The quest for political stability
Religion: conflict and dissent
Social and intellectual challenge
Economy, trade and empire
How revolutionary, in the years to 1701, was the Glorious Revolution of 1688-1689?
Britain, 1625-1701: conflict, revolution and settlement
Date Event
1600 - The east India Company is founded
1601 - The Poor Relief Act is passed
1625 - Accession of CI - Charles I believed strongly in the Divine Right of Kings, meaning that God made
him King and uses this to justify him being more powerful than his Plts. He is an Anglican Protestant but
William Laud has great Arminian influence over him in his policies that he introduces, closely linked to
Catholicism.
- Arrival in England of CI Catholic wife, Henrietta Maria after agreeing to marriage the
year before
1626 - Francis Bacon dies.
- Charles Forced Loans - Charles issues these without the consent of parliament as a way to raise
money for his foreign policy. Parliament had previously rejected his grant for this money.
1627 - Five Knights’ Case - Five knights refuse to pay Charles I's forced loans, so he imprisons them
without trial. Charles punishes without the use of Parliament.
1628 - The Petition of Right – Document issued to Charles I by Parliament and was them trying to get the
King to change his ways: no taxation (forced loans), imprisonment (5 knights’ case), billeting, martial
law. MPs denounced Armenianism and encouraged merchants to refuse to pay tonnage and poundage.
- William Laud appointed as Bishop of London - William Laud was Arminian in religion which
had strong links to Catholicism. He had a great influence upon Charles in control of a Protestant
country
1629 - CI dissolves parliament and begins his personal rule (ending in 1640) - Charles issues old
taxes as his main source of income; Charles only briefly calls Parliament to get money; William Laud has
great influence within the church; Thomas Wentworth (Earl of Stafford) made Lord Deputy of Ireland
and creates the Thorough; Charles introduces laws without Parliament and uses courts to reach
favourable judgements.
- The three resolutions - Parliament read these out before they were dissolved: 1 - If you collected
Tonnage and Poundage*, you were a traitor; 2 - If you paid Tonnage and Poundage, you were a traitor;
3 - If you were Arminian, you were a traitor. Tonnage and Poundage was the right to raise revenue for
the whole of the monarch's reign from imports and exports. Charles was a refused a grant for this early
in his reign but was able to use it without the restraints of Parliament during his personal rule.
1631 - Book of Orders - Book created by Thomas Wentworth (Earl of Strafford) in his Thorough which was
a set of instructions that JPs had to follow in controlling their assigned region.
1633 - Laud becomes Archbishop of Canterbury - William Laud was Arminian in religion which had
strong links to Catholicism. He had a great influence upon Charles in control of a Protestant country
and encouraged Charles to make changes within the church including adding decorations e.g. the
instalment of stain glass windows as opposed to Puritan plain churches and moving the communion
table within the church, as well as even changing the colour of vestments that Priests should wear.
1636 - The first money-scrivening (banking) firm is founded – loans were given out with low
interest rates so they were cheap to pay back
1637 - Burton, Bastwick and Prynne sentenced by Court of Star Chamber - Three Puritan
middle class professionals published attacks on the English Government (Bishops and Laud's Arminian
influence). Laud punished them by having their ears cut off and cheeks branded. This annoys
parliament as the punishment was issued without their consent. The fact that the punishment was
issued by Laud instead of the King shows the influence he had over him.
- Ship money trial - Ship money was an old tax issued by Charles as a way to get money during his
period of personal rule. It was traditionally used for the defence of region in coastal counties but was
used as Charles' main source of income. The tax brought him £200,000 annually.
1637-1640 - Scottish Rebellion
c.1638 - Population of Britain reaches five million
, The quest for political stability
Religion: conflict and dissent
Social and intellectual challenge
Economy, trade and empire
How revolutionary, in the years to 1701, was the Glorious Revolution of 1688-1689?
