Causes of the 1642 Civil War: An Analysis

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Why did the Civil War break out in 1642? Roan Wittkowski – Elliott 8R The Civil War broke out in 1642 due to a combination of long and short term factors. All of the causes of the civil war were political, religious, social and economic in nature. In addition, some historians highlight Charles’ personality as a key reason because he refused to compromise with his opponents. The period leading up to the Civil War was a period of great change. In 1603, James I was crowned king and this was the first time that England, Scotland and Ireland all had the same monarch. These were very different countries in terms of their main religion. In the past, these religious divisions had resulted in the Gunpowder Plot (1605). In addition, there were many tensions between Parliament and Charles’ predecessor king James I. During James I’s reign, the king suspended Parliament for 10 years between 1611 and 1621. This did not leave a good state of affairs for his son Charles I to inherit when he was crowned king in 1625. I think an important cause of the civil war was linked to Charles’s personality and his belief in the ‘divine right of kings’ (which means that he was appointed by God and therefore could do nothing wrong). Due to this belief …show more content…

They both wanted more power than the other. If Charles had not held such a great belief in ‘the divine right of kings’, he might have been able to avoid a lot of the tensions which built up to and resulted in the civil war. Charles’ personality played a part and showed his opponents that he was arrogant and had little understanding or sympathy for the fears and aspirations of his people. Ultimately, Charles lacked many of the personal qualities needed to be a successful monarch. Finally, he was not good at developing good relationships with and support amongst the politicians and noblemen he needed to rule the country

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