Road to War (1640-1642)

Short Parliament
1. Why was it called?
  1. 1638: Scottish rebellion - C determined to crush it
  2. 1639: raised army & army = widespread opposition
  3. First Bishops War = humiliating defeat for C - Peace of Berwick
  4. Wentworth recalled from Ireland - advised C to call P etc
  5. C & Wentworth = out of touch as P not called for 11 yrs & W in Ireland for 7 yrs
  6. Strafford returned to Ireland few weeks before P - fear bring back Catholic Army to threaten England
  7. Irish P = £45,000 taxes & 9,000 soldiers
  8. C = forced loan from closest supporters - £232,000 as long as P recalled
2. Preparations for Parliament
  1. Strafford & C = confident MPs approve taxes - patriotism & dislike of Scots
  2. S in Ireland & C's dislike of public speaking = case made by Finch & Vanes - inexperienced PCs
  3. little influence in elections - 40/500 Commons MPs = 'court candidates' - majority = conservative landowners, inexperienced & no leadership
3. King's Speech, 13th April 1640
  1. "never was a king that had more weighty cause to call his people together... I will not trouble you with particulars (whole speech)
  2. MPs = patronised and frustrated
  3. short speech = stammer, view MPs not need persuading, didn't like P
  4. Finch outlined order of business: MPs approve taxes, approve Bill for collection of T & P, grievances discussed if time
  5. MPs = angry & mistrustful - wanted grievance first
  6. Finch = speaker held down before - memories of crown difficulties back then
  7. MPs raised grievances disorderly
4. Pym's Speech
  1. Pym: Devonshire MP, Puritan
  2. speech united MPs = established as leader & made getting taxes harder without some sort of deal
  3. Stafford returned next day
  4. next few days = government did nothing (divisions between PCs - compromise vs hard-line approach)
5. Vane's Compromise
  1. compromise for MPs: if taxation of £960,000 approved - king abolish SM
  2. MPs rejected - not strong grievance (SM = illegal & tone was offensive)
  3. MPs = petition demanding end to preps for war
6. Dissolution, 5th May
  1. 6AM = emergency meeting of PCs: Vane = dissolution of P, Stafford & Laud = keep P open (arrived too late)
  2. C dissolved P
Consequences of Failure of Short Parliament
1. Privy Council Meeting, 5th May
  1. Strafford urged C - continue military plans & suggested:
    1. alliance with Spain = unpopular
    2. help from France = unpopular
    3. "you are loosed and absolved from all rules of government. You have an army in Ireland you may employ to reduce this kingdom"
  2. 3 Lords & several Commons MPs arrested, Pym's house searched = attack on MPs rights/privileges
2. Convocation remained sitting
  1. ruling body of C of E: compromised of bishops
  2. custom = met & ended @ same time as P
  3. voted: £20,000 to king, new canons (priests preach Divine Right, communion tables, alter rail, priests take oath of loyalty to bishops etc.)
  4. greatest opposition = Anglicans & Puritans, losing support of majority & increasing fears of Catholicism
  5. oath targeted Puritans, esp. Presb & therefore Scot Church
3. Social unrest
  1. trade depression = poverty & unemployment esp. in ports (London = biggest)
  2. unemployment for workers - rising unemployment = riots (May 1640) - blaming government
  3. religious division to unrest - London = strong Puritan support, hatred of Catholics & religious changes (Lambeth Palace attacked)
  4. landowning classes feared social uprising
4. Financial Preparations for War
  1. £500,000 needed; some from Irish P (Strafford & bishops in convocation)
  2. debasing of coinage discussed - not implemented (shows desperation)
  3. £130,000 worth of bullion (London merchant companies) seized by government
  4. government brought pepper @ low rate - resold @ market price = £50,000 profit
  5. fall in customs duties = trade depression in 1640
  6. £241,000 SM ordered - £43,000 collected
  7. government faced tax-payers strike - C lost support of landowners, system of government breaking down & bankrupt by summer 1640
  8. Coat & Conduct money order - refusal to pay
5. Second Bishops' War, August 1640
  1. Scot army invaded N. England & brief fighting - 12 S & 60 E killed
  2. only fighting - Scots captured Newcastle (London's coal supply\0
6. Council of Peers summoned
  1. inc. C most loyal supporters
  2. met Sept - Oct in York - riots in London (make unpressurised decision & hatred of Scots strong in N.
