The Long Parliament, 16401642

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The Long Parliament, 1640-1642

• A war nobody wants!

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Content

• Different views of historians
• The early reign of Charles I, 1629-37
• Scottish origins of the Civil War, 1637-40
• The crisis escalates, 1640-41
• The Irish dimension, 1641
• The slide into war, 1641-42

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Key dates

• Nov 1640 opening of Long Parliament
  impeachment proceedings against Strafford and
  Laud
• Dec 1640 Root and Branch Petition presented to
  parliament
• Mar 1641 trial of Strafford began in the Lords
• Apr 1641 discussion of bridge scheme in return
  for saving Straffords life
• May 1641 Act against dissolving the Long
  Parliament without its own consent passed
  Strafford executed after Act of Attainder

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• June 1641 Ten Propositions
• July 1641 abolition of Courts of Star Chamber
  and High Commission
• Nov 1641 Grand Remonstrance
• Jan 1642 Five Members Incident
• Mar 1642 Militia Ordinance
• June 1642 Nineteen Propositions
• Aug 1642 King raised his standard at Nottingham

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The crisis escalates, 1640-1641

• Great expectance there is of a happy
  parliament, where the subject may have a total
  redress of grievances.
• (Diary of Sir Henry Slingsby)
• Slingsby fought for the king but an opponent of
  the kings policies in Nov 1640
• Grievances built up during the personal rule
  alone is not a sufficient explanation for why
  people took up arms against the king

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• we have slid into the beginnings of a civil war
  by one unexpected accident after anotherSo that
  we scarcely know how we have come this far
• (Bulstrode Whitelock, 1642)
• Fought for parliament
• War was not something the kings opponents aimed
  at

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• Dismantling of the Personal Rule the initial
  tactics of Charles opponents!
• Remove those responsible for Personal Rule Laud
  and Strafford impeached Finch and Windebank fled
  to France
• Straffords execution Bill of Attainder
• Prevent a repeat of the Personal Rule Triennial
  Act, Act to prevent dissolution of parliament
• A United parliament

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• Why did Charles not dissolve parliament?
• Parliamentary alliance with the Scots
• Fear of further Scottish invasion
• 3 issues that were most resented by Charles
• Choice of Privy Councillors
• Control of Militia
• Religious reform especially abol. of bishops

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The Irish Dimension, 1641

• Roots of crisis in plantation policies of James
  I and Charles I, consistent treatment of Irish as
  inferior, and religious tensions
• The Irish Rebellion, October 1641
• Importance
• Control of militia
• Increased fear of Catholic plot (exaggerations)

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The drift into war, 1641-42

• The growth of a royalist faction
• Parliamentary reforms burnt off moderates/
  erosion of royal powers
• Root and Branch Petition
• Attacked episcopacy
• published
• Ten Propositions

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• Grand Remonstrance, Nov 1641
• Outlined alleged religious and political abuses
  over the previous decade
• Direct attack on royal authority
• Votes 159-148
• Five Members Incident, January 1641
• Accompanied by 400 guards violated parliamentary
  privileges attempting to arrest the five
  trouble-makers
• Left London for Hampden Court
• Militia Ordinance
• Nineteen propositions

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What were the causes of the English Civil War?
Essay plan

• Financial grievances
• Religious grievances
• British factor
• The breakdown in relations between king and
  parliament
• Errors and misjudgements of Charles/ Pyms Junto

Long-term causes
Short-term causes