Charles I was dead and the Monarchy and House of Lords had been abolished. For many people, there was disbelief that the King had actually been executed by his own people. There was confusion and disagreement over how England should be governed in the aftermath of the execution. All over Europe, countries were governed by a King or Queen and England had had a Monarchy for as long as people could remember….

The Royalists The Diggers The Levellers The Republicans The Council of State, due to fundamental disagreements within a weakened Parliament, was dominated by the Army. So, how did different groups believe the country should be run?

Royalists wanted to keep the Monarchy and bring Charles I’s son back from exile in France. Most Royalists were landowners and therefore had a significant amount at stake as a result of Civil War and the loss of the Monarchical regime. During the Third Civil War, the battlefield between Royalist and Parliamentarian forces was Ireland. At the seige of Drogheda, Royalist forces were among those slaughtered by Cromwell. The Royalists

The Royalists The Diggers The Levellers The Republicans The Council of State, due to fundamental disagreements within a weakened Parliament, was dominated by the Army. So, how did different groups believe the country should be run?

The Republicans Republicans wanted an end to Monarchy. They were led by, amongst others, Cromwell. Most Republicans were small landowners, merchants and Puritans. The Republicans did not really know what to put in place of the Monarchy. Cromwell himself said, “I can tell you, sirs, what government I would not have, though I cannot tell you what I would have.”

The Royalists The Diggers The Levellers The Republicans The Council of State, due to fundamental disagreements within a weakened Parliament, was dominated by the Army. So, how did different groups believe the country should be run?

The Levellers wanted to give every man the vote and freedom of worship The Levellers wanted to give every man the vote and freedom of worship. John Lilburne said, “No man was born marked by God above another, therefore the poorest has a right to vote as the richest and the greatest.” They did not have a manifesto but they generally supported the Agreement Of The People. There were many Levellers in the ranks of the army. After Pride’s Purge they were marginalised. The Levellers

The Royalists The Diggers The Levellers The Republicans The Council of State, due to fundamental disagreements within a weakened Parliament, was dominated by the Army. So, how did different groups believe the country should be run?

Diggers took their manifesto from the Book of Acts and wanted everyone to be equal. They believed this could only happen if the land was owned by everyone. The Diggers attempted to farm on common land but were often driven off by mobs hired by landowners. Diggers were a small group of radicals amongst many groups e.g. the Fifth Monarchists who wanted a theocracy. The Diggers

The Royalists The Diggers The Levellers The Republicans The Council of State, due to fundamental disagreements within a weakened Parliament, was dominated by the Army. So, how did different groups believe the country should be run?