Execution Of The King 1649 Flashcards
(4 cards)
Impact of the second civil war
Most of Charles’s opponents believed he couldn’t be trusted and several key figures including Cromwell believed it was gods will for him to be removed. Like many puritans Cromwell believed that events reflected gods will and by late 1648 he was convinced Charles had lost gods favour. And they called Charles a man of blood who waged war on his on people.
It reunited his opponents
Showed he couldn’t be trusted
Convinced army leaders they were chosen by god
Kin remained a prisoner
Suggested god had abandoned Charles
The Scot’s had no power to support the king.
Prides purge
Parliament began to discuss another settlement with the king in September 1648. With Presbyterian MPs still believing a deal was possible. This outraged more radical army members. I’m December 1648 colonel pride and his troops arrested all MPs who supported negotiations with the king. The prides purge
It is likely Cromwell approved prides purge out of 470 MPs around 180 were excluded from parliament and around 100 more fled to London and the day after Cromwell arrived and the army was in control. The king was put on trial and even more MPs left until only 80 remained being known as the rump Parliament.
The trial
Putting the king on trial was a huge step and everyone knew he would be found guilty. On January 1649 the rump Parliament established the high court to sit in judgement of the king. It was made up of MPs civilians and army officers led by Bradshaw.
The trial was shocking to the people and many MPs called to judge refused to. The charges were drawn up and Charles was accused of being a ‘tyrant traitor murderer and a public enemy of the commonwealth’ when Charles heard this he laughed and claimed the trial was illegal. And he refused to plead as the high court had no real authority and argued the trial undermined the freedom and liberties of all Englishmen. The court refused to accept this and he was found guilty and sentenced to death.
The execution
Charles was executed outside the palace of Whitehall on 30 January 1649. He faced his fate with dignity and when the axe fell the crowd gasped and people fainted others rushed to dip handkerchiefs in the royal blood. Charles was seen as a saint and a martyr.
The action was an act of the army supported by a small group of MPs who felt they had felt out justice for god. But the regicide was highly unpopular and many felt it would plunge England into turmoil. Without a monarch rump Parliament declare England a republic without really explaining what that meant.
