Why did the British Civil War start?

Answer 1

During 1625-1640 England was ruled by King Charles I. Charles's cause was to become an absolute Monarch ruling England how Charles saw fit without parliaments consent known as his 'Personal Rule'.

In 1625 the Duke of Buckingham had become the most powerful man in England outside the Royal Family under James Is patronage; Charles continued to increase the Duke of Buckingham's influence despite great disapproval from Parliament. The Duke of Buckingham was blamed for England's defeat of the naval exhibition against the Spanish Port of Cadiz. Parliament attempted to impeach Buckingham but Charles dissolved Parliament to prevent The Duke of Buckingham - his best friend, from being impeached, resulting in Charles not receiving the two parliamentary subsidies. If Charles had not allowed his emotions to get the better of him he would have realised that parliament had very little evidence against The Duke of Buckingham and any trial would have almost certainly led to the acquittal of Buckingham. This did little to help Charles Is cause as Parliament were now far more likely to disapprove of the Kings future advisors and Charles now had to resort to other means of finance.

Charles I was now in need of money to finance himself. Charles requested a loan from virtually all gentry but the chances of repayment were almost non-existent. However those who refused to pay were arrested without charge or evidence. Five imprisoned knights decided to apply for a writ of habeas corpus (it was used to release people from prison). They demanded to be released because they had not committed a crime. The judges found that the King had the right to imprison subjects "without cause shown". The net from the forced loans amounted to £250 000 thus helping his cause to become an absolute monarch without dependency on parliamentary subsidies.

Charles billeted troops in the south-east of England. The troops unruly and destructive were rarely called to account because they were under martial law. The billeting of troops did not help Charles's cause as it angered the populace and would eventually result in the public electing anti-crown MP's in future Parliaments.

Charles I also sold monopolies and restricted pepper supply to fund himself. This was very unpopular as the goods produced by the monopolies were of very poor quality stifling England's Economy adding the grievances of the Gentry.

Charles also fined those living on Royal Forests despite that over a long period of time the borders had been unknowingly eroded; this angered as most saw this as unfair because they were unaware they were using Royal Forest. This raised little money and irritated many Gentry and Aristocrats this did little to help his cause to become and absolute Monarch.

Pirate attacks against English shipping were rapidly increasing shrinking English trade massively. The Pirates had become so bodacious by the 1630's that they were performing raids against coastal towns in Cornwall. In 1635, Charles was unwilling to summon another Parliament and in desperate need of modernising and expanding the ill-equipped and ill-trained English navy to protect Merchant shipping. Charles sent out letters to all sheriffs instructing all of them to collect ship money. In the past it was a tax only on coastal towns to pay for ships under the direct threat of invasion. Encouraged by the amount he received (equivalent of 12 parliamentary subsidies) Charles demanded more the following year. It now became clear that Charles intended to ask for it every year. 1637 John Hampden refused to pay ship tax. Charles sent him to the Court of the Excheque using Hampden as a test case Hamden was brought before 12 leading judges. Hampden's stand aroused widespread public interest, On 12 June 1638, the judges found for the Crown by a majority of seven to five. Although the verdict had gone against Hampden, it was regarded as a moral victory against arbitrary tyranny and brought Hampden national prominence as a defender of liberty. After the test case of John Hampden their was a massive decrease in those willing to pay ship tax. Ship tax was now no-longer able to sustain Charles as an absolute Monarch. Ship Tax in the short term did help Charles's cause as it raised him enough money to finance his life style re-buy the crown jewels and pay for the first Bishops War. However in the long term it added to parliaments grievances and resulted in the English being unwilling to pay taxes.

Charles Is third parliament 1628 immediately started by discussing recent grievances against the way the King had treated them. The commons leader Sir Edward Coke, a lawyer, issued the Petition of Right a statement of a persons rights which the King should honour. The Petition of Right asserted that a person should have freedom from arbitrary arrest and imprisonment, freedom from non-parliamentary taxation, freedom from enforced billeting of troops and freedom from martial law. Charles I grudgingly accepted the terms in return for a parliamentary subsidy. Charles did not uphold the terms of the Petition of right this did not help his cause because Parliament no-longer trusted the Kings word in future negotiations.

The second session of Charles's third parliament assembled on 23rd January 1629. Sir John Elliot and other extreme MP's begun the impeachment of several Laudians and John Pym. In response to this Charles ordered Sir John Finch to dissolve Parliament. When Finch tried to rise to declare the session at an end, a group of MPs led by Denzil Holles held him down in his chair until a protestation had been passed: the Three Resolutions. The protestation attacked Arminianism and encouraged merchants to refuse to pay tonnage and poundage. Those who paid were branded enemies to the Kingdom and betrayers of the liberties of England. In response to this Charles resolved to govern without Parliament. In one respect this did help Charles's cause, as he now would attempt to rule as an absolute Monarch. However it did not help Charles's cause because this lead to mounting grievances when it came to the short parliament.

