King James I, as did other kings in Europe believed that they ruled by “Divine Right” and were unanswerable only to god. (Lewis 15) This was a belief that God had made someone a king and as God could not be wrong; neither could anyone appointed by him to rule a nation. James expected Parliament to do as he wanted; he did not expect it to argue with any of his decisions. His Son Charles, who succeeded James in 1625, believed that he too was ordained by God and his right to rule was unquestionable. Within one year, Parliament and Charles began fighting over governmental matters.
Parliament struck first by impeaching the Duke of Buckingham. Charles responded by dissolving Parliament. (Lewis 15). With the Royal funds running low, Charles reconvened Parliament once again, and requested the money. Parliament voted for Charles to receive the funds, but lashed the “popery” of the royal court. (Lewis 15). This angered Charles so much that dismantled Parliament once again.
Charles reined for eleven years without Parliament, but he soon found himself in the same position as before. In 1640, Charles called back Parliament to request money, but Parliament refused and turned itself into a platform for more Puritan attacks on Charles. (Lewis 15). When Charles saw that no money was coming, he dissolved the “Short Parliament” in less than a week.
Soon after, The Scots Evaded England and with minimal resistance took possession of Northern England from Berwick to York. Charles’s reputation was further damaged when England agreed to pay the Scots 860 pounds per day until a peace treaty was signed. Charles was forced again to convene Parliament, but this time parliament came put forth bills that would take the power of dissolving parliament from the king. In 1640 and 1641 Parliament executed one of Charles’s closest advisors, the Earl of Strafford, and imprisoned another, Archbishop William Laud in the tower of London; executing him four years later. Charles at Parliaments mercy had no choice but to agree to the bills that dispensed with special Royal courts such as the Star Chamber. (Lewis 15). On January 4, 1642, Charles attempted to arrest key members of Parliament, but all escaped prior to Charles’s arrival. I suspect that this last act pushed both sides to settle the conflict of King and Parliament with civil war.
The first key battle of the English Civil War was the Battle of Powick Bridge, which took place between the cavalry of Essex's army, and a Royalist cavalry under Prince Rupert. The "battle" was closer to a skirmish, but nonetheless important as it set the stage for battles to come. Prince Rupert Instructed his men to mount up and attack before the Parliamentarians could organize themselves, he led his force into the enemy camp, with some of them not having had time to put on their amour. His men surprised and dominated the opposition. Casualties were minimal on both sides. The battle ended with Parliamentary forces broke away and fled. (Atkin 1)
Prince Rupert Rupert is considered to have been a quick-thinking and energetic cavalry general. Prince Rupert had an interesting carrier. He was a soldier from a young age, fighting against Spain during the Eighty Years' War (1568–1648) and against the Holy Roman Emperor in Germany during the Thirty Years' War (1618–48). At age 23, he was appointed commander of the Royalist cavalry during the English Civil War by Charles, becoming one of the key leaders in the war. (Truman 1)
The battle of Marston Moor is believed to have been the largest battle ever fought on English soil.
The English Civil war was between Parliament and Charles. They both had groups of people supporting them, the Parliamentarians and the Royalists. Charles quarrelled with the Parliament of England, which meant a limitation to his royal prerogative. Charles believed in the divine rights of the kings which meant that he thought God had chosen him and that everybody should obey his orders. I think that although some reasons led directly to arguments, I think a build-up of many long term causes led eventually…
The English civil war Charles I became king of Great Britain on the 27th March 1625, he was a protestant. He believed he was a representative of god, and therefore he was the pope. He made all the choices for himself and he decided to rule without a government. he had no Parliament to give him money so he had to tax his people a lot and introduce stupid taxes like ‘ship money’ to pay for the building of new ships for the navy – this annoyed everyone, especially those who didn’t live near the sea…
HistoryPer.3 12/4/12 English Civil War “Word Splash” One day my teacher decided to take the class on our very own field trip. We took a trip to a Boston Museum which had facts about the English Civil War. Thinking of the idea seemed boring to me but I rather not be reading books all day or doing work. The bus drive was awfully long and tiring. I was so happy once we arrived. The first person…
reign, the Scottish rebellion took place in 1637. In 1641 the Irish rebellion took place. Parliament issued “Great Remonstrance” which was complaints about King Charles in 1649. In January 1642 Charles invaded Parliament with troops. The English Civil War took place in 1642 and ended in 1649. It was between the Cavaliers (King’s troops) and the Roundheads (Parliament’s troops). The Roundheads were led by Oliver Cromwell. Oliver Cromwell led the Roundhead’s to victory. An alliance was made…
Early Life • Charles of Stuart was born in St James’s Palace on May 29, 1630. He was 12 when the Civil War began. His predecessor was Charles I and Henrietta Maria. Charles II was baptised in the Chapel Royal on June 27 by Bishop of London William Laud. His father had fought in the English Civil War against the Parliamentary and Puritan forces. Early Life (cont.) • Two years later after the Civil War began, he was declared nominal commander-inchief in England. He also learned about his father’s…
of the English civil war in 1642can be blamed on the actions of Charles I? Introduction: The English Civil War started in 1642 when Charles I raised his royal standard in Nottingham. The split between Charles and Parliament was that neither side was willing to back down over the rules that they held and war was expected as a way in which all problems could be solved. The country split into those who supported the king and those who supported Parliament, this was the beginning of a civil war. The…
Causes of the English Civil war The English Civil War started because of Charles’ relationship with Parliament. How far do you agree with this statement? Introduction On 22 August 1642 King Charles I declared war against his enemies in Parliament. In the Civil War which followed, one man in ten was killed. Many people died of starvation, others had their house, their land or all their possessions destroyed. In this essay I will be looking at how this all come about………. Personalities Like his…
Why did the English execute their king? In the 1620s, when Charles became king arguments started between him and the parliament over who has the right to rule England. In august 1642 Charles declared war on the Parliament which ended peace that had lasted 100 years whilst risking the lives of every man, woman, and child. After imprisoning Charles in 1645, the Parliament had decided that he could no longer be trusted and declared his execution on 30th January 1649. This essay looks at the reasons…
power is held by the people and their elected representatives, and which has an elected president rather than a monarch. 10. Rule by law- A legal maxim according to which no one is immune to the law. 11. Civil Rights- The rights of citizens to political and social freedom and equality. 12. Civil Liberties- The state of being subject only to laws established for the good of the community especially with regard to freedom of action and speech. 13. The Assembly- The central events of the Athenian democracy…
during the first half of the 17th century was one of curiosity, uncertainty and dissent. The English Civil wars (1642-1651) constituted nine years of brutal conflict that would have a profound and lasting effect on the nation1. This conflict was not only realised on the battlefield; it was also espoused in the writing of the period. In this essay I shall argue that literature was at the epicentre of the English revolution, showing how it both reflected the turbulence of the era but also inspired and…