• many didn't trust charles to keep his word if subsidies were given

• charles was weak and desperate for parliaments money

• resources of the three kingdom financially, militarily, religiously + politically

ship money act (1640) and T+P act (june 1641)

strafford impeached (nov 1640), laud impeached (dec 1640)

root + branch petition presented to commons (dec 1640)

• political support from londoners which was shown from the 15,000 signatures on the root and branch petition

• but the plan fell apart when charles found out bedford was collaborating with the covenanters trying to make peace

• oversight in queens household + catholic circle

• the long parliament set about reforming the church

• it intended to abolish the offices of archbishops and bishops

• this would dismantle the structure of the CofE + alter the composition of the house of lords

• politically it would also reduce charles' powers as he appointed bishops

• the bill showed many divisions in parliament between people who wanted a more puritan church and those who wanted to return it to the pre-laudian state ("true reformed protestant religion")

• others say he had a lack of humour + poor people skills

• his goal was to restore the church to how it was during the early stage of James I rule

• rumours spread that charles was going to use force to make parliament reverse its legislation

• 1641 - 19th april - charles ordered officers to return to their troops

• 6th may - protestation oath presented to parliament

• on the 19th April 1641, news emerged that charles had ordered all his army officers to return to their commands with the english army in the north

• pym broke this information to parliament in early may and it triggered high tensions as people thought charles would use the army to free strafford and then forcibly dissolve parliament

• the act of dissolution was passed on the 10th may

• parliament stepped up efforts on strafford who was executed on 12th may

• in november 1641, pym introduced a grand remonstrance to the commons which majorly opened up divisions

• it contained an overview of charles reign and presented a list of demands

• such as... clearing the HoL from bishops and catholic peers

• and parliament were to have more influence in the selection of royal officers

• some saw the remonstrance as too radical and rejected it, which too pym was a sign of support for the crown

• publishing the remonstrance would destabilise the political order of the country

• potential power of the london mob to push through a more radical agenda

• when charles lost control of censorship, pamphlets began to flood the streets

• parliament began to actively harness the mob to increase pressure on charles (e.g root and branch petition)

• puritan sentiment had already began radicalising under the pressure of laudianism

• looked promising at first but collapsed after bedfords death

• the incident showed to everyone that once again charles could not be trusted

• he had reformed and revived the irish army + offered it to charles in 1640 so there were worried charles could use the irish army

• it looked quite possible that the trial would collapse

• finally, under huge pressure charles turned the bill into an act and he could do nothing but watch when strafford was executed on the 12th may 1641 in front of a crowd of 100,000

• on october 22nd 1641 catholics in ireland took key strongholds and started a blood bath in an attempt to overthrow the protestant ulster plantation

• as well as this, many irish catholics wanted revenge on settlers in the ulster plantation who had evicted many irish families

• parliament needed to give charles an army to deal with the crisis in ireland but were worried if he could be trusted with the army in his control

• this would remove the kings power to summon militia + give parliament the power to appoint army commanders

• charles thought he was strong enough to try to reassert his royal authority by the end of 1641

• on the 4th january, charles heard they were in parliament so he sent an army of 500 soldiers to arrest them but the MP's had been forewarned and fled to safety in the city of london

• and the militia ordinance was put before parliament on the 15th february

individual rivalries with members on each side

• choosing to take neither side was probably the natural choice for the majority of ordinary englishmen

parliaments last effort to contain the king came in the form of the 19 propositions which were very radical and impossible for charles to approve

• parliament take responsibility for educating royal children + royal marriages

• by may, both sides began to issue orders for local gentry to raise the militia

• on the 22nd august the king raised his standard in nottingham, summoning all men and women to his cause