  3. lords advised C to: make peace with S, call English P
7. Treaty of Ripon, 21st Oct 1640
  1. temp agreement to stop fighting until permanent peace treaty signed
  2. Scots continue occupation of N.
  3. C = agreed to pay £850 per day to Scot army
  4. idea Scots in contact with C's opponents in E - weak C = benefitted MPs (forced demands)
Long Parliament, Nov 1640 - Aug 1641
1. New MPs
  1. 64/500 Commons MPs = 'court candidates'
  2. MPs opposing government united under Pym - determined to prevent abuses of PR
  3. strong opposition to government from H of L (traditionally support government)
  4. Commons MPs = moderate, conservative landowners; reformers not revolutionaries
2. Redressing Grievances
  1. "evil councillors" (Laud & Strafford)
    1. some PCs fled abroad
    2. 11th Nov: S returned to Lon to sit as MP in H of L - arrested & taken to Tower
    3. Laud arrested & imprisoned
    4. Jan 1641: 28 articles of impeachment against S
    5. Mar: S trial - defended himself, prosecution led by Pym (Lords = judge & jury, C attended some sessions
    6. S defended himself v. ably
    7. many witnesses = biased & inconclusive evidence
    8. 13th April: trial abandoned - Lords prided themselves on fair judgement - seen evidence not strong enough to prove guilty
    9. Bill of Attainder against S = declaration of treason not able to be defended against
    10. popular demonstrations outside Lords - death of Strafford & put pressure on Lords
    11. C addressed L personally - would never sign Bill (mistake = identifying with Strafford - enabled undecided to vote for Bill = show opposition to Strafford without fear of it becoming legal)
    12. 7th May: Pym revealed army plot against P
    13. 8th May: Lords passed Bill 26:19
    14. decision passed to C: not close to S (kept away from power - never fully trusted), demonstrations outside Whitehall, Strafford wrote to King
    15. 19th May: C signed Bill
    16. 12th May: Strafford executed
    17. significance of death
      1. C never forgave himself
      2. C say MPs as murderers
      3. MPs saw C as weak ruler
      4. C's reversal didn't inspire trust
      5. fears of army plot subsided
      6. raised issue of appointment of government ministers
      7. revealed early signs of divisions of demonstrations & Bill
  2. religious
    1. MPs attacked Laudiansim: Laud arrested - Canons of May 1640 = illegal as convocation should have stopped with P
    2. Pym = delayed discussions - religion create divisions
    3. Dec 1640: Londoners presented Root and Branch Petition to Commons = abolition of bishops
    4. Feb 1641: Commons discussed Petition: Puritans supported (hated bishops), Anglicans wanted reform of bishops (saw as pillars of order) = Bill abandoned
    5. March 1641: Pym = 'Exclusion Bill' - reform bishops (passed Commons narrowly, rejected by Lords - fears H of C becoming too dominant)
  3. constitutional
    1. easier to settle
    2. Feb: MPs passed Triennial Bill (P meet every 3yrs for 50days at least - king not close at this time) - effective in next P - Charles refused but signed later @ popular pressure = first guarantee of regular P: too radical vs moderate
    3. Act of 10th May: existing P not dissolved without consent (C agreed = distracted by S trial)
    4. July: prerogative courts abolished & king's powers to create them
    5. July - Aug: several Acts passed - abolished SM, monopolies, forest fines & knighthood fines = tax P needed to approve
    6. called Constitutional Reforms of 1641
3. Situation by Aug 1641
  1. MPs = broadly united, grievances addressed but division in religion & Strafford
  2. atmosphere of fear & mistrust: army plot, destruction of power
  3. C = plans to visit Scot in summer
  4. 24th June: Pym = 10 Propositions to H of C - main demand = P approval of government ministers (moderates alarmed & rejected by C)
  5. H of C discussed sending MPs to Scot with C - C refused but passed as Ordinance ( moderates alarmed)
Long Parliament, Oct 1641 - Aug 1642
1. King's Visit to Scotland
  1. C appeared willing to compromise but plot failed to kidnap Scot leaders (angered Scots = relations harder & supported Pym - C poorly advised & fears of army plot in E increased)
  2. C agreed to peace terms: rule Scot with Scot P, govern Scot Church with Scot Assembly, disband army in N England, no longer pay Scot army = lower taxes in Eng = popular
2. Reassembled Parliament, Oct 1641
  1. C not return until Nov
  2. divisions in Parliament
    1. moderates = alarmed by radical measures, most = Anglican (keep bishops - worried about social disorder)
    2. radicals = led by Pym - more concessions from king, many = Puritan (abolish bishops - use pop demonstrations = "functional radicalism")
3. Irish Rebellion, Oct 1641
  1. 1,000s Prots murdered by Irish Catholics - rumours spread & believed
