James I and Charles I
JAMES I – 1603-1625
-believed in Divine Right
-commissioned the King
James Bible
-published the Book of Sports
-clashed with Puritans
-court marred by scandal and
corruption
-tried to make peace with
Spain and arranged marriage
with his son and the infanta
-hesitated to send troops to
help Protestants in the 30
Years’ War
The Gunpowder Plot - 1605
A group of Catholics plotted to
blow up the Houses of Parliament
Their plan was foiled when one of the
conspirators warned a cousin to stay away
on Nov. 5
Guy Fawkes was arrested
The conspirators were executed
CHARLES I – 1625-1649
-tried to be an absolute
monarch
-Spent $ on wars
-collected tariffs and duties
such as ship money
-quartered troops in people’s
homes
-imprisoned people without
charging them with a crime
-made peace with France and
Spain
-supported Arminianism
Forced to sign the Petition of Right
in 1628
 No taxation without Parliament’s consent
 No imprisonment without cause
 No quartering of troops
Events of the Civil War
CAVALIERS
vs.
ROUNDHEADS
•Spring 1640 – The Short Parliament –
Led by John Pym, refused to give the king $,
so he dissolved it
•1640 – The Long Parliament
• 1641- The Grand Remonstrance
is presented to the King
•1642 – King and his supporters invade
Parliament, fighting breaks out
Important Battles
EDGEHILL - 1642
 In October, 1642, Charles I and his Royalist forces began marching on London.
The Parliamentary army attempted to block their way and engaged the
Royalists at Edgehill on 23rd October. It is estimated that both sides had
around 14,000 men.
 Prince Rupert and his Cavaliers made the first attack and easily defeated
Robert Devereux, the commander of the left-wing of the Parliamentary forces.
Henry Wilmot also had success on the right-wing and this left the foot soldiers
of both sides to fight it out in the centre. The Parliamentarians held their line
and their calvary managed to attack the Royalist flank.
 Prince Rupert's cavalrymen lacked discipline and continued to follow those
who ran from the battlefield. John Byron and his regiment also joined the
chase. The royalist calvary did not return to the battlefield until over an hour
after the initial charge. By this time the horses were so tired they were unable to
mount another attack against the Roundheads. The fighting ended at nightfall.
 Robert Devereux decided to withdraw his men to Warwick. This left the
Royalists free to march on London. However, Charles I decided to make his way
to Oxford, which became his headquarters for the duration of the war.
A muskateer
MARSTON MOOR - 1644
 In 1644 the Scots joined forces with Parliamentary forces to lay siege to the Royalist held
city of York. In June 1644 Prince Rupert and his Cavaliers set out to rescue the Earl of
Newcastle and his forces. On 2nd July the Royalists confronted the Parliamentarians at
Marston Moor.
 Edward Montagu and Thomas Fairfax, the leaders of the Parliamentary forces, decided to
withdraw from Marston Moor towards Tadcaster in order to cut off any attempt by the
Earl of Newcastle to escape. Prince Rupert decided to attack the retreating troops. This
resulted in the Parliamentary army being ordered back to Marston Moor.
 That afternoon Oliver Cromwell and his forces charged John Byron and his cavalry. His
men, instead of pursuing Byron's cavalry, regrouped and returned to protect the infantry
that had now come under attack from George Goring and his cavalry.
 The Earl of Newcastle and his Whitecoat regiment made a heroic last stand and resisted
repeated charges by the Parliamentary army until no more than 30 were left alive.
 The battle lasted two hours. Over 3,000 Royalists were killed and around 4,500 were
taken prisoner. The Parliamentary forces lost only 300 men. The city of York surrendered
two weeks after the battle, ending Royalist power in the north of England. Prince Rupert
rallied the survivors and retreated to Chester where he attempted to build a new Royalist
army.
Weapons
 The Mortar
 This device is easy to manoeuvre and can be used by one man alone. An
explosive shell is fired high into the air and explodes on impact. Although it
was difficult to aim, this weapon was the most destructive of those used in the
Civil War.
 The Cannon
 The cannons used in the Civil War were very heavy and difficult to move. The
largest needed a team of 16 horses to move them. More commonly, smaller
cannon were used but even these required at least 4 men to move them. For
this reason they had to be put into position before a battle began. The missiles
fired from the cannon were usually balls of iron, but sometimes stones were
used. After the cannon had been fired the soldiers operating it had to go
through a strict procedure of cleaning, loading the weapon and loading the
gunpowder before it could be fired again. Aiming was difficult and the cannon
were more effective as a means of instilling fear into the enemy than actually
causing damage.








The Musket
There were two types of musket; the matchlock and the flintlock, which could be as long as five feet and had a firing
range of up to 300 yards. They were both loaded in the same way; gunpowder was poured into the barrel and packed in
hard with a stick. Then the lead ball would be put in followed by wadding to hold the ball in place.
