The Failure To Secure A Post War Settlement,1648-49, Divisions Between Army+ Parliament + Regicide

Question 1

What was the aftermath of the second civil war?

Answer 1

• England was severely politically divided - independent party on the verge of collapsing
• rebellions in puritan heartlands of Kent and Essex were a clear indicator that a settlement had to be reached fast
• September 1648 - Lord saye and sele (prominent member of the independents) got down on his knees and begged Charles to come to terms with

Question 2

What did parliament do in august 1648?

Answer 2

• revoked the vote of no addresses to try and agree on a settlement with the king - treaty of Newport

Question 3

What did the NMA refer to Charles as at the Windsor prayer meeting in April 1648?

Answer 3

• the man of blood

Question 4

What was the November 1648 remonstrance of the army?

Answer 4

• marked the political conclusion of Charles’ guilt
• if Parliament refused to put Charles on trial - the remonstrance called for a purge of parliament and then the king’s trial to follow

Question 5

What was the December 1648 pride purge?

Answer 5

• vote in parliament to continue the Newport treaty with Charles made the army act on the threat of the remonstrance (129 MPs voted in favour of continuing negotiations and 83 voted against)
• next day - ireton organised the army and troops led by colonel Thomas Pride purged parliament of those regarded as most in favour of negotiating with Charles
• the removed MPs were taken by the army to a nearby pub called ‘Hell’ - parliament had been reduced to 150 members - rump parliament brought Charles to trial

Question 6

How many commissioners were appointed to sit as the king’s judges?

Answer 6

• 135 - many of them refused to act - eg fairfax only attended the first meeting
• 59 became regicides by singing Charles’ death warrant

Question 7

What was the king’s response to being put on trial?

Answer 7

• refused event to accept the court’s legitimacy as he didn’t believe it had the authority to judge a monarch
• faced by Charles’ continued stubbornness, Cromwell reinforced in his belief that it had become a necessity to permanently remove Charles to try and settle with the nation, for if they didn’t, he would continue to instigate further war
• political pragmatism was reinforced by providence

Question 8

When was Charles i executed?

Answer 8

• 30th January 1649 at Whitehall

Question 9

What were the reasons for regicide? - religious radicals?

Answer 9

• millenarianism described the final death of worldly kings to enable a second coming of Christ
• other millenarians - believed that Charles was guilty of sacrilege when he ignored god’s message of his defeat in thee first and second civil war - he was guilty of murder in declaring war against the people