English Civil War (1642–1651)

Abstract

Abstract Civil war between Charles I and his parliament broke out in England in the summer of 1642. The context has been a perennial occasion for debate — the struggle for parliamentary democracy, the Puritan Revolution, a bourgeois revolution, a chapter of accidents, and the last baronial revolt. However, leading royalists fought for a range of motives — a strong monarchy, the Church of England as established by Elizabeth I, and a fear that a weakening of the hierarchy of landownership and power was in prospect. The supporters of parliament similarly had different agenda. Some wished to see monarchical power diminished and made accountable to parliament; others feared the resurgence of Roman Catholicism following a major uprising in Ireland in 1641; and yet others wanted the liberties of the subject enhanced or the Church of England made more Protestant. For individuals, a host of personal considerations affected choice of sides, including personal advancement, security, traditional loyalties, family connections, and past power relationships. Both sides were therefore coalitions, which for parliament became more apparent when an alliance was forged with the rulers of Scotland in September 1643.