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English Civil War AP Euro Period 2
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Constitutionalism Constitutionalism: Government power is limited by law. There is a delicate balance between the power of government and the rights and liberties of individuals. England and Netherlands will end up becoming Constitutional states.
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English Society in the 17th century
Capitalism played a major role in increasing degree of social mobility Commercial Revolution significantly increased the size of the English middle class Improved agricultural techniques improved farming Size of the middle-class became proportionately larger than any country in Europe, with exception of Netherlands
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Gentry Wealthy landowners in the countryside – dominated politics in the House of Commons – England’s lower house in Parliament Relied heavily on legal precedent to limit the power of the king on economic and political matters Willing to pay taxes so long as the House of Commons had a say in national expenditures The issue of taxation will bring the House of Commons and the monarchy into direct conflict Many of the gentry had been commercially successful and have moved up from the middle-class into the upper- class Unlike in France, there was no stigma to paying taxes in England. Since the tax burden was more equitable in England, the peasantry was not as exploited
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Religion Calvinist population growing in England in the early 17th century Puritans sought to “purify” the Church of England by removing its Catholic elements “Protestant Work Ethic” profoundly impacted members of the middle-class and gentry Calvinists were highly opposed to any influence by the Catholic Church Will become problematic because James I and Charles I will seem to be sympathetic to Catholicism
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Problems facing English monarchs in 17th century
Stuarts ruled England for most of the 17th century Although exhibited absolute tendencies, restrained by the growth of Parliament James I ( ): First of the Stuart Kings- struggled with Parliament Charles I ( ): twice suspended Parliament, beheaded Charles II ( ): restored to the throne but with consent of Parliament James II ( ): exiled to France during “Glorious Revolution” Stuart family tree- They lacked the political astuteness of Elizabeth I
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Two Major Issues Prior to Civil War
Could the king govern without the consent of Parliament or go against the wishes of Parliament? Would the form of the Anglican Church follow the established hierarchal Episcopal form or acquire a Presbyterian form? Episcopal form meant king, Archbishop of Canterbury and bishops of church determined Church doctrine and practices (used in England) Presbyterian form allowed more freedom of conscience and dissent among church members (used in Scotland)
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Decline of royal absolutism in England
James I ( ) James believed in divine right of kings Convinced God’s legal representative on Earth Issue will be with Parliament Elizabeth I left no heir to the throne when she died in 1603 James VI of Scotland was next line to assume the throne, thus England got a Scottish king Firm believer of absolutism, like his contemporaries in France Claimed “no bishop; no king” in response to Calvinists who wanted to eliminate system of bishops in the Church of England Ineffective ruler, not a man of the people, convinced of Divine Right Lectured parliament on divine right which caused resentment and unwillingness to give up $$ Parliamentary members (as well as English society in general) had become more educated and were not willing to give in to the lavish lifestyles of kings
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Problems with Parliament
House of Lords generally supported king House of Commons guarded state’s money James and Stuart kings needed money Parliament demanded that James recognize its authority James imposed other customs duties (bypassed Parliament) James could not live with the financial constraints of Parliament Twice dissolved Parliament over issues of taxation and parliamentary demands for free speech Elizabeth I left behind a large debt A series of wars (including the 30 years war) were costly and required large gov’t revenues James unwisely flaunted his wealth- damaged prestige of monarchy
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James I and Religion Ardent Anglican (not Presbyterian)
King James Version of the Bible (1611) Refused to make concessions to Puritans (Calvinists) His intolerance for Puritans coupled with his extravagant spending made the House of Commons hate him more. Parliament composed of many Puritans and Presbyterians. James (an Anglican) relaxed restrictions on Catholics in England in return for their support against the Puritans. Alarmed by this success James then imposed restrictions on the Catholics. Now angered, several Catholic extremists launched the Gunpowder Plot. Gunpowder Plot 1605, lead by Guy Fawkes, Catholic extremists "plotted" to blow up Parliament when it met on November 5, Their plans discovered by Parliament, they were arrested and executed increasing anti-Catholic feelings.
