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SavannahYear 8
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HistoryChurch, state and society: 1066 to 174530 min★★★ difficulty

Monarchy and the English Civil Wars

In 1649 an English king was tried and executed by his own subjects. Understanding how that became thinkable means tracing arguments about money, religion and who has the right to rule.

Lesson overview

What you'll learn in this lesson

Understand the changing role of the monarchy and the causes and consequences of the English Civil Wars

Key learning points

  • • A king who ruled alone
  • • Religion and Scotland
  • • The wars and their outcome
  • • Consequences

This lesson at a glance

  • 30 minutes
  • 19 parts to scroll through
  • 4 quick checks
  • Marked quiz at the end
  • Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses

Words to know

changingmonarchycausesconsequencesenglish

Scroll down — the lesson carries on below

Part 1 of 19 · Discover5%
1

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Part 1 of 19

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Monarchy and the English Civil Wars

An English teaching video on this topic from History Matters. Watch it, then scroll down for the lesson.

In a nutshell

Understand the changing role of the monarchy and the causes and consequences of the English Civil Wars

2

What you already know

Part 2 of 19

Before we start

What you already know

You should already know that the Reformation made religion a political question.

Recap: The English Reformation and its impact
3

Key words

Part 3 of 19

Key words

Words you'll need today

Divine right
The claim that a monarch's authority comes directly from God.
Royalist
A supporter of the king in the Civil Wars.
Parliamentarian
A supporter of Parliament in the Civil Wars.
Commonwealth
The republic that followed the execution of Charles I.
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Learning cycle

Part 4 of 19

Learning cycle 1 of 2

Causes of conflict

A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.

5

Explore the idea

Part 5 of 19

Learn

A king who ruled alone

Charles I believed in divine right and governed for eleven years without calling Parliament, raising money by disputed means such as ship money. Parliament's main weapon was its power to grant taxes, so ruling without it made every financial demand a constitutional argument. Trust broke down long before fighting began.

6

Explore the idea

Part 6 of 19

Learn

Religion and Scotland

Charles's attempts to impose a new prayer book in Scotland provoked war, and war forced him to recall Parliament for funds. Many MPs suspected him of favouring Catholic-style worship, which mattered because religion signalled political loyalty. Rebellion in Ireland then raised the explosive question of who should control an army.

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Quick check

Part 7 of 19

Quick check

Divine right claimed royal authority came from...

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Quick check

Part 8 of 19

Quick check

Parliament's main leverage over the king was...

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Reset break

Part 9 of 19

Pause

That's sitting 1 of 2 done

Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.

Stop here for now
10

Learning cycle

Part 10 of 19

Learning cycle 2 of 2

War, republic and restoration

A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.

11

Explore the idea

Part 11 of 19

Learn

The wars and their outcome

Fighting from 1642 divided families, towns and regions. Parliament's reorganised army eventually won, and after further conflict Charles was tried and executed in 1649. England became a republic, later governed by Oliver Cromwell as Lord Protector. Radical groups debated ideas about rights and representation that had not been openly argued before.

12

Explore the idea

Part 12 of 19

Learn

Consequences

The monarchy was restored in 1660, but the wars had proved a king could be removed. The 1688 settlement and the Bill of Rights confirmed that the monarch governed with Parliament and could not suspend laws or tax alone. The long-term consequence was constitutional: sovereignty shifted decisively towards Parliament.

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Quick check

Part 13 of 19

Quick check

Charles I was executed in...

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Quick check

Part 14 of 19

Quick check

The Bill of Rights confirmed that the monarch...

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Common mix-ups

Part 15 of 19

Common mix-ups

Things people often get wrong

  • People often say the wars were only about religion. Money, law and control of the army mattered too.
  • People often think the Restoration undid everything. Royal power was permanently limited afterwards.
16

Challenge round

Part 16 of 19

Game · Sort it

Which of these are true?

Drag each card into the right column. Tap a card first if dragging is fiddly.

True

Not true

17

Challenge round

Part 17 of 19

Game · Fill the gaps

Finish the sentences

Choose the word that belongs in each gap.

The ____ was restored in 1660, but the wars had proved a king could be removed.

18

Mastery quiz

Part 18 of 19

Marked quiz

End of lesson quiz: Monarchy and the English Civil Wars

6 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.

  1. 1. Ship money was controversial because it was...

  2. 2. The Scottish prayer book crisis mattered because it...

  3. 3. Cromwell governed as...

  4. 4. The monarchy was restored in...

  5. 5. A long-term consequence of the wars was...

  6. 6. Radical debates during the republic concerned...

19

Lesson round-up

Part 19 of 19

Lesson round-up

Ready when you are

Quiz score

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Games

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Points this lesson

0

Best run

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Luna: 0 out of 4 on the practice checks. Only if you feel up to it — one more?

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Do the work

Your written work for this lesson

This is the part you'd do in your book at school. Pick the pieces below, write here or on paper, and photograph anything you draw or work out.

Source

A factory inspector's notebook, 1842

"I visited the mill at seven in the morning. The machines were already running. I counted fourteen children at the frames, the youngest no more than nine years of age. The overseer told me they work from six until seven, with forty minutes for dinner."

"The air is thick with cotton dust and the windows are kept shut so the thread does not break. Two of the children showed me hands cut by the shuttles. The owner assured me that the work is light and that the families beg him for the places, since without the children's wages the rent cannot be paid."

"I have written to the magistrates. I doubt much will follow from it."

Original source-style text written for Good Learning Co.

Reading questions

  1. Who wrote this, when, and why might that make it useful to a historian?
  2. What does the source tell you about children's work — and what does it not tell you?
  3. How far does this source show that mill owners were to blame? Answer with a judgement and evidence.

  • Source work

    Reading

    Read the source closely. Write who made it, when, and what it tells you — then what it does not tell you.

    2 paragraphs

  • Essay answer

    Writing

    Answer the enquiry question with a clear judgement. Use two pieces of evidence and finish with a sentence that weighs them up.

    300–400 words

  • Timeline

    Diagram

    Draw a timeline of the events in this lesson with dates, then photograph it.

    6–8 events

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