The English Civil War and the Glorious Revolution Chapter Notes | AP European History - Grade 9 PDF Download

Introduction

The English Civil War (1642–1651) marked a pivotal moment in European history, as England rejected absolutism in favor of constitutionalism, limiting monarchical power. This chapter notes examines the tensions between the monarchy and Parliament under James I and Charles I, the war’s outbreak, and its aftermath. It highlights the Glorious Revolution and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy, shaped by John Locke’s liberal ideas, setting a precedent for modern governance.

The English Civil War: Resistance to Absolutism

• While much of 17th-century Europe embraced absolutist rule, England, alongside the Dutch, developed constitutionalism, a system that constrained the monarchy’s authority. 
• The English Civil War (1642–1651) arose from conflicts between the monarchy and Parliament over religion, governance, and taxation, reflecting deep-seated resistance to absolute rule.

James I: The Divine Right of Kings

• The roots of the conflict lay in the Reformation, which left enduring religious and political divisions. 
• King James I (1603–1625), also James VI of Scotland, governed a united England, Scotland, and Ireland. 
• Despite England’s official Anglican status, James’s actions often appeared to favor Catholicism, alienating Puritans and Protestant elites.
  • James staunchly advocated the Divine Right of Kings, claiming monarchs derived their power from God, not Parliament.
  • He frequently clashed with Parliament over taxation and governance, especially when he sought to raise funds without parliamentary consent.

Note: His King James Bible (1611) reinforced royal control over religious matters but did little to resolve tensions between Anglicans and Puritans.

Charles I: Conflict with Parliament

• James’s son, Charles I (1625–1649), inherited the throne and intensified disputes with Parliament through his policies.
  • Religious Tensions: Charles’s marriage to Henrietta Maria, a French Catholic princess, sparked fears that he aimed to restore Catholicism in England.
  • The Petition of Right (1628):Parliament passed this document to limit Charles’s authority, declaring that the king could not:
    • Impose taxes without Parliament’s approval.
    • Imprison citizens without legal cause.
    • House soldiers in private residences.
    • Enforce martial law during peacetime.
  • Charles disregarded the Petition and governed without Parliament for 11 years (1629–1640), a period dubbed the Personal Rule or "Eleven Years’ Tyranny."
• Charles’s belief in the Divine Right of Kings echoed the ideas of Thomas Hobbes, who, in Leviathan (1651), argued that humans’ violent and selfish nature necessitated a strong, centralized ruler. 
• Hobbes proposed a social contract where people surrendered rights to a sovereign for peace and stability. Charles I embodied this absolutist ideal, asserting his authority superseded Parliament and the populace.
• However, Parliament and the English resisted this vision, paving the way for war.

The Road to War

• Conflicts escalated when Charles tried to enforce Anglican practices on Calvinist Scotland, triggering the Bishops’ Wars (1639–1640). 
• Lacking funds to quell the Scottish rebellion, he was compelled to recall Parliament in 1640.
  • Short Parliament (April 1640): Dissolved after three weeks when Parliament refused to grant funds without reforms.
  • Long Parliament (1640–1660): Convened after Charles’s military losses in Scotland, it aimed to curb royal power, eventually leading to open conflict.

Civil War Begins (1642–1651)

• In 1642, Charles attempted to arrest parliamentary opposition leaders, but they evaded capture. 
• This failed coup ignited the English Civil War, pitting two factions against each other:
  • Cavaliers (Royalists): Backed the king, comprising nobles, Anglicans, and Catholics.
  • Roundheads (Parliamentarians): Opposed the king, led by Puritans and middle-class Presbyterians advocating parliamentary reforms.

Oliver Cromwell and the Execution of Charles I

• Led by Oliver Cromwell, the New Model Army defeated the Royalists. 
• In 1649, Charles I was tried, convicted of treason, and executed—a unprecedented act, as no English monarch had been legally deposed and executed before.
  • The monarchy was abolished, and England became a Commonwealth (1649–1653), a republic governed by Parliament.
  • Cromwell suppressed Irish and Scottish rebellions, causing famine and massacres.
  • In 1653, he dissolved Parliament and ruled as Lord Protector, establishing a military dictatorship.

The Glorious Revolution: The Establishment of Constitutional Monarchy

The Restoration and James II

• Following Cromwell’s death in 1658, his son Richard proved ineffective. 
• In 1660, Parliament restored Charles II, Charles I’s son, to the throne, marking the Restoration.
  • Charles II (r. 1660–1685) was well-liked but politically weak.
  • Upon his death, his brother James II (1685–1688) ascended the throne, but his overt Catholicism and authoritarian governance sparked opposition.

Note: The English populace increasingly rejected Catholic monarchs.

The Glorious Revolution (1688)

• Alarmed by James II’s Catholic absolutism, Parliament invited William of Orange, a Dutch Protestant, and his wife, Mary, James II’s Protestant daughter, to assume the throne.
  • William and Mary arrived with an army, prompting James II to flee to France.
  • In 1689, they were crowned joint monarchs in an event known as the Glorious Revolution.

Note: Unlike earlier conflicts, the Glorious Revolution was bloodless and solidified a constitutional monarchy.

