English Civil War

A series of armed conflicts in England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1642 to 1651 between Royalists and Parliamentarians over political authority and the monarchy.

Long Parliament: The English Parliament that met from 1640 to 1660 and challenged Charles I’s government. Its reforms and refusal to dissolve sharpened the political conflict before fighting began.
Personal Rule: The period from 1629 to 1640 when Charles I governed England without summoning Parliament. Its taxation policies and lack of parliamentary consent deepened opposition to the king.
Charles I of England: King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1625 until his execution in 1649. His resistance to Parliament and attempts to regain control drove the central royalist cause.
English Parliament: The legislature of England, composed historically of the House of Lords and House of Commons. Parliament’s authority to approve taxation and advise the crown lay at the heart of the dispute.
Commonwealth of England: The republic established in 1649 after the abolition of the English monarchy and House of Lords. It was the regime created after Parliament’s victory and Charles I’s execution.
Battle of Edgehill: An indecisive battle fought in Warwickshire in October 1642 between Royalist and Parliamentarian armies. The first major battle showed that neither side could quickly settle the conflict.
Ship Money: A tax levied by Charles I, originally on coastal counties, and extended inland during his Personal Rule. Resistance to this revenue measure became a prominent dispute over royal power.
Oliver Cromwell: An English military and political leader who rose to prominence in the Parliamentarian army and later became Lord Protector. His cavalry command and political influence helped make the Parliamentarian victory durable.
Divine right of kings: The doctrine that monarchs derive their authority from God rather than from the consent of their subjects. It underpinned Charles I’s claims to govern without parliamentary constraint.
Protectorate: The English government under Oliver Cromwell and his son Richard from 1653 to 1659. It replaced the Commonwealth’s unstable parliamentary rule with military-backed executive government.

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