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Charles I married Henrietta Maria of France, a Roman Catholic. Parliament feared this might lead to a revival of Catholicism in England though Charles reassured Parliament that he would not stop enforcing restrictions of recusants. However Charles I promised to do exactly that in a secret marriage treaty with Louis XIII. Under massive pressure from Parliament and Charles's Privy Council Charles continued recusant laws. Which resulted in Louis XIII not paying Henrietta Maria's dowry and Louis XIII declaring war on England. Charles's marriage to Henrietta Maria of France did little to help the predicament of English Foreign policy: at war with Spain and now at War with France did little to help his own cause.

Charles appointed William Laud to become Archbishop of Canterbury in 1633. William laud leader of the Arminians became one of Charles's closest advisors. Laud was determined to force his views on the previously "broad" Anglican Church that had contained bishops and ministers of varying degrees of Puritanism and Protestantism. The Laudian changes to the Church of England, with their Roman Catholic-looking ceremonies, aroused the greatest suspicion. It seemed to many Laud was bringing in Roman Catholicism by the back door.

In 1625 Charles issued the land and the Act of Revocation. In 1625 Charles issued an Act of Revocation cancelling all grants of Royal land and church land made since 1540. This affected many Scottish landowners making them resent Charles for taking back their land. This also made many English landowners fear that Charles may take away their land previously belonging to the church. This did not help Charles's cause as it worried English Gentry and Angered Scottish adding to the reasons for the following Bishops War.

Thomas Wentworth in 1633 was appointed as Lord-Deputy of Ireland. Wentworth run Ireland ruthlessly, dominating the main power groups by clever manipulation of the Irish Parliament and by securing firm control of the army in Ireland. Wentworth repossessed masses of land previously held by the church this only added to the English fear that their land was next to be taken.

1637 a version of the English Laudian Prayer book was introduced in Scotland. Following this the Scottish National Covenant 1638 rejected the prayer books and Lauds canons. Nearly everybody in Scotland signed the Covenant. 1638 Scotland prepares for war, Scottish National assembly started to collect an army, well aware that Charles was also preparing an army. Charles not able to afford a long war launched an attack lead by the Earl of Arundel. The attack failed the English army fled unwilling to fight against a cause many of themselves sympathised with. Charles enforcing a Laudian prayer book on the Scots did not help his cause this resulted in a costly war against Scotland which would ultimately lead to Charles I calling the Short Parliament.

Wentworth was recalled to England as chief advisor to the King In January 1640. Wentworth advises Charles to call a Parliament thinking that the English Parliament would be willing to pay to raise an army for the war against Scotland. Charles called a Parliament and started by explaining that he did not require advice from them but only money. However the MP's refused and were determined to address their grievances to the King. John Pym now Parliamentary leader is politely critical of the Kings collection of illegal taxes. The King in response to this offered to stop collecting ship tax in return for parliamentary subsidies. Parliament refused this as ship tax was collecting little money and Parliament wanted to address their grievances. Charles rather than haggle with parliament dissolved it after only three weeks in may 1640. This did not help Charles's own cause, as attitudes were to harden after the dissolution.

The failure of the Short Parliament was followed by the outbreak of new fighting with the Scots. At a skirmish at Newcastle-upon-Tyne in August 1640 the English were beaten. The Scots were able to advance capturing Newcastle and the six northern counties. The treaty of Ripon of October 1640 ended the war. Negotiated by the council of peers it was really a complete humiliation for Charles. The Scots secured £850 per day to cover the costs of occupation. In these circumstances, defeated and unable to pay the costs of Scottish occupation Charles had no choice but to call another Parliament to vote the subsidies required. The second Bishop's war did not help Charles I cause, it forced him to sign a humiliating treaty forcing him to call another Parliament ending all hope of Charles becoming an absolute Monarch.

Charles did do little to help his own cause. Charles made a series of decisions, which resulted in the gentry feeling alienated by his policies making it highly improbable for Charles to be able to efficiently rule as an Absolute Monarch. Although Charles did make some advantageous decisions which allowed him to continue for the large amount of time without Parliament. However Charles' decisions ultimately amalgamated the circumstances for the English Civil War.

Answer 2

Charles I's (king at that time) advisors (William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury and Thomas Wentworth, Earl of Stafford) were unpopularHe believed in the Divine Right of Kings ...this is when the king thinks he is chosen by God to be King and acts as his representative on Earth - many people didn't agreeCharles tried to ban Puritan books and did his best to imprison Puritan writers and preachersHe was a lavish spender and was always asking Parliament for moneyIn 1635 ship money was collectedin 1640 he introduced a prayer bookAll of this causes a civil war between the Cavaliers (Royalists) and the Roundheads (Parliament)

Answer 3

The British Civil War started in 1642 and ended in 1660. It was ignited by Charles the first, a unpopular king, due to the fact he was Cathlolic; who was able to in 1629, to sease Parlement for eleven years; Charles did so because of his Divine right beleifs. It ended when he was executed in 1660.

Answer 4

• i have no idea can someone help please :D

Answer 5

Basically people thought that the country should be run by a Parliament so that it was fair, instead of the king (Charles I) so they had a war and chopped his head off.