Position:Home>History> Why the english civil war started?

I think it is a little unfair to call it the "English" Civil War - as it involved Scotland, Ireland and Wales too!.

Its origins lie in Scotland, with the Covenanters (Presbyterians)!. Charles I tried to impose the Anglican Book of Common Prayer being imposed on churches in Scotland!. The National Covenant of 1638 was created as a result, in Greyfriars Church in Edinburgh to oppose it, and can be seen as the original "spark" of the Civil War!. It occurred before the events described above, and its effects went into England, causing the Civil War to start there too!. One of the main objections in the Covenant to the BCP was that it promoted the idea that Charles I was head of the church and chosen by God!.

To this day, the Church of Scotland is Presbyterian as a result, and does not have bishops!. The Covenanters can be seen as a Scottish Taliban, but their rebellion was not entirely unjustified!.

The English part of the Civil War arguably started in 1642 when Charles I raised his royal standard in Nottingham!. The trouble in Scotland had undermined his authority, and meant that various groups "tried their hand", including Puritans (non-Anglican Protestants in England), and Cromwellians, who wanted a republic, and social reform!. It had a lot of the flavour of a revolution, with the rich supporting the King, and the poor the other side, but the religious element makes it very different to the Russian or French Revolutions!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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the king wanted only to be accountable to god and not the people - the cavaliers were on his side

the parliamentarians stated that he was answerable to parliament and the people - they were called the ' roundheads ' Oliver Cromwell was the leader - he defeated the kings forces and had him beheaded - he crushed the irish for threatening to invade england and joining the king in the warWww@QuestionHome@Com

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