English Civil War Reading

The Clash Between Parliament and the Stuart Monarchs

     The Stuart Kings, James I and Charles I, were unpopular.  They (a) claimed "divine right", (b) followed an unpopular foreign policy, (c) discriminated against the Puritans, a powerful Christian sect, (d) harmed the middle class by taxing it heavily while neglecting to further trade, (e) violated English law by imprisoning opponents without a fair trial, and (f) raised money by means not approved by Parliament.  Popular resentment against Stuart policies encouraged Parliament - with its many middle class Puritan members -  reassert its authority.

    

     In 1628, Parliament issued the "Petition of Right".  In the "Petition of Right", Parliament protested the despotism of Charles I and reaffirmed that the monarch, according to English law, may not (a) levy taxes without Parliament's consent, (b) imprison persons without a specific charge and without provision for jury trial, and (c) quarter (board) soldiers in private homes without the owner's permission.  By withholding new tax laws, Parliament finally compelled Charles to sign the Petition of Right.

     Charles disregarded the Petition of Right and denied Parliament's authority to curb his "divine right" rule.  From 1629 - 1640, Charles did not convene Parliament.  Ruling autocratically, he (a) illegally raised money, (b) illegally imprisoned his opponents, (c) utilized the royal Star Chamber Courts, where accused persons were denied a jury and often were tortured to compel them to testify against themselves, and (c) continued to persecute the Puritans.

 

     Desperate for funds to suppress a Scottish rebellion in 1640, Charles summoned Parliament into session.  He soon realized that the House of Commons was controlled by his enemies, the Puritans.  Charles' demand for new taxes was resisted by the Puritans, who insisted that he first abandon his autocratic policies.  In 1642 his unsuccessful attempt to arrest the Puritan leaders of the House of Commons led directly to the outbreak of Civil War.

 

The Puritan Revolution (1642 - 1660)

     Parliament rallied the middle class, the small landowners, and the Puritans - groups collectively called the "Roundheads".  Parliament also had the support of the Scottish, who had rebelled against Charles' interference with their Presbyterian religion.  Charles had the support of the nobility, the wealthy landowners, and high clergy from the Anglican and Catholic churches - groups collectively called the Cavaliers.  The Parliamentary forces were led by an ardent Puritan named Oliver Cromwell.  He decisively defeated the Cavaliers.

 

      Charles was captured by his enemies.  His most bitter foes in Parliament accused him of treason, murder, and tyranny.  He was placed on trial, convicted, and executed in 1649.  Although this extreme measure shocked many people, it reaffirmed that English monarch’s rule in accordance with the law, not divine right.

    

     England was declared a republic, or Commonwealth, and Cromwell, the victorious Puritan general, ruled as a military dictator from 1649 to 1658.  In 1653 he took the title of "Lord Protector".  A highly capable leader, Cromwell suppressed rebellions in Ireland and Scotland, furthered economic growth, and maintained a successful anti-Spanish foreign policy.  However, Cromwell's Puritan rule did not gain popular support.  Many English people objected to (a) Cromwell's dictatorial government and heavy taxes; (b) the role of Cromwell and his Puritan followers in the execution of Charles I; (c) Puritan intolerance of the Anglican religion - whose members were far more numerous than the Puritan minority; and (d) the severe Puritan moral code, which prohibited dancing, athletic games, theatrical performances, and other amusements.  Shortly after Cromwell's death in 1658, Puritan rule ended.

 

9) Refer back to your chart that compares authoritarian government with a representative liberal democracy. Which of the two types is closest to the form of government under Oliver Cromwell’s rule?  Support your answer by matching two features of Cromwell’s government with two features of either a representative liberal democracy or an authoritarian government.

 

The Stuart Monarchs Rule Again (1660 - 1688)

     Upon Parliament's invitation, Charles II (the exiled son of Charles I) returned to England and assumed the throne.  He pledged to observe the Magna Carta and the Petition of Right, and to respect the authority of Parliament.  In 1679, Charles yielded to Parliament's wishes and approved the Habeas Corpus Act.  This act limited the monarch's powers by providing that (a) an arrested person may secure from a judge a court order called a writ of habeas corpus and (b) by this writ the prisoner must be brought before the judge and given a statement of charges.  Thereafter, the prisoner may be released on bail pending a speedy trial.  Today, in both England and the United States, habeas corpus protects the individual against arbitrary arrest and imprisonment.

 

In 1685, Charles II died and his brother assumed the throne as James II.  A convert to Catholicism, James outraged the people and Parliament by (a) his pro-Catholic acts and (b) his efforts to dominate Parliament and revive "divine right" rule.  Moreover, the birth of his son aroused fear of continuing Catholic rule in England.

 

The Glorious Revolution (1688 - 1689)

      Parliament secretly offered the English crown to William, a Protestant ruler of Holland, and his wife Mary (Protestant daughter of James II).  They accepted.  When William arrived in England, James fled the country.  Parliament declared the throne vacant and proclaimed William and Mary the new King and Queen.  By this bloodless revolution in 1688, Parliament (a) finally ended "divine right" in England and (b) reaffirmed its supremacy over the monarch.

 

     As part of this Glorious Revolution, Parliament passed the (a) The Bill of Rights (1689) which provided that the monarch may not suspend laws, levy taxes, or maintain an army without the consent of Parliament; the monarch may not interfere with parliamentary elections and debates; Parliament must meet frequently; the monarch must be Anglican in religion; and the people are guaranteed basic civil liberties: the right to petition the government and to an impartial, speedy jury trial and protection against excessive bails, fines, and cruel and unusual punishments.  A hundred years later this great document served as a model for the first ten amendments of our Constitution - the American Bill of Rights.  Also passed was the (b) Toleration Act (1689) which granted freedom of worship to non-Anglican Protestants.