Interregnum

Created by: LamisaAmber
Created on: 09-05-17 09:12

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Interregnum 1649-1660
- Rump Parliament 1649 - 1653
  - Created by Pride's Purge
    - Some MPs secluded, some arrested and others stayed away to be dissociated with Rump's actions
      - Expelled moderate MPs who wanted to continue negotiating with Charles
        Brought back moderate MPs who had stayed away during execution = politically conservative now
    - 'Sitting on bayonets' - put into power by the army and therefore dependent on their approval
    - Made up of Republicans e.g. Haselrig and Bradshaw and Army Radicals
      - Brought back moderate MPs who had stayed away during execution = politically conservative now
  - Carry out the trial and execution of the King
    - Declare themselves able to pass laws without consent of the King or Lords
    - Create High Court of Justice to try him
      - Abolish House of Lords March 1649
    - Attempt to make it look legitimate - clerks and minute keepers
  - Religion
    - Failed to implement any radical legislation in order to appease moderate Presbyterians and Royalists
    - Agreed that non-law abiding sects must be crushed but couldn't agree on how to approach a religious settlement otherwise
      - Wanted godly so but everybody has different ideas of it
    - Blasphemy Act 1650 and Adultery Act 1650 to curb influence of Ranters, Quakers
    - Committee for the Propagation of the Gospel but no religious settlement
  - Legal Reform
    - Calls for reform of the law from radicals - e.g. wanted to implement Mosaic Law
    - Moderates want to maintain Common Law in the country
    - Little done to make the courts more accessible, apart from proceedings being held in English rather than Latin
  - Finance
    - Large deficit after Civil Wars
      - Sold crown lands and church property
      - Confiscated Royalist lands = resentment towards regime
      - Assessment tax and excise duty
  - Third Civil War
    - Uprisings in Ireland and Scotland - had made deals with Charles II to restore him to throne
      - Crushed easily by Oliver Cromwell and NMA
    - Royalism in Scotland - Montrose Rising, Treaty of Breda, Battle of Dunbar
    - Ormond Treaty, Massacres of Drogheda and Wexford
  - Dissolution of the Rump
    - Only meant as an interim body whilst elections were prepared
    - NMA was worried that the new elections would allow same MPs back into seats
      - Discussions continued despite Cromwell postponing them = angry. Not fulfilling his ideal of a godly soc
      - OC personal attempt to grab power?
      - Forced into it by army discontent?
        Policies favoured moderate stability = NMA no longer on side
  - Political Radicalism
    - Levellers - denounced Rump. Cromwell and Breton crushed them; arrested Lilburne
      - Imprisonment of leaders= stirred up mutiny e.g. Banbury amongst army but dispersed by personal persuasion of Cromwell and Ireton
      - Rump quelled army discontent by paying arrears - Levellers didn't have army support anymore = no threat
      - Arrested hundreds, executed ring leaders
- Nominated Assembly 1653
  - Clash between moderates and radicals
    - Failed to meet expectations
      - Radicals propose end to Monthly Assessments - attack on army
        Radicals push through abolition of tithes, organised = upset moderates
    - Radicals want no tithes, no national church, mosaic law
    - Moderates want toleration, national church, tithes, common law
  - Dissolution 1653
    - Moderates meet alone December 1653, vote to give power back to OC and abdicate
  - Motives
    - Puppet of Army?
    - Genuine experiment in Godly rule?
    - OC uses it to take power?
- The Protectorate 1653- 1659
  - Richard Cromwell 1659
    - Legacy of OC
      - No religious settlement, por finances, politically unstable, all groups discontent
      - Power vacuum after OCs death, RC not army man, ruling under HPA - garnered opp in 2nd sess of 2nd PP
    - Upsets army by trying to get rid of Council of Officers = army calls for his removal
  - Oliver Cromwell 1653-1658
    - Under HP&A
      - New Cromwellians want a civilian gov
        alternate constitutionto I of G, endorsed by parl, sought to limit OC by kingship
        
        Return to old constitution, upper house, privy council, kingship
        
        Refuses kingship = trying to reach settlement or extend powers
      - Opposition - army and Republicans don't like it
      - Excluded members return 2ndSess 2nd PP
        Republicans attack HPA, lack of support in lower house
        Gather support from army, religious radicals - looks like attack on OC
        OC dissolves parl to prevent consideringof Republican petition. Diest Sept 1658
        
        Opposition - army and Republicans don't like it
    - Under I of G
      - Aims of healing and settling country through godly reformation and political stability
      - Ordinances- Triers and Ejectors
      - Godly reformation impeded by lack of finance, held up by Council of State
      - Religious Toleration undermined stability e.g. Naylor Case, fear of social collapse, ministers can't enforce order - no legal compulsion
      - OC tolerant of Catholics, secretly lets Jews reenter, hard to define 'godly' faith
      - Conservative Protectorate Parliament always threatens liberty
      - I of G drawn up by Lambert, not endorsed by parliament, 30,000 permanent army, questionable legitimacy - imposed by military
        1st PP Commonwealthsmen attacked legitimacy of I of G
        Oath of Allegiance - 100 MPs excluded
        
        Fear of military dictatorship- heavy army representation, upsets Commonwealthsmen. Gentry fear disorder
      - Reorganising of constituencies = wider representation = more opp to OC in 1stPP
      - Major-Generals - DecimationTax to maintain them, interferred with daily life
        Resentment, lower social class and not local
        
        Centralisation attempt failed - didn't vote to renew DecimationTax
- The Restoration 1658-1660
  - The Restored Rump
    - Divisions between army and Rump
      - Failed to enforce settlement, didn't restrict radicals - people want stability
        tried to use radicals to curb army influence = Rump seems radical
        
        Lambert crushes Booths uprising August 1659- gives them power
        Haselrig calls to arrest leaders of army = dissolves Rump
  - The Committee of Safety
    - Guise of authority from Army but internal divisions
      - Not all agree w/ Rump's dissolution e.g. Monck
        Monck marches to London, Navy declares against gov, Lambert fails to crush Monck's forces
        Monck dismisses Lambert, Fleetwood, recalls Rump
  - The Restored Long Parliament
    - Monck brings back secluded MPs - Republicans no longer have power
      - Questioned legitimacy of Rump and Charles' execution
        Restorationmuch more likely but Monck presents self as moderate
  - The Convention Parliament
    - Army decline to challenge Monck, new elections called at time of Charles' publishing of Treaty of Breda
      - Over 60 monarchists took seats and considered terms of Charles' restoration 1660
      - Treaty of Breda - published from Holland, promised to pay arrears, religious toleration, general pardon, leniency, cooperation with Parliament
        Satisfies all groups - he is a figure of stability
Only 12 of 140 radicals e.g. Fifth Monarchists but their fanaticism = clashes
- Colonel Harrison
- Clash between moderates and radicals
  - Failed to meet expectations
    - Radicals propose end to Monthly Assessments - attack on army
      - Radicals push through abolition of tithes, organised = upset moderates
  - Radicals want no tithes, no national church, mosaic law
  - Moderates want toleration, national church, tithes, common law

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Interregnum

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