English Absolutism

James I
Stuart (not a Tudor)
King of Scotland
Nephew of Elizabeth I
Initially agreed to rule according to English law and customs
Parliament involved
Until…divine right

Tensions with Parliament
Disagreements about money
Lavish lifestyle
Wars
Taxes
Disagreements about foreign policy
James’ solution  dissolve Parliament

Religious Tensions
Puritans wanted:
“purify” the Church of England of Catholic practices
Simpler services
More democratic church with no powerful bishops
James rejected their demands
Chased them out of England

Charles I
Inherits the throne from his father, James I (1625)
Like his father, he ruled as an absolute monarch
Bickered with Parliament
Imprisoned enemies without trial
Ran the nation into further debt

Petition of Right
Debt from:
Super-luxurious lifestyle
War with France
Need of money  called for Parliament to convene
Parliament refused to fork over any money until Charles I signed Petition of Right

Petition of Right
No funds could be borrowed or raised through taxes & tariffs without the explicit approval of Parliament

Petition of Right
2. No free person (Britain had slavery at this time) could be imprisoned without a reason

The Deal
Charles I signed the Petition, thereby agreeing to its terms (and getting his $$)
Did Charles have any intention of keeping his word?

Dissolution of Parliament
Charles immediately broke his word
To avoid a confrontation with Parliament, he dissolved it (would stay dissolved for 12 years)
Now on his own…with no funds from Parliament

Charles’ Budget Cuts
Made peace with enemies (peace is cheaper than war)
Downsized government administration
Innovative tax increases
One goal in mind  rule without Parliament

Charles and Religion
Much like his father, Charles was against the Puritans
Allowed the Archbishop of Canterbury (William Laud) to freely take any measures to stifle the Puritans

Puritans Under Charles I
Forbidden to publish or preach
Scottish Puritans were forced to use the Church of England’s prayer books, rituals, hierarchy, etc
Rebellion occurred, thus forcing Charles to reconvene Parliament

Twelve Years to Stew
Parliament had 12 years to stew and were ready to show Charles no mercy
Refused Charles any money until he addressed a very long list of complaints
What do you think Charles did??

Buh-Bye Parliament
Charles refused their demands and dismissed them (known as “The Short Parliament”)
Still, he was without money
Reconvened Parliament again, but this time agreed to their demands

Parliament’s Demands
Illegal to raise taxes without Parliament okay
William Laud – impeached & executed
Charles’ centralized bureaucracy – abolished
Law that only Parliament could dismiss itself
Law that Parliament had to meet every 3 years

Rebellion in Ireland
Religious radicals in Ireland rebelled
Charles wanted funds for an army to go in
Parliament did not trust Charles with an army
Proposal from radicals in Parliament – the army should be under Parliament’s control

One Angry King
Charles not very happy about this
Stormed Parliament with his own army
Bold, yet foolish move
Parliament issued Militia Ordinance which officially declared the army under Parliament’s control
The result????

The English Civil War

Cavaliers & Roundheads
Cavaliers = Supporters of King Charles I
Wealthy nobles
Wore plumed hats
Fashionably long hair
Well trained in dueling & warfare
Expected a quick win

Cavaliers & Roundheads
Roundheads = Supporters of Parliament
Country gentry, town- dwelling manufacturers, & Puritan clergy
Called Roundheads b/c of their hair style
Underdogs
Leader – Oliver Cromwell

Oliver Cromwell
Puritan, gentry, military genius
Organized “New Model Army” into a skilled force
Defeated Cavaliers
Became “Lord Protectorate” after Civil War

The Execution of a King
Charles I was put on trial
Found guilty
Sentenced to death as a “tyrant, traitor, murderer, and public enemy”

Life Under Puritan Rule
After Charles I’s execution, House of Commons abolished :
The monarchy
The House of Lords
The Church of England

England a Republic?
England declared republic
Not all agree – Charles II is the heir
Rebellions broke out (Ireland)
Oliver Cromwell
crushed them
persecuted Catholics
exiled Catholics to remote parts of Ireland

End of the Commonwealth
After Cromwell’s death (1658) Puritans lost control of England
New Parliament invited Charles II back as King
Charles II met with cheering crowds

Charles II
Popular ruler
“Man-crush” on Louis XIV (idolized him)
Tolerant of various religions
Accepted Petition of Right (learned from his Daddy’s mistakes!)

James II
Inherits the throne
Brother of Charles II
Flaunted his Catholic faith
Many feared he would restore Catholicism

William & Mary
Parliament invited James’ Protestant daughter Mary II & her Dutch Protestant husband William of Orange to the throne

The Glorious Revolution
William & Mary arrived with an army
No need – James II fled to France
Parliament sets up a Limited Monarchy via a Bill of Rights
Also affirmed habeas corpus (no person could be held in prison without first being charged with a specific crime)
Radical concept in the Age of Absolutism…

Homework
Read Primary Source document, “Charles I on the Scaffold” and answer the questions on the back

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English Absolutism

by Jennifer Boyer-Switala

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