The Crisis of Parliament and the Outbreak of the First Civil War, 1640-1642

Question 1

Describe the Short Parliament

Answer 1

• Earl of Strafford advised the king to recall parliament
• The first session began on 13th April 1640
• The King said parliament needed to grant subsidies and then he would listen to their grievances
• Despite the urgency the parliament was dissolved on 5th May with neither subsidies granted or grievances discussed
• Lasted only 4 weeks

Question 2

Describe the Long Parliament

Answer 2

• Parliament recalled in November 1640
• It was not formally dissolved in 1660
• Charles was trapped and could no longer raise money through prerogative means so needed to listen to parliament’s grievances to gain subsidies

Question 3

What was the Treaty of Rippon?

Answer 3

1640
Brought and end to the Second Bishop’s War between Charles the first and the Scottish Covenantors.
Charles had to pay £850 a day to the Scots to maintain their armies there

Question 4

What was Pym’s aims?

Answer 4

He was an active Parliamentarian
- Recognised the need to sort out the King’s finances
- Restore the Anglican Church

Question 5

Describe the Root and Branch Debates

Answer 5

December 1640
- Opened up an intense debate into how the church should be administered now that Parliament was able to once again have a vote in its direction
- Wanted to abolish Archbishops and Bishops which would dismantle the structure of the church of England and politically reduce the King’s power

Question 6

Describe the Triennial Act

Answer 6

February 1641
- Mandating the summoning of Parliament every three years

Question 7

Describe Strafford’s Trial

Answer 7

• Held before parliament and begun in March 1641
• The prosecution’s case was that Strafford had tried to establish arbitrary government in England in a number of ways that collectively amounted to treason
• However the prosecution case was weak
• Strafford summed up his defence ably with a long list of small and controvertible charges could not be added up to the immense charge of treason

Question 8

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Answer 8

Strafford’s defence was effective

Question 9

How Did Strafford Change Tactics?

Answer 9

• Bill of Attainder
• London Mob involved

Question 10

What was the Bill of Attainder?

Answer 10

It meant lords could agree that accused its traitor without needing legal proof
- The monarch had to give assent to turn the Bill into an Act

Question 11

What was the effect of the Bill of Attainder?

Answer 11

• It meant it was much easier to act against Strafford
• It got the King involved in the case making in into a test of his goodwill towards parliament

Question 12

How was the London Mob used?

Answer 12

Pym used the London Mob to demand that Parliament should pass the Bill of Attainder

Question 13

Describe the Army Plot

Answer 13

1641
- News emerged that Charles had ordered all his army officers to return to their commands with the English Army in the North
- Pym broke this news to parliament
- Rumours quickly spread that once reunited with its officers, the army would march down to London and enable the king to forcibly dissolve parliament

Question 14

What was the significance of the Army Plot of 1641?

Answer 14

• Protestation Oath issued
• The Act against the dissolution of parliament without its own consent was passed
• Parliament stepped up its efforts against Stafford

Question 15

When was Strafford executed?

Answer 15

12th May 1641
- In front of a crowd around 100,00
- Signing the death warrant was Charles’s greatest regret

Question 16

What was the Dissolution Act?

Answer 16

• The King could no longer dissolve Parliament without its own consent.
• Removing the King’s traditional prerogative to dismiss Parliament at will.

Question 17

What was the Treaty with the Scottish?

Answer 17

August 1641
- Marked the formal end of the Second Bishops’ War
- It finalised the terms agreed in the Treaty of Ripon

Question 18

Describe the Irish Rebellion

Answer 18

October 1641
- 2000-200,000 Protestant settlers massacred
- Ireland was strongly Catholic and was a source of anxiety for the Stuarts and Tudors who feared it might be used as part of an invasion plan to overthrow their rule and install a catholic monarchy instead.
- However, a group of Irish Catholic noblemen coincided with a massive popular uprising against the Protestant settlers resulting in a bloodbath

Question 19

What was the effect of the Irish Rebellion?

Answer 19

• News from Ireland created profound anxiety in Westminster
• Parliament faced a difficult decision as an army should be sent to Ireland but they couldn’t decide if they could trust the King

Question 20

What was the Incident?

Answer 20

• Was a failed royalist plot in Scotland in October 1641.
• It was an attempt by King Charles I and Scottish Royalists to arrest key Covenanter leaders.

Question 21

Describe the Incident

Answer 21

• During Charles’s visit to Edinburgh in 1641, he secretly supported a plan to seize Argyll and other leading Scottish Covenanters.
• The plot was discovered before it could be carried out — the intended targets fled or went into hiding.
• Argyll dramatically returned to Parliament the next day, declaring “I have been in hazard of my life.”
• The plot collapsed and Charles publicly denied involvement, but few believed him.

Question 22

Describe the Grand Remonstrance

Answer 22

November 1641
- Pym introduced it into the commons
- Contained and overview of Charles’s reign. It blamed his evil advisors, corrupt bishops and papists for the present troubles
- Listed demands for constitutional change
- It began shift its focus from removing sources of mischief but to a proactive program of limiting the king’s power and reforming the church

Question 23

Why did Charles pass the Bill of Attainder?

Answer 23

• Pressure from enemies such as the Earl of Essex’s
• Anxieties from the Army Plot

Question 24

Militia Bill

Answer 24

1641
- Removed the King’s power to summon the militia and gave parliament the power to appoint army commanders
- Proposed in December 1641 but only passed in March 1642

Question 25

Describe the 5 Member's Case

Answer 25

- On 4 January 1642, Charles I entered the House of Commons with around 300 soldiers, intending to arrest five MPs for treason - These include John Pym, John Hampden, Denzil Holles, Sir Arthur Haselrig and William Strode - He believed they were plotting against him, especially after their involvement in the Grand Remonstrance and suspected they had encouraged the Scottish Covenanters. - He wanted to reassert his authority over Parliament.

Question 26

What Actually Happened in Parliament During the Five Member's Case?

Answer 26

- The Five Members had already fled after being tipped off. - Charles entered the Commons Chamber, sat in the Speaker's chair (a major breach of tradition) and demanded to know their whereabouts. - The speaker replied: 'I have neither eyes to see nor tongue to speak in this place but as this House is pleased to direct me' - This was a powerful symbol of parliamentary independence.

Question 27

Describe the 19 Propositions

Answer 27

- A list of demands presented by Parliament to King Charles I on 1 June 1642, outlining how the monarchy should operate under Parliamentary control. - Charles rejected the propositions outright calling them a threat to monarchy and tradition. - Last major attempt at negotiation before the Civil War and Parliament appeared increasingly radical, demanding near-total control.

Question 28

Commissions of Array

Answer 28

- Royal orders sent to county officials, instructing them to raise local militia forces in support of the Crown. - They were Charles's countermeasure to the Militia Ordinance - his way of asserting his right to raise an army. - Divided the nation as people now had to choose sides: support the King’s Commissions of Array or Parliament’s Militia Ordinance.