1639 - 1st Bishops War - War between Charles and Covenanters (Scottish Presbyterians) but Charles was
defeated as Covenanters had strong army but Charles lacked money and often relied on county militias
from England to form his Army. Charles signs the Treaty of Berwick to end the war.
1640 - Parliament is recalled by CI
- Root and Branch Petition - Petition signed by 15,000 Londoners as an attempt to remove Bishops
from English churches in a similar way to the religion of Puritans ad Presbyterians. Bishops belonged to
the Anglican faith. But failed because Anglicans the majority of population.
- 2nd Bishops’ War - Another war between Charles I and Covenanters (Scottish Presbyterians) but this
time he used the support of Thomas Wentworth (Earl of Stafford). Stafford raised funds in Ireland to
raise an Irish Army which would be used to help defeat the Scots but Charles still had an
underequipped army and continued to have a lack of money so was defeated at Newcastle. As a result,
Charles had to sign the Treaty of Ripon which meant he had to pay the Scots £850 a day whilst they
occupied Newcastle.
1641 - Impeachment of Laud and Strafford - Opposition group, 'Pym's Junto' within Parliament
wanted to remove 'evil counsellors', Laud and Strafford as they were blamed for Charles' policies during
personal rule. Impeachment was Parliament's attempt to remove a minister of the crown.
- Triennial Act - The monarch had to call Parliament once every three years
- Act of Attainder and execution of Strafford - It was believed that in Strafford's impeachment,
the Lords would be biased in their court case. The Act of Attainder was passed which stated that
Strafford was to be executed. As a result of the Act of Attainder, there was a breakout of angry mobs
and although Charles had promised to protect Stafford, he had signed his death warrant.
- Army Plot - To secure the Act of Attainder and execution of Stafford, Pym revealed a plot by Catholic
army officers to release Strafford and release Parliament by force.
- Ten propositions - Document issued to King which included extensions for Parliament's power such
as the right for them to approve the King's advisors. It was an attempt to balance power between King
and Parliament to prevent Royal harming.
- Irish Rebellion - Irish Catholics started to kill Protestants in Ireland which upsets the English
(Protestant). Parliament don't trust Charles with an Army to supress the rebellion as they fear he may
use it against the English Parliament. Instead, Parliament pass a militia bill/ordinance which states that
Parliament now as control over the Army instead of the King and publish the Grand Remonstrance to
show everyone how bad a King he was. Rebellion gave Parliament a reason to challenge Charles'
power.
- The Grand Remonstrance - Document produced by Pym in order to persuade MP's to pass the
Militia Bill/Ordinance. It listed all the faults of King Charles I since the beginning of his reign in 1625 and
therefore, why he couldn't be trusted to be in control of the Army (why militia bill need to be
introduced)
- Abolition of Star Chamber and High Commission - These were Royal Prerogative courts that
the king used to punish Prynne, Burton and Bastwick so by Parliament forcing the King to abolish them,
the King lost power and had to rely more on Parliament for court cases
1642 - Charles attempts to arrest 5 MPs - Rumours had reached Charles that Pym was planning to
impeach the Queen with his Parliamentary powers so therefore, Charles wanted to impeach Pym and
his peers. Charles arrived at the House of Commons with a warrant for the arrest of the five members
of Parliament, including Pym, backed by an army of 300 soldiers but they had already fled. If this was
successful, it could have acted as an attack on the rights of Parliament in the way that it was carried
out.
- Militia Ordinance - A Bill introduced that would mean that Parliament are control of the Army
instead of the King. Introduced as Parliament didn't trust Charles with an Army to supress the Irish
rebellion, fearing he would use it against the English Parliament instead. The Bill was passed after the
publication of the Grand Remonstrance in 1641 which listed the faults of Charles from the beginning of
his reign in 1625 and therefore why Charles should not be trusted to be in control of the Army.
- 19 propositions - A document created by Parliament and issued to the King, saying that they wished
to control the education of the King's children, as well as who they should marry. An example of
Parliament pushing the boundaries of their power.
- The outbreak of war - War between Charles I and his Parliament. Charles and his Royalist forces