To fire the matchlock, the most common type of musket, the soldier would empty gunpowder into a pan and cover it to
protect it. He would then press a lighted piece of flax into a metal trigger called the serpent. When the gun was fired the
lighted flax in the serpent would come down into the pan and light the gunpowder. The flame from this would then
enter the barrel of the gun and ignite the gunpowder that had been poured into it and the lead ball would be fired.
To fire the flintlock was slightly easier but more expensive. The pan would be filled in the same way but the serpent
contained a piece of flint which, when it struck the pan, would produce a spark which would ignite the gunpowder.
Both weapons were dangerous and clumsy to use. Some of the longer muskets needed a rest to balance the barrel on
because they were too heavy to hold. They were impossible to reload quickly and were most effective when a group of
musketeers fired a volley of shots at the enemy.
The Pike
The Pike was one of the most commonly used weapons on the Civil War battlefield. The pike was a long wooden shaft
with a steel point on the end. They were cheap to make, soldiers required very little training to use them and they could
be very effective especially when used in a group. Pikes were supposed to be sixteen feet in length but often soldiers
sawed a few feet off the ends to make them easier to carry.
The Pikemen often formed the front line of an army. Operating together they had to lower their pikes to prevent a
cavalry charge from breaking the ranks. The cavalrymen's horses would be injured by the pike and would fall to the
ground unseating his rider who would then be an easy target for the musketmen or for the sword. If the army was
surrounded then the pikemen would form a circle and lower or raise their pikes to provide a 'hedgehog' of cover.
The New Model Army
Naseby - 1645
 In February 1645, Parliament decided to form a new army of professional
soldiers and amalgamated the three armies of William Waller, Earl of Essex
and Earl of Manchester. This army of 22,000 men became known as the New
Model Army. Its commander-in-chief was General Thomas Fairfax, while Oliver
Cromwell was put in charge of its cavalry.
 Members of the New Model Army received proper military training and by the
time they went into battle they were very well-disciplined. In the past, people
became officers because they came from powerful and wealthy families. In the
New Model Army men were promoted when they showed themselves to be
good soldiers. For the first time it became possible for working-class men to
become army officers. Oliver Cromwell thought it was very important that
soldiers in the New Model Army believed strongly in what they were fighting
for. Where possible he recruited men who, like him, held strong Puritan views
and the New Model Army went into battle singing psalms, convinced that God
was on their side.
 The New Model Army took part in its first major battle just outside the village
of Naseby in Northamptonshire on 14th June 1645. The battle began when
Prince Rupert led a charge against the left wing of the parliamentary cavalry
which scattered and Rupert's men then gave chase.
 While this was going on Oliver Cromwell launched an attack on the left wing of the
royalist cavalry. This was also successful and the royalists that survived the initial charge
fled from the battlefield. While some of Cromwell's cavalry gave chase, the majority were
ordered to attack the now unprotected flanks of the infantry.
 Charles I was waiting with 1,200 men in reserve. Instead of ordering them forward to help
his infantry he decided to retreat. Without support from the cavalry, the royalist infantry
realised their task was impossible and surrendered.
 By the time Prince Rupert's cavalry returned to the battlefield the fighting had ended.
Rupert's cavalry horses were exhausted after their long chase and were not in a fit state to
take on Cromwell's cavalry. Prince Rupert had no option but to ride off in search of
Charles I.
 The battle was a disaster for the king. About 1,000 of his men had been killed, while
another 4,500 of his most experienced men had been taken prisoner. The Parliamentary
forces were also able to capture the Royalist baggage train that contained his complete
stock of guns and ammunition.
 The Battle of Naseby was the turning point in the war. After Naseby, Charles was never
able to raise another army strong enough to defeat the parliamentary army in a major
battle.
The war ends, but the tension
continues . . .
 “Pride’s Purge” creates the “Rump Parliament”
 Charles I is executed in 1649
 The Commonwealth is established
 Cromwell runs the Puritan “republic”
Cromwell’s made Lord Protector
THE RESTORATION - 1660
 Charles II becomes king
 Rules 1660-1685
Religious issues
 1662 – Act of Uniformity – all churches had to use the
Book of Common Prayer
 1672 – Test Act – all government officials have to take
an anti-transubstantiation oath
Big disasters
 1665 – outbreak of plague
 1666 – Great Fire of London

Total estimated cost of the destruction was 10 million pounds
James II
 Repealed the Test Act
 Dissolved Parliament
 Appointed Catholics to
high positions
THE GLORIOUS REVOLUTION 1688
 William and Mary take
over
 1689 – sign the English
Bill of Rights – makes
England a limited
monarchy