The English Bill of Rights (1689) & The Triumph of John Locke’s Liberalism

• The Glorious Revolution marked a shift from Hobbesian absolutism to the principles of John Locke, who laid the groundwork for modern liberal democracy.
• In Two Treatises of Government (1690), Locke argued:
  • Government rests on a social contract but must safeguard natural rights (life, liberty, and property).
  • If a government fails to protect these rights, the people have the right to overthrow it.
  • Sovereignty resides with the people, not the monarch.
• Locke’s ideas directly shaped the English Bill of Rights (1689), which William and Mary accepted, affirming Parliament’s supremacy over the monarchy and guaranteeing civil liberties. 
• The bill stipulated that the monarch could not:
  • Raise taxes or maintain an army without Parliament’s consent.
  • Suspend laws arbitrarily.
  • Interfere with parliamentary elections.
• This legislation established the foundation for constitutional monarchy and influenced subsequent democratic movements.

The Act of Settlement (1701)

• To ensure Protestant succession, Parliament enacted the Act of Settlement, prohibiting Catholics from inheriting the throne. 
• This secured the Hanoverian dynasty’s rise in 1714, replacing the Stuarts.

Impact of the English Civil War and Glorious Revolution

• The English Civil War and Glorious Revolution were transformative events in European political history. 
• Unlike absolutist states like France, Spain, or Russia, England developed a constitutional monarchy where the king governed alongside Parliament.
  • Shift in Power: The monarchy was permanently weakened, with Parliament gaining legislative dominance.
  • Protection of Aristocratic and Gentry Rights: Nobles and landowners ensured their property and political influence were safeguarded.
  • Religious Toleration: Protestant dominance was upheld, requiring future monarchs to adhere to the Anglican Church.

Note: England’s rejection of absolutism fostered liberal political thought, particularly John Locke’s theories on government and individual rights, which later inspired the American and French Revolutions.

Key Terms

• Act of Settlement: A 1701 law ensuring Protestant succession to the English throne by restricting the crown to descendants of Sophia, Electress of Hanover, excluding Catholics. It shaped England’s political landscape post-English Civil War and Glorious Revolution.
• Absolutism: A political system where a single ruler holds total power, often justified by divine right, centralizing authority without legal or institutional checks.
• Act of Supremacy: A 1534 law declaring Henry VIII Supreme Head of the Church of England, breaking from papal authority and establishing a national church during the Reformation.
• Anglican Church: The Church of England, formed during the 16th-century Reformation, blending Protestant and Catholic elements, established under Henry VIII.
• Cavaliers: Royalist supporters of Charles I during the English Civil War, primarily nobles, Anglicans, and Catholics, loyal to the monarchy.
• Charles I: King of England, Scotland, and Ireland (1625–1649), whose absolutist policies led to the English Civil War and his execution for treason.
• Charles II: King of England, Scotland, and Ireland (1660–1685), restored to the throne after the Civil War, known for a liberal court but weak political authority.
• Commonwealth Republic: A republican government in England (1649–1653) following the Civil War, led by Parliament under Oliver Cromwell’s Puritan regime.
• Constitutional Monarchy: A government system where a monarch shares power with a parliament, balancing ceremonial roles with elected representatives’ authority.
• Divine Right of Kings: A doctrine claiming monarchs derive authority from God, exempting them from earthly accountability, justifying absolute rule.
• English Civil War: A 1642–1651 conflict between Parliamentarians (Roundheads) and Royalists (Cavaliers) over governance and religion, leading to constitutional monarchy.
• English Bill of Rights: A 1689 law limiting monarchical power, affirming parliamentary sovereignty, and guaranteeing civil liberties, shaping constitutional monarchy.
• Glorious Revolution: The 1688 bloodless overthrow of James II, with William III and Mary II’s ascension, establishing constitutional monarchy and parliamentary power.
• James I: King of England and Ireland (1603–1625) and Scotland (1567–1625), whose divine right beliefs fueled tensions leading to the Civil War.
• James II: King of England, Scotland, and Ireland (1685–1688), deposed during the Glorious Revolution due to his Catholicism and absolutist policies.
• King James VI of Scotland: James VI of Scotland (1567–1625), who became James I of England, uniting the crowns and setting the stage for political conflicts.
• King Henry IV of France: France’s first Bourbon king (1589–1610), who restored peace after religious wars, stabilizing the nation through pragmatic rule.
• Long Parliament: An English Parliament (1640–1660) that challenged Charles I’s authority, sparking the Civil War and asserting parliamentary rights.
• Mary: Mary II, co-ruler with William III after the 1688 Glorious Revolution, marking a shift to constitutional monarchy and parliamentary sovereignty.
• Oliver Cromwell: Parliamentarian leader during the Civil War, later Lord Protector (1653–1658), who reshaped England’s governance through military rule.
• Petition of Right: A 1628 document limiting royal power, prohibiting taxation without Parliament’s consent, unlawful imprisonment, and martial law in peacetime.
• Puritan Movement: A 16th–17th-century reform movement within the Church of England, seeking to eliminate Catholic elements, influencing the Civil War.
• Restoration: The 1660–1688 period when the English monarchy was reestablished under Charles II, following the Civil War and Commonwealth.
• Roundheads: Parliamentarian supporters during the Civil War, opposing Charles I, primarily Puritans and Presbyterians advocating parliamentary reforms.
• Ship Money: A 17th-century tax for naval defense, controversially extended by Charles I to inland areas, fueling tensions leading to the Civil War.
• Short Parliament: A 1640 Parliament dissolved after three weeks, called by Charles I for funds but marked by conflicts over royal authority.
• William of Orange: William III, who, with Mary II, ascended the throne in 1688, establishing constitutional monarchy after the Glorious Revolution.