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Moving to Catholicism? James I and his son, Charles I, accused of moving England to Catholicism At first, James tried to arrange son’s marriage with daughter of king of Spain Parliament denounced this – but James basically says you can’t have an opinion on this James arranged Charles’ marriage to Henrietta Maria of France- daughter of Henry IV (another devout Catholic) Marriage to Philip IV daughter (SPAIN) falls out – didn’t even let Charles see her Secret price for the marriage with French was that one day he would allow English Catholics to practice freely
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Charles I (r. 1625-1649) Quarrels with Parliament over $
Son of James I Like James, claimed the divine right theory of absolute authority for himself as king- sought to rule without Parliament Sought control of the Church of England Tax issues pitted Charles I against Parliament Forced taxes on landowners without Parliament’s consent By 1628, both houses of Parliament were firmly opposed to the King Quarrels with Parliament over $ 1626 War with Spain forced him to ask for money from Parliament- dismisses when funds refused War with France- forces knights and nobles to loan $ (imprisons the unwilling) and quarters troops in private homes- very unpopular English nobles arrested for refusing to lend money to the government 1637 – War with Scotland – William Laud tried to impose more Catholic rituals on Scottish church, led to revolts
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Petition of Right (1628) Parliament attempted to encourage the king to grant basic legal rights in return for granting tax increases Defined the rights of Parliament as inalienable and condemned arbitrary arrest, martial law, and taxes imposed without its consent Significant document in the constitutional evolution of England Provisions: Only Parliament had right to levy taxes, gifts, loans, or contributions No one should be imprisoned or detained without due process of law All had right to habeas corpus(trial) No forced quartering of soldiers in homes of private citizens Martial law could not be declared in peacetime
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Charles dissolves Parliament
Charles dissolved Parliament in 1629 Parliament continued to refuse increased taxation without its consent Parliament also had demanded that any movement of the gov’t toward Catholicism and Arminianism be treated as treason Arminianism- Kind of Protestantism, began to wield considerable power Charles I became one Rejected the Calvinist idea of predestination, believed that an individual could achieve salvation through free will Also accepted rituals that to Puritans seemed too close to Catholicism – emphasized authority of bishops Arminian also emphasized the role of monarchy over the Church of England – royal absolutionists William Laud- bishop of London – Puritans thought trying to bring Catholicism back to England
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No Parliament Charles’ rule without Parliament between 1629 and became known as the “Thorough” Ruled as an absolute monarch during these 11 years Raised money using Medieval forms of forced taxation “Ship Money”- all counties now required to pay to outfit ships where before only coastal communities had paid Religious persecution of Puritans
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“Short Parliament” Scottish military revolt in occurred when Charles attempted to impose the English Prayer Book on the Scottish Presbyterian Church Charles had also seized land form Scottish nobles Parliament re-convened in 1640 but refused to grant Charles his new taxes if he did not accept the rights outlined in the Petition of Right and grant church reforms Charles disbanded Parliament after less than two months Initiated a full-fledged constitutional crisis Scots had never been pleased with union with England In 1638, some Scots signed the National Covenant attacking the pope and the prayer book and swearing to defend their religion and liberties Faced with the Scottish resistance, Charles began to prepare for an invasion Scots rose up in arms Important turning point in reign of Charles I Charles demanded the city of London loan the crown money for war Only on condition that Charles convene Parliament Nobles and gentry were resisting royal policy- reaching out to Scots Charles was desperate