  2. MPs = army sent to army - punish Catholics (issue of leadership arose: C & moderates = C control; if P did would remove more power, Pym & radicals = P control; C could use it against them)
  3. Enter text here
  4. irreconcilable issue: "rebellion widened cracks in P, it did not create them" - option of sharing control not considered due to distrust
  5. 8th Nov: Pym presented Commons Additional Instruction = demanded P approval of ministers else MPs "take steps for securing Ireland for ourselves" (passed 151:110 - rejected by Lords)
4. Grand Remonstrance, Nov 1641
  1. Pym: Grand Remonstrance to Commons = 204 clauses
  2. purpose = reunite MPs when C in Scot
  3. clauses = abuses of PR, MPs achievements & proposals for more reform
  4. never intended for Lords - direct appeal to Commons
  5. 1st Proposal = exclude bishops from Lords
  6. 2nd Proposal = synod should assess church & religious refroms
  7. 3rd Proposal = action against Catholics
  8. Proposal = unless C agreed to P approval of ministers they wouldn't provide money
  9. followed 2 weeks angry debates, esp. about bishops
  10. leader of moderates emerged = Edward Hyde
  11. 22nd Nov: Commons voted - passed 159:148
  12. proposal to print & distribute it provoked debates & was rejected - MPs worried about demonstrations and disorder
  13. 25th Nov: C returned & delayed reply (gave impression of considering) - when replied - presented as moderate defending constitution from radicals
5. Attempted Arrest of Five Members, Jan 1642
  1. 7th Dec: Pym = Militia Bill (control of army to P) - passed HC but Lords rejected it
  2. Pym's supporters = controlled London Commons Council in elections
  3. C failed to get Lunsford as Commander of Tower - fears C wanted control of soldiers & weapons)
  4. 26th Dec: bishops banned from entering Lords
  5. 27th Dec: bishops demanded votes be cancelled (proposal to move P out of London rejected)
  6. MPs ordered impeachment = imprisoned in Tower - removed block of support for C making Militia Bill more likely to be passed
  7. rumours of impeachment of queen
  8. 3rd Jan: C issued Articles of Impeachment - 5 MPs (Pym, Hampden, Holles, Haseling & Strode) - MPs refused guards into P
  9. 4th Jan: attempted arrest of 5 members - had fled = arrest failed (humiliating for C)
  10. Royalists withdrew support from C
  11. attempted arrest = vindicated Pym's claim of army plot & demands about ministers
  12. pop demonstrations against attempted arrests
  13. 10th Jan: royal family left for Hampton Court - had lost control of capital = v. important implications for future
6. Drift into War, Feb - Aug 1642
  1. Parliamentary Demands
    1. Pym = in charge of united Commons
    2. 5th Feb: Lords (no bishops) passed Exclusion Bill - C approved
    3. 15th Feb: Lords passed Militia Bill, C rejected it - control of army v. important & if lost couldn't regain again
    4. 5th Mar: P passed Bill as Ordinance - moderates alarmed = attacked 2 parts of royal prerogative
  2. Kentish Petition
    1. Pym & supporters in Commons ordered Petition be burnt & leaders arrested
    2. Pym = overconfident - reaction shows how polarised opinion was & difficulty in remaining neutral as those who didn't support = enemy (shows agreement with king v. unlikely)
  3. King's Actions, Feb - June 1642
    1. Feb: Henrietta Maria - Europe with crown jewels to sell = military & financial support (didn't work - 30yrs war still on)
    2. Mar: C travelled to York with 200 followers to set up court - geographical divide = negotiations difficult (created 2 rival centres of power trying to get support)
    3. April: C took 2,500 soldiers to capture arsenal @ Hull - Hotham (governor) supporter of Pym: shots fired but C returned to York without arsenal
  4. 19 Propositions, June 1642
    1. 1st June: Pym presented them to MPs; passed both houses & sent to C
    2. parliamentary approval of ministers
    3. royal children's teachers approved by MPs
    4. royal marriages approved by MPs
    5. action against Catholics inc. in H of L
    6. c approve P proposals for church reforms
    7. approve Militia Ordinance
    8. punish "evil councillors"
    9. C issue formal pardon to 5 members & not violate P privileges again
    10. C repied on 18th June: moderate, constitutional monarch defending traditional constitution & church
    11. 236 MPs left Westminster - joined C @ York (he had won over moderates) = 302 MPs remained
  5. Calls to Arms
    1. late June 1642: C & P = orders for raising armies - C = Commissions of Array (traditional documents used by monarchs before) - P = Militia Ordinance (ordered raising of P armies)
    2. Enter text here

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Road to War (1640-1642)

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	Created by stacie.carter over 11 years ago