Stuarts Notes
AQA History A Level
,Key Political Institutions............................................................................................................... 3
Key Religious Groups................................................................................................................... 3
King James I - Personality + Leadership.......................................................................................4
King James I - Court..................................................................................................................... 4
Charles I - Personality + Leadership............................................................................................ 4
Charles 1 - Court.......................................................................................................................... 5
Charles I - Early Reign.................................................................................................................. 5
James I - Finance......................................................................................................................... 5
Charles I - Finance....................................................................................................................... 6
James I - Religion......................................................................................................................... 6
James and Parliament.................................................................................................................. 6
Charles I and Parliament.............................................................................................................. 7
Charles I - Personal rule (1629-1640).......................................................................................... 7
Charles and religion (personal rule)............................................................................................. 7
Charles, politics and finance (personal rule)................................................................................8
Charles and Scotland (personal rule)........................................................................................... 8
The Bishops Wars (1639-1640).................................................................................................... 8
Charles I and Ireland (personal rule)............................................................................................ 9
The Short Parliament................................................................................................................... 9
The Long Parliament.................................................................................................................... 9
Petitions in the years 1640-1642................................................................................................. 9
The Five Members Coup............................................................................................................ 10
Was there an appetite for war in 1642?.....................................................................................10
Early battles of the First Civil War.............................................................................................. 11
What led to Royalist defeat in the First Civil War?.....................................................................11
The New Model Army................................................................................................................. 11
End of the First Civil War........................................................................................................... 12
Divisions in Parliament.............................................................................................................. 12
The Newcastle Propositions (July 1646).....................................................................................12
The Levellers............................................................................................................................. 12
The Diggers............................................................................................................................... 13
The Fifth Monarchists................................................................................................................. 13
The Solemn Engagement........................................................................................................... 13
The Heads of Proposals.............................................................................................................. 13
The Second Civil War................................................................................................................. 13
Trial and Regicide...................................................................................................................... 14
Pride’s Purge.............................................................................................................................. 14
The Trial of Charles I.................................................................................................................. 14
, KEY POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS
The Monarchy
• Divine right of kings, chosen by God
• Primarily interacts with the nobles and Parliament
• Power limited to pretty much just controlling Parliament
• Created his own council to control Parliamentary decisions
The Church
• Controlled by the Monarch
• Controls news outlets
• Holds a lot of power
• Sets religious policy
The Royal Court
• A forum through which the monarch could be influenced and advised
• Members get close and sustained access to the Monarch
• Very personal role such as the Groom of The Stool who would go to the toilet with
the king
• Friends and nobility made up most of the court, they would often lobby to get their
families into more powerful positions
Local Government
• Mostly voluntary and unpaid
• Their effectiveness was dependent on the cooperation of the people and nobles
• Handled justice, volunteers attended court sessions to try minor crimes
• Included local Sheriffs and Constables
The House of Lords
• Made statute laws
• Initially had a bigger influence than the Commons
• Called and dismissed by the King at his will
• Have a big influence of local government
The House of Commons
• Powers of taxation
• Worked in a co-operative relationship with the Lords
• Restricted the power of the King in some cases
The Electorate
• 27% of adult males, mostly wealthy nobles
• Can vote for people in the Commons and other positions in Parliament
KEY RELIGIOUS GROUPS
Puritains
• Very devout protestants
• Believed in strict religious practice
• Became a foundation of the New Model Army
• Cromwell ran the country as Puritan when he was Lord Protector
Catholics
• Had been brutally oppressed under Elizabeth who ordered many to be burned alive
• Oppression started when England became Protestant under HenryVIII
• Charles’ wife Henrietta Maria was a Catholic, scared many people
• James was initially relatively nice to them, gunpowder plot destroyed the reputation
of all Catholics
AQA History A Level
,Key Political Institutions............................................................................................................... 3
Key Religious Groups................................................................................................................... 3
King James I - Personality + Leadership.......................................................................................4
King James I - Court..................................................................................................................... 4
Charles I - Personality + Leadership............................................................................................ 4
Charles 1 - Court.......................................................................................................................... 5
Charles I - Early Reign.................................................................................................................. 5
James I - Finance......................................................................................................................... 5
Charles I - Finance....................................................................................................................... 6
James I - Religion......................................................................................................................... 6
James and Parliament.................................................................................................................. 6
Charles I and Parliament.............................................................................................................. 7
Charles I - Personal rule (1629-1640).......................................................................................... 7
Charles and religion (personal rule)............................................................................................. 7
Charles, politics and finance (personal rule)................................................................................8
Charles and Scotland (personal rule)........................................................................................... 8
The Bishops Wars (1639-1640).................................................................................................... 8
Charles I and Ireland (personal rule)............................................................................................ 9
The Short Parliament................................................................................................................... 9
The Long Parliament.................................................................................................................... 9
Petitions in the years 1640-1642................................................................................................. 9
The Five Members Coup............................................................................................................ 10
Was there an appetite for war in 1642?.....................................................................................10
Early battles of the First Civil War.............................................................................................. 11
What led to Royalist defeat in the First Civil War?.....................................................................11
The New Model Army................................................................................................................. 11
End of the First Civil War........................................................................................................... 12
Divisions in Parliament.............................................................................................................. 12
The Newcastle Propositions (July 1646).....................................................................................12
The Levellers............................................................................................................................. 12
The Diggers............................................................................................................................... 13
The Fifth Monarchists................................................................................................................. 13
The Solemn Engagement........................................................................................................... 13
The Heads of Proposals.............................................................................................................. 13
The Second Civil War................................................................................................................. 13
Trial and Regicide...................................................................................................................... 14
Pride’s Purge.............................................................................................................................. 14
The Trial of Charles I.................................................................................................................. 14
, KEY POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS
The Monarchy
• Divine right of kings, chosen by God
• Primarily interacts with the nobles and Parliament
• Power limited to pretty much just controlling Parliament
• Created his own council to control Parliamentary decisions
The Church
• Controlled by the Monarch
• Controls news outlets
• Holds a lot of power
• Sets religious policy
The Royal Court
• A forum through which the monarch could be influenced and advised
• Members get close and sustained access to the Monarch
• Very personal role such as the Groom of The Stool who would go to the toilet with
the king
• Friends and nobility made up most of the court, they would often lobby to get their
families into more powerful positions
Local Government
• Mostly voluntary and unpaid
• Their effectiveness was dependent on the cooperation of the people and nobles
• Handled justice, volunteers attended court sessions to try minor crimes
• Included local Sheriffs and Constables
The House of Lords
• Made statute laws
• Initially had a bigger influence than the Commons
• Called and dismissed by the King at his will
• Have a big influence of local government
The House of Commons
• Powers of taxation
• Worked in a co-operative relationship with the Lords
• Restricted the power of the King in some cases
The Electorate
• 27% of adult males, mostly wealthy nobles
• Can vote for people in the Commons and other positions in Parliament
KEY RELIGIOUS GROUPS
Puritains
• Very devout protestants
• Believed in strict religious practice
• Became a foundation of the New Model Army
• Cromwell ran the country as Puritan when he was Lord Protector
Catholics
• Had been brutally oppressed under Elizabeth who ordered many to be burned alive
• Oppression started when England became Protestant under HenryVIII
• Charles’ wife Henrietta Maria was a Catholic, scared many people
• James was initially relatively nice to them, gunpowder plot destroyed the reputation
of all Catholics