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“Long Parliament”( ) Desperate for money after the Scottish invasion of northern England, Charles finally agreed to certain demands by Parliament Parliament could not be dissolved without its own consent Parliament had to meet a minimum of once every three years “Ship money” was abolished Leaders of the persecution of Puritans were to be tried and executed (including Laud) Star Chamber was abolished Common law courts supreme Refused funds to raise an army to defeat the Irish revolt
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Beginning of Civil War Very little actual fighting taking place during Civil War Really only 4 major battles Became a war of words, among the first in history More than 22,000 newspapers, newsletters, pamphlets, broadsides, sermons, and speeches published About 10 percent of English population forced from homes
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Immediate Cause Charles tried to arrest several Puritans in Parliament- a crowd of 4,000 came to Parliament’s defense Parliament not willing to give the king an army to fight Irish rebellion In March 1642, Charles declared war against his opponents in Parliament His army came from nobility, rural country gentry, and mercenaries Civil War resulted! The king tried to attempt a coup of Parliament – tried to take out John Pym- leader- He was warned though and he fled before Charles got there London supported Parliament, Charles did not feel safe there and went north – his supporters left Parliament Parliament denounced confrontational royal policies Charles mobilized forces at Nottingham
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Cavaliers v. Roundheads
Supported the king Clergy and supporters of the Anglican Church Majority of the old gentry (nobility)- north and west Eventually, Irish Catholics who feared Puritanism more than Anglicanism Thought of themselves as fighting the good fight for God and king against those who shatter social harmony
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Cavaliers V. Roundheads
Calvinists – opposed the king Consisted largely of Puritans and Presbyterians Allied with Scotland Supported by Presbyterian dominated London Comprised a majority of businessmen Included nobles in the south and east Had the support of the navy and merchant marine Named roundheads for the short bowl shaped haircut many of them wore
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Oliver Cromwell John Pym suddenly died– Cromwell will emerge as the leader of Parliament Led the Roundheads to victory at Marston Moor Before being elected to Parliament, went through a spiritual conversion– convinced that God had chosen him to be one of the Puritan elect Displayed idealism and stubbornness of someone who is convinced that he is always right Combined three armies into the New Model Army Cromwell instilled strict discipline, and the Roundhead soldiers’ morale improved with regular wages Won good will in the counties by paying for supplies and not plundering like the king’s army
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Cromwell Cromwell eventually led his New Model Army to victory
Charles surrendered himself to the Scots A division grew in Parliament- Independents and Presbyterians Presbyterians- moderates, majority in Parliament, ready to accept a negotiated settlement with the king Independents- militant Puritans who desired more drastic changes- less willing to compromise with the king Pride’s Purge- Elements of the New Model Army removed all non- Puritans and Presbyterians from Parliament leaving a “Rump Parliament”- only 1/5 of members remaining Scots will withdraw from England, and leave Charles to Parliament Colonel Thomas Pride Took place without Cromwell’s consent or knowledge
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Charles I Executed Rump Parliament appointed a High Court to try the king on charges of high treason Charles refused to defend himself and found guilty Executed at Whitehall on January 30, 1649 – first monarch to be tried and executed by his own subjects Effectively ended the civil war Had international repercussions One power after another severed diplomatic relations with England
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This painting, probably based on eye-witness accounts and contemporary engravings, records the execution of Charles I on 30 January 1649 at Whitehall, after a long and bitter civil war. The inset pictures on the left show Charles as he appeared at his trial, and below, Charles walking to the scaffold. Those on the right show the moments immediately after the execution: the axeman holds up Charles's severed head while spectators hurry to dip their handkerchiefs in royal blood. The central image, with the swooning woman, hints at a parallel with Christ's crucifixion.
