Cromwell dies leaving his son, Richard, to take over England

• Richard was not like his father

• he was forced to resign

• the people of England had become frustrated with the constantly changing government, tired of military rule and civil war, and unhappy with Puritan restrictions

• the military government eventually recalled the Long Parliament to negotiate with Charles’ I son who had been living in France

• Parliament seemed ready to reinstate the

monarchy

• however, the ideas of a representative government and individual rights would remain part of the English government

• no monarch will have absolute power in England again