The English Civil War

What was the English Civil War?

The English Civil War, also known as the English Revolution, was a major upheaval in England. It involved a war between Parliament and King Charles I, leading to his execution.

What caused the English Civil War?

There were three key factors that led to the English Civil War.

• ❖ Puritans dominated the English Parliament, and were unhappy with the Catholic changes Archbishop Laud had made to churches.
• ❖ Charles I ruled in an arrogant way. He believed he was appointed by God (also known as the Divine Right of Kings), and preferred the advice of his favourite ministers over that of Parliament.
• ❖ Charles raised taxes without Parliament's permission. Kings had not done this since Simon De Montfort had fought against Henry III in the Second Barons' War.
• ❖ Charles dismissed Parliament for 11 years and ruled without them. This is known as the Eleven Year Tyranny.

When was the English Civil War?

The English Civil War was fought from 1642-1649.

Who was important in the English Civil War?

Key figures include King Charles I, Oliver Cromwell, Archbishop Laud, Thomas Rainsborowe and Gerrard Winstanley.

What happened in the English Civil War?

There were several key events in the English Civil War.

• ❖ In 1641, Parliament passed the Grand Remonstrance, which criticised the king and made a series of demands aimed at limiting his power.
• ❖ Although the royalists (Charles's supporters) were winning at first, Parliament created the New Model Army, which would later be led by Oliver Cromwell, and Parliament won the war against Charles.
• ❖ There were disagreements in the New Model Army about the kind of society they wanted to create once the war was won. They discussed these differences in the Putney Debates. Some, like the Levellers, wanted greater equality. Others only wanted to remove the king.
• ❖ On 30th January, 1649, Charles I was executed by the forces of Parliament and Oliver Cromwell took power.
• ❖ In 1649, a radical group called The Diggers started a rebellion. They wanted complete equality and to turn the earth into 'a common treasury'.