Free Essays on The Puritans And English Revolution

The Puritans and the English Revolution INTRODUCTION It is the main aim of this paper to show the Puritan not only as a religious reforming force but also as a human being and a cultural phenomenon. I will endeavour to investigate 1) how Puritanism came into being; 2) what the basics of Puritanism were and how the various branches of the movement differed; 3) how and why Puritanism came to dominate the Civil War and the ensuing Interregnum of the 17th century; and 4) what became of the movement and what changes it wrought in English society. My sincerest thanks to Thomas Simonsen for proof-reading the first draft. CRUCIAL DATES 1559 Elizabethan Settlement of church and state 1603 Ascension of James I 1605 Gunpowder Plot 1625 Ascension of Charles I 1638 Scottish rebellion 1641 Irish rebellion against Protestant settlers 1642 Charles I attempts to arrest 5 MPs; Civil War breaks out 1645 The battle of Naseby; Civil War ends 1647 The Army rebels against Presbyterian attempts to disband it 1648 The Army purges Parliament of non-radical MPs 1649 Charles I executed; House of Lords abolished; beginning of Commonwealth 1653 Parliament dissolved by Oliver Cromwell; beginning of Protectorate 1658 Richard Cromwell inherits his father's office 1660 Charles II restored by General Monk 1673 Test Act 1685 Ascension of James II 1688 The Glorious Revolution THE REFORMATION AND THE RISE OF PURITANISM To understand the rise of Puritanism some knowledge of what had gone before it is needed. Like any movement in history Puritanism did not appear overnight or for no reason. The foundations for the rise of the movement were laid down when, after centuries of religious orthodoxy, the Reformation occurred in the 16th century. The Catholic church in England had been unpopular on several occasions. The Benedictine Reform of the 10th century and the discontent with the Catholic church in the 14th century, when the English were ... Free Essays on The Puritans And English Revolution Free Essays on The Puritans And English Revolution The Puritans and the English Revolution INTRODUCTION It is the main aim of this paper to show the Puritan not only as a religious reforming force but also as a human being and a cultural phenomenon. I will endeavour to investigate 1) how Puritanism came into being; 2) what the basics of Puritanism were and how the various branches of the movement differed; 3) how and why Puritanism came to dominate the Civil War and the ensuing Interregnum of the 17th century; and 4) what became of the movement and what changes it wrought in English society. My sincerest thanks to Thomas Simonsen for proof-reading the first draft. CRUCIAL DATES 1559 Elizabethan Settlement of church and state 1603 Ascension of James I 1