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The English Civil War is the period of conflict in the kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland between 1639 and 1651, and also refers specifically to the two wars ( 1642– 1645 and 1648– 1649) between the Royalist supporters of Charles I of England and the Parliamentarian supporters of the Long Parliament.Because the wars of 1639– 1651 included Scotland and Ireland these conflicts are also known as the Wars of the Three Kingdoms and (misleadingly, since the kingdoms were not a single political entity until the Act of Union 1800) as the "British Civil Wars". Unlike other civil wars in EnglandThese military conflicts are known as English civil wars . Stephen and Maud Wars ( 1133 1154) The First Barons' War against King John ( 1215 1217) The Second Barons' War against Henry III ( 1264 1267) Wars of the Roses ( 1455 1487) English Civil War ( 164 which were about who ruled, this one was also about how the country should be governed, so it is also referred to as the English Revolution and (especially in Royalist circles at the time) as the Great Rebellion.
The wars led to the trial and execution of Charles I, the exile of his son Charles IICharles II ( 29 May 1630 6 February 1685) was the King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 30 January 1649 de jure or 29 May 1660 de facto until his death. Charles II's father, Charles I, had been executed in 1649 following the English Civil War; the mo, and the replacement of the English monarchy with the Commonwealth of EnglandThe Commonwealth was the republican government which ruled first England and then the whole of Britain, Ireland, the colonies and other Crown possessions during the periods from 1649 (the monarch Charles I being beheaded on January 30 and "" being passed ( 1649– 1653Events February 2 New Amsterdam (later renamed New York City) is incorporated. April 20 Oliver Cromwell expels the Long Parliament May 24 Ferdinand IV is elected King of the Romans June 12 First Anglo-Dutch War: Battle of the Gabbard lasted until June 13.) and then a ProtectorateThe Protectorate in English history refers specifically to the English government of 1653 to 1659 under the direct control of Oliver Cromwell, who assumed the title of Lord Protector of the newly declared Commonwealth of England (later the Commonwealth of ( 1653– 1659) under the personal rule of Oliver Cromwell. The monopoly of the Church of England on Christian worship in England came to an end, and a new Protestant aristocracy was established in Ireland. A precedent was set that the king could not govern without the consent of Parliament and the people.
1 Background
It must have seemed unthinkable to people of the time that a civil war could result from the events that were taking place. It was less than forty years since the death of the popular Elizabeth I. At the accession of Charles I, England and Scotland were relatively peaceful, and had been so in living memory. Charles had real hopes of fulfilling the dream of his father, James I of England (James VI of Scotland), of uniting the whole British Isles in a single kingdom. Charles shared his father's feelings in regard to the power of the crown, which James had described as "little Gods on Earth", or " Divine Right of Kings". Although pious and with little personal ambition, Charles demanded outright loyalty in return for "just rule". Any questioning of his orders was considered insulting, at best. It was this latter trait and a series of events that tested it, seemingly minor on their own, that led to a serious break between Charles and his Parliament, eventually leading to war.
Before the War, Parliament was not a permanent branch of English government, but a temporary advisory committee summoned by the English monarch whenever additional tax revenue was required, and subject to dissolution at the monarch's will. Because responsibility for collecting taxes was in the hands of the English gentry, the English monarchs needed their help in order to guarantee that revenue came in without difficulty. If the gentry were to refuse to collect the King's taxes, the King would be powerless to compel them. Parliaments allowed representatives of the gentry to meet, converse and send policy proposals to the King (in the form of Bills). These representatives did not, however, have any means to force their will upon the King.
