The civil wars

Résumé du document

The Reformation enhanced the authority of the King. The first Protestants were supporters of the king. They symbolized national authority. The Reformation gave full and unlimited powers to the king. However, the king did not act alone. He needed the support of his parliament. Under the reign of Henry VIII, the parliament acquired a new power. The translation of the Bible encouraged personal judgment in matter of religion and politics. It led to the rise of the individual conscience. The Puritans, not satisfied with Elizabeth's compromise, claimed more and more the right of resistance to national authority. But the Reformation alone cannot explain the whole 17th century. There were many conflicts opposing the Stuart kings to the Parliament.

Extraits

[...] They symbolized national authority. The Reformation gave full and unlimited powers to the king. However, the king did not act alone. He needed the support of his parliament. Under the reign of Henry VIII, the parliament acquired a new power. The translation of the Bible encouraged personal judgment in matter of religion and politics. It led to the rise of the individual conscience. The Puritans, not satisfied with Elizabeth's compromise, claimed more and more the right of resistance to national authority. [...]

[...] The Commonwealth was very weak. There was a threat of attack from Scotland, Ireland, and Europe. The Scots had proclaimed Charles II king of Scotland. In Ireland, a catholic royalist alliance rose into rebellion in favour of Charles II. France, the Netherlands and Russia did not welcome the execution of Charles I. Moreover, few English were in favour of the abolition of the monarchy and arbitrary power of the Rump was bitterly resented. The Rump thought it would dissolve itself and organised new general elections for a new Parliament that would carry out the long-awaited democratic reforms that English people were calling for. [...]

[...] The democratic rule for which they had fought during the Civil Wars was not established. From the strictly economic outlook however, the Cromwellian Republic laid the Foundations of England's world supremacy, in the Navigation Acts. V. The 1688 revolution Both Charles II and James II were catholic. Charles II became very suspect in the eyes of his Parliament. He concluded an alliance with the Netherlands and Sweden against France. During his reign, Parliament was either prorogued or dissolved. He issued a declaration of indulgence for Roman Catholic & Protestant dissenters. [...]

[...] It did not last long since the Scottish army was easily defeated by Cromwell at Preston. The king then entered into negotiations with the royalists in Parliament. Cromwell began to think that Charles could no longer be trusted. Colonel Pride dismissed a hundred royalists from the Parliament Pride's purge). The new Parliament was called the Rump. They prepared for the trial of Charles. He was sentenced to death and was executed January the 30th 1649. Monarchy and the House of Lords were abolished. [...]

[...] The bill was defeated and the Parliament dissolved. Another « Exclusion bill » was introduced in 1681 and once again Parliament was dissolved. From 1681 to 1685 (the year of Charles' death), the Parliament was never summoned again. James II succeeded his brother to the throne. He made no mystery of his Catholicism. He conducted a pro- catholic policy that could but arouse the hostility of the Parliament. James II had to face a rebellion. Monmouth also coveted the English throne for himself. [...]