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Enquiry Topic Summary 2 - Commonwealth & Protectorate 1649-58 - Coggle…
Enquiry Topic Summary 2 - Commonwealth & Protectorate 1649-58
Problems the Rump faced in 1649
Lack of change
No new elections - questioning the legitimacy of the Rump? Power stays with Gentry
Charles' death
His execution was not popular with most people. Neither is abolishing House of Lords & monarchy. Vote = 44:29
Radicals
Levellers in Amy carry out mutiny in may 1649 (Fairfax quashes but shows unrest)
Commonwealth
England had gone from a kingdom to a commonwealth. Weak because there were no common agreements. Commonwealth weak and divided due to; religious radicals, levellers and the Army.
Finacial
Growing tax burden with Irish & Scottish rebellions (Scots crowned Charles II as king.
Royalist threat
Plotters in Ireland + Scotland and some in England with Charles 2nd
Tax Burden Increase
To pay for army control in Scotland and Ireland
Army and Rump had different views on what they wanted
Cromwell's Campaigns in Ireland
Seige of Drogheda - Sept 1649
Drogheda sees 200 men slaughtered after denial of quarter takes place (mercy for surrendering)
Colonel Axtell denies Governor Aston Quarter on Cromwell's orders. This is seen as immoral.
Their tactics are to crush any resistance to warn others about uprising ~ justified as military tactics
This also occurs in Wexford
Rump send Cromwell with 30,000 men to Dublin in August
Cromwell's Justification
The English Royalists were part of Charles I's original army so were seen as partly responsible for the civil war ('Gods will' to have them defeated since they lost) "This righteous judgment of God" - Cromwell 1649
Punish Catholics for the Irish rebellion in 1641 (Cromwell's job to avenge Protestants
A combined Royalist & Catholic Army are in negotiations with Charles II in Ireland
Battle of Dunbar Sept 1650 & Battle of Worcester sept 1651
Charles II & Scottish army defeated by Cromwell at Dunbar sept 1650
He tries again with 12,000 troops in Worcester EXACTLY 1 year later. He is defeated again by Cromwell and forced into exile
2 months later he escapes to the continent
Why was the Rump dissolved in 1653?
Finances
Overabundance of land (from Bishops land being confiscated & sold) causes decreased land value.
Taxes needed for keeping Irish & Scots in line, and war with Dutch.
1651 Navigation act = required all trade between England and the colonies to be carried in English or colonial ships. Triggered Dutch war. Rump had prioritised money.
Mixed views
Army want Godly reform.
Rump legislated against religious sects Eg; Blasphemy act 1650 = limited religious non-conformity to restrict extreme sects.
Rump want to keep national Church.
Rump also blocks a commission to simplify the law.
Overall the Rump was too slow and narrow minded.
Overall the Rump are very slow to make a new constitution. Been in place since 1648.
Cromwell loses patience and has MP’s ejected by Musketeers in 1653.
Army & rump disagreed over 3 things (religion, reform of law & the new constitution).
Achievements
Passed acts to improve preaching in the north and west.
Church money monitored more carefully.
Recusancy laws re-established (weekly church-going).
Laws on debtors were eased.
Legal proceedings are now written in normal script.
Why was the Barebones Parliament short-lived? July-December 1653
Consisted of 144 members based on county size, all decided by the Nominated assembly (leading army officers).
Moderates want a national church and to remove useless laws
Moderate MP’s resign their authority and give their powers back to Cromwell in Dec 1653.
Radicals want to abolish Tithes (mandatory taxes to the Church) and to rewrite all the laws.