1. What Main Factors Led to the English Civil War?

2. Civil War Breaks families, friends, and communities apart
Friends, siblings, and neighbors can end up on opposite sides

3. The main cause of the English Civil War
Charles I’s struggle with parliament
Each side believed it had the right to more control
Compromise was impossible due to:
Money
Growing powers of parliament
Religion
And the king’s behaviour

4. Magna Carta1215
A charter which guaranteed the English people certain civil rights and limited the powers of the monarch
Stated the king had to consult an elected parliament and rule lawfully

5. Changing Role of Parliament
Original Role Before Magna Carta
Role After Magna Carta
To Advise the King
Had little official power
King had total power
The King could not rule on his own
The King had to obey the laws
The King could not introduce new laws without Parliament

6. 17th century English Parliament
Consisted of 2 parts or houses
The House of Lords included Bishops and other high officials of the Church of England, and the nobility
The House of Commons was made up of wealthy landowners and townspeople
No women or poor
The monarch had the right to call or dismiss a parliament

7. Its Always About Money Monarchs needed cash!!$$$ Living the high life
Wars
"champagne wishes and caviar dreams."
To raise money, Monarchs could:
Collects rents from estates
Sell noble titles
Sell rights to import valuable goods

8. Money is Power Only parliament could make new taxes legal
The king had to ask parliament and explain why he needed the money
Parliament could use this to its advantage
- Could force the king to give up his power and increase parliaments power in exchange for new taxes and therefore money

9. Do You Dare? Charles I did not believe in freedom of speech
Those who criticized or made fun of him were arrested and severely punished
Pillory

10. Charles Violates People's Rights
Charles used the Court of Star Chamber against those who opposed him
People tried by this court were denied the rights granted by the Magna Carta
Secret trials, no juries, no witnesses
Like Guantanamo Bay today

11. Its On!
1628 the 2 houses of Parliament told the king he would get no money until he signed the Petition of Right which affirmed the rights guaranteed by the Magna Carta
Charles I reacted by dissolving parliament and ruled on his own for 11 years (called the 11 years of Tyranny)
It was followed by a series of events that led to civil war