Long Parliament

Long Parliament
Sodacan · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Name	Long Parliament
Legislature	Parliament of England
House type	Unicameral (from 1649)
Jurisdiction	Kingdom of England
Foundation	3 November 1640
Disbanded	16 March 1660
Preceded by	Short Parliament
Succeeded by	Convention Parliament
Members	Variable
Meeting place	Palace of Westminster, London

Long Parliament. The Long Parliament was the Parliament of England summoned by King Charles I in November 1640, following the disastrous Bishops' Wars. It sat for over a decade without its consent, becoming a central institution in the constitutional struggle against the Crown that led to the English Civil War. Its unprecedented actions, including the execution of the king and the establishment of a republic, fundamentally altered the relationship between monarch and legislature in England.

Background and summoning

The immediate catalyst for summoning the Long Parliament was the financial and military failure of the Short Parliament and the ongoing Bishops' Wars against Scotland, which left the Crown bankrupt. Needing funds to pay the Scottish Covenanter army occupying northern England, Charles I reluctantly convened a new parliament in November 1640. The political climate was charged with grievances over eleven years of Personal Rule, controversial taxes like ship money, and the religious policies of Archbishop William Laud. Key members elected, such as John Pym, John Hampden, and Oliver St John, were determined to redress these issues and limit royal prerogative.

Key events and legislation

The parliament moved swiftly to assert its authority, passing landmark legislation that dismantled the apparatus of the Personal Rule. The Triennial Act 1641 mandated regular parliaments, while the act against dissolving the Long Parliament without its own consent made it effectively permanent. It impeached and executed the king's chief ministers, Thomas Wentworth, Earl of Strafford, and Archbishop William Laud. The Root and Branch petition demanded abolition of episcopacy, and parliament abolished the Prerogative courts, including the Star Chamber and Court of High Commission, through the Habeas Corpus Act 1640 and subsequent acts. The Grand Remonstrance, passed in November 1641, catalogued the kingdom's grievances and was a direct appeal to public opinion against the king.

Conflict with the Crown and Civil War

The constitutional crisis deepened over control of the militia and the failed Five Members arrest attempt in January 1642, where Charles I entered the House of Commons to arrest his leading critics. This breach of privilege destroyed trust, leading both sides to raise armies. Following the outbreak of the First English Civil War in 1642, parliament formed an alliance with the Scottish Covenanters via the Solemn League and Covenant. Political divisions within parliament, notably between peace negotiators and the more determined War Party, were mirrored by the rise of the New Model Army, commanded by Sir Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell. After the king's defeat, further conflict erupted between parliament and the army, leading to Pride's Purge in December 1648, where army troops expelled or arrested moderate members.

Rump Parliament and dissolution

The purged remnant, known as the Rump Parliament, established the High Court of Justice which tried and executed Charles I in January 1649. It then abolished the monarchy and the House of Lords, declaring England a Commonwealth. The Rump governed through the Council of State but faced criticism from the army for its slow pace of reform. Oliver Cromwell forcibly dissolved it in April 1653, leading to the Barebone's Parliament and later the Protectorate. The Long Parliament was briefly restored in 1659 after the collapse of the Richard Cromwell's rule but was finally dissolved in March 1660, paving the way for the Convention Parliament and the Restoration of Charles II.

Legacy and historical significance

The Long Parliament's legacy is profound, establishing the principle of parliamentary supremacy over the Crown, a concept later enshrined after the Glorious Revolution. Its actions demonstrated the potential for a legislature to raise and control an army, execute a monarch, and govern as a republic. The political and religious debates it hosted, involving figures like Oliver Cromwell, Henry Ireton, and the Levellers, advanced ideas of constitutional government and individual rights that influenced later thinkers such as John Locke. Its turbulent history directly shaped the English Constitution and provided a cautionary precedent for the British Parliament and the framers of the United States Constitution.

Category:17th century in England Category:English Civil War Category:Parliaments of England