The Rump Parliament 1649-53

?

The Rump Parliament 1649-53

Advantages

  • Alliance between the army and the rump
  • Radicalism did not have enough support to be successful
  • Did try to reform law access for the normal people and penalties for debters
  • Successfully crushed the Irish threat
  • Enquiries made about better use of church endowments
  • Large parishes to be divided and smaller ones united
  • Acts to improve preaching in north, west and Wales
  • Had large sums of money confiscated from royalists

Disadvantages

  • Fear of radicalism e.g. from the Levellers, issued a new Agreement of the People in May 1649
  • Commonwealth was weak because everyone wanted different things
  • Threats of attack from Charles in Scotland, Ireland and from Europe
  • Rump was very unpopular due to heavy taxation needed to pay the army and to fund Ireland
  • Scotland had proclaimed Charles King
  • Rump proclaimed it had to dissolve itself in March 1649, although in the end it didn't
  • Problems in Ireland- Cromwell was off crushing them with 300,000 men
  • Controversial massacres at Drogheda and Wexford- civilians were killed, but this was not completely against war laws of the time, but he did go against 'quarter'
  • Council of Officers in August 1652 complained about corrupt revenue officers and parliament not being godly enough
  • Growing divisions between the Rump and the Army over religion, law and the new constiution
  • Rump was keen to restrict religious liberty- passed Blasphemy Act which limited non-conformity, but some wanted to preserve a national church
  • In April 1653 the Rump allowed Commissions to collapse- angering Cromwell and Commissoners
  • Rump slow to draw up the preparation of the new constitution

Evaluation

19th April Cromwell had a meeting with 20 MPs and senior army officers, it was decided that the Rump should dissolve itself, Cromwell forcefully ejected them the next day- he may have been under pressure from the army, Cromwell lacked the authority to summon a new parliament but was also fearful that elections would put royalists in power.

Comments

No comments have yet been made

Similar History resources:

See all History resources »See all British monarchy - Tudors and Stuarts resources »