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New Religious Sects Emerge
Baptists Levellers – more radical- called for new laws to protect the poor as well as the wealthy, more egalitarian society, women also prominent, calls for female enfranchisement very rare Diggers- radical- denied Parliament’s authority and opposed private ownership of land- pushed for agrarian reform Ranters- radical- rejected the idea of heaven, hell, or sin and postulated the idea that true salvation found in drink and sex Quakers- believed in an “inner light” a divine spark that existed in each person, pacifists, allowed women to have a role in preaching In such an uncertain climate, new religious groups proliferated Baptists- did not believe children should be baptized – only adults old enough to choose a congregation Some Baptists permitted couples to marry by simply making a declaration before the congregation To some in mid 17th century England- world truly looked upside down
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Puritan Republic Rump Parliament abolished the monarchy and the House of Lords Established a Puritan Republic, the Commonwealth of England Interregnum rule without king In reality, became a military state Cromwell took title “Lord Protector” – essentially dictator Dissolved Parliament England divided into 12 districts, each under control of a military general Puritan republic turned out to be as oppressive as the monarchy of Stuart Kings Cromwell imposed taxes whenever he wanted and purged Parliament when it disagreed with him When Parliament produced its own constitution he sent its members packing He granted de facto religious freedom to all Puritan sects but denied freedom to Anglicans and Catholics Allowed Jews to return to England in 1655 (Had not been allowed since 1290)
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Military Campaigns In 1649, Cromwell invaded Ireland to put down an Irish uprising Act of Settlement- land from 2/3 of Catholic property owners given to Protestant English colonists Cromwell conquered Scotland in After defeating the Irish and Scots, he fought wars against the Dutch Republic and Spain to try and reduce their economic power
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Lord Protector Puritan controlled government sought to regulate the moral life of England Commanded people follow strict moral codes that were enforced by the army Press was heavily censored, sports were prohibited, theaters closed Cromwell died, his son Richard succeeds him Less able, weak Opening up an opportunity Lord Protector proved to be a better military leader than an civilian one He began to alienate people through his exhortations that people behave in “godly Puritan” ways Walked around with armor under his clothes, changed his routine To upper classes, seemed only way to restore order in England was to bring back the monarchy- Charles, heir to the throne of his executed father, lived in exile in the Netherlands General George Monk, former royalist officer who now commanded the army in Scotland- his army became only reliable force in England After Parliament tried to reassert control over the army, Monk marched on London and dissolved Parliament – new elections returned an alliance of royalists and Presbyterians, giving Parliament a mood to accept restoration
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Restoration of the Monarchy
The Stuarts, under Charles II were restored to the throne in 1660 A Cavalier Parliament restored Charles II ( ) Parliament was stronger now in relation to the king King’s power was not absolute Charles agreed to a significant degree of religious toleration, especially for Catholics Known as “Merry Monarch” for his personality Return of monarchy seemed to end time of chaos and division Considerable charm, good humor, courage, energy, loyalty to those that remained loyal to him Church of England again became established Church Trade increasing , entered into aggressive foreign policy to protect English commerce Navigation Acts between 1651 and led to three wars with Netherlands
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Development of Political Parties
Tories Nobles, gentry, and Anglicans who supported the monarchy over Parliament Essentially conservative Whigs Middle-class and Puritans who favored Parliament and religious toleration More liberal in the classical sense
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Religious Issues once Again…
Charles II Catholic sympathies Parliament passes Clarendon Code- strengthen Anglican presence – end toleration for dissenting religions Act of Corporation- required all holders of office to take communion in Anglican church Act of Uniformity- all ministers had to use the Anglican Book of Common Prayer Test Act of excluded those unwilling to receive the sacrament of the Church of England from voting, holding office, preaching, teaching, attending universities, or assembling for meetings. Hundreds of Quakers refused to take oaths or pay tithes and left to die in prison Charles made a secret deal with the king of France, Louis XIV- he promised the king that when conditions were favorable, he would come out as a Catholic. In return he received subsidies from the French monarch Charles ended restrictions on religious worship and laws that had been directed to the Catholics and Dissident Protestant groups Hostile reaction he received, however, forced him to put back restrictive measures
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Threat of Catholicism Many people suspected there were plots to restore Catholicism Titus Oate’s story Whig’s orchestrated a plan to exclude James (Charles’ brother) from the royal succession because of his Catholicism Tories defended James as the legitimate heir to the throne In 1679, members of Parliament tried to make Charles’ illegitimate son the heir, Charles dissolved Parliament Whigs would grow in power Parliament passed Habeas Corpus Act in 1679 Titus Oate’s talked about a plot by Charles II and Louis XIV although the real deal remained a secret Said Jesuits were preparing to assassinate the king and slaughter all English Protestants and put Charles’ devout Catholic brother, James on the throne- Charles had no legitimate children/heirs
