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THE COMMONWEALTH 1649-53 - Coggle Diagram

THE COMMONWEALTH 1649-53

WORKINGS AND POLICIES OF THE RUMP PARLIAMENT

Actions

Moved quickly: declared supreme authority 2nd Jan

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6th feb abolished house of lords
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7th of Feb abolished the monarchy.
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Problems

Legitimacy

Legislation to improve→4th Jan was passed that parliament was subject to god and could pass laws without the king or lords.

The Engagement→Jan 1650 ordered the engagement to be taken by all males over 18 which was promising obedience to the commonwealth - passed out of panic

Impending Dissolving→Spring 1653 Bill for new representative and Rump was on brink of passing a pill which allowed for immediate adjournment until elections in November. Cromwells dissolve failed this.

Political Support from the Radicals

Levellers→Alienated itself as could no longer rely on levellers as needed support of the gentry.  Accepting their demands of male suffrage would have lost support of the elite. Leveller uprisings were surpressed.

Views on Leveller repression→The radical legislation passed by the rump did not appear until over a month after votes. Implies that there was considerable reluctance to pass it.

Press→Severally restricted the freedom of the press

Ecclesiastical reform→little was achieved despite the repealing of all statues compelling attending the national church - sep 1650.

Political support from moderates and conservatives

Due to taxation→Rump had success with high taxation and little interference in personal affairs.

Actions against→Partly due to moderation with purges of JPs only partial and only most prominent royalists were executed.

The alternative→People saw it preferable to army rule.

Pro royalist support→from Eikon Basilike - purportedly the work of `Charles 1 seeing himself as a matyrl

Appeasing the NMA

Government paid→the NMA by allocating Crown lands to individual regiments in June 1649

Godly reformation promised→to the army was failure and Cromwell suggests this is the biggest failure of the rump.

Irish Campaigns

Cromwell in Ireland Actions→Cromwell travels to Ireland to suppress catholic royalist sympathisers. Expected easy victory but had to massacre many at Droghed and Wexford slaughtering defenders after they had surrendered

Effect→Makes Cromwell more powerful gives him confidence to carry out actions

Religion and NMA→Heightens belief that he was chosen by God. Gives the NMA further power through these victories.

Scotland

Charles 11→had been declared King and assembled an army to invade England.

Defeat→September 1650 defeated the scots at Dunbar.

Further Charles 11→Later defeated the invasion of Charles 11 at Worchester.

Outcome→Removed two of the biggest external threats to the security of the commonwealth - scots and charles stuart.

Strongest force→Made Cromwell and NMA the strongest force.

NOMINATED ASSEMBLY

PROBLEMS

Internal Divisions

Conservatives vs Radicals→Divisions sharpened when it came to reform such as the control of Church livings.

Radical Power→Although few in number the radicals were well organised and could push through very controversial measures such as a vote to abolish the court of chancery and church livings.

Radical Power on the Church→This success of the radicals on church tithes pushed moderates to act and dissolve themselves before the social order was undermined.

Cromwell and the NMA

Assembly problems→faced the same dilemma as the rump of how to carry out radical and religious reform whilst keeping conservative political opinion.

Assembly reputations→for harmful religious radicalism grew as Cromwell's conservative instincts for the preservation of the regime alarmed.

Cromwell Comments→He said that if the Barebones parliament continued then destruction would have occurred

Religious and political reform

Aware of needed reform→The members of the nominated assembly knew that the rump had been dissolved due to failure to bring about satisfactory reform

Unity of constitution→Constitution had to reflect the unity of England, Scotland and Ireland

Acts of Assembly→In five months the Assembly passed over 30 acts, many of them sensible and moderate. New council of state, work on the Hale commission was taken up.

Speed of Acts→Barebones parliament moved too quickly thus not striking the balance between desire for reform and need for stability. Given so little time due to the pressure to succeed.