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Habeas Corpus Act Whig Parliament sought to limit Charles’ power
Forced government to provide a quick trial for those arrested Stablished the legal rights of individuals accused of crimes, further limited monarchial authority Part of the struggle of the House of Commons for the maintenance of its constitutional role in England’s governance Enabled judges to demand that prisoners be in court during their trials Required just cause for continued imprisonment Provided for speedy trials Forbade double jeopardy
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James II On his deathbed, Charles proclaimed he was a Catholic
In 1685, Charles II’s brother came to the throne as James II James began to dismiss advisers who were not Catholic In 1687, he made Catholics eligible for office Dissenters also benefited because new king needed them as allies In Scotland and western England, royal armies crushed the small insurrections that rose up in favor of Charles’ illegitimate son (who was executed) James did not denounce Louis XIV’s revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, which ended toleration for the Huguenots – this made English Protestants even more nervous When it was apparent the queen was pregnant, James predicted the birth of a son and a Catholic heir to the throne
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The Glorious Revolution
Glorious Revolution of was the final act in the struggle for political sovereignty in England Parliament was not willing to sacrifice constitutional gains of the English Civil War and return to an absolute monarchy Two issues pushed Parliament to action: James’s reissue of Declaration of Indulgence- granting freedom of worship to Catholics and his demand that it be read in Anglican Church on Sunday Birth of a Catholic heir to the English throne in 1688
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The Glorious Revolution
One of James’ daughters, Mary, was a Protestant- had married the Protestant Dutchman William of Orange – stadholder of Netherlands A group of Tories and Whigs invited William to take the English throne He accepts and prepares to invade England His followers flooded England with propaganda on behalf of his cause In 1688, James fled to France William and Mary were declared joint sovereigns by Parliament Stadholder=chief official Ask William to restore Protestantism and the English constitution William is eager- English can assist the Dutch in resisting Louis XIV’s aggressive designs The Catholic continental monarchs would not help James II Louis XIV was focused more on continental territorial expansion Emperor Leopold of Austria was tied up fighting the Turks
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Bill of Rights 1689 The Glorious Revolution had lasting importance for the constitutional evolution of England William and Mary accepted the Bill of Rights England became a constitutional monarchy The Petition of Right (1628), Habeas Corpus Act (1679), and the Bill of Rights (1689) are all a part of the English Constitution Reaffirmed the rights of Parliament Provisions King could not be Roman Catholic Laws could be made only with the consent of the Parliament Parliament had right of free speech Standing army in peace time not legal without Parliamentary approval Taxation was illegal without Parliamentary approval Excessive bail and cruel and unusual punishment not allowed Right to trial by jury, due process of law, and reasonable bail People had the right to bear arms (Protestants, not Catholics) Provided for free elections to Parliament and dissolved only by its own consent People had right to petition
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Glorious Revolution Was not a democratic revolution
Power still remained largely in the hands of nobility and gentry until at least mid 19th century Parliament essentially represented upper classes Toleration Act of 1689- Granted right to worship for Protestant non-conformists although they could not hold office Did not extend religious liberties to Catholics, Jews, or Unitarians- although largely left alone
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Glorious Revolution Act of Settlement, 1701
If King William or sister-in-law Anne died without children, the Crown would pass to the granddaughter of James I- Hanoverian dowager or to her Protestant heirs The Stuarts were no longer line of succession When Anne dies, her Hanoverian heir assumed the throne as George I Hanoverian Tree -
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Act of Union, 1707 United England and Scotland into Great Britain
Why would Scotland agree to give up its independence? Scots desired access to England’s trade empire Scottish Presbyterians feared Stuarts (now very Catholic) would try to take back throne of Scotland Scotland soon transformed into a modern society with dynamic economic and intellectual growth
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Future Changes Cabinet system in the 18th century
Leading ministers who were members of the House of Commons and had the support of the majority of its members, made common policy, and conducted business of country Prime Minister- member of the majority- leader of the government Robert Walpole seen as first, although not an official title yet Led cabinet from George I ( ) first of Hanoverian kings, normally presided at cabinet meetings George II ( ) discontinued this practice Decision making of the crown will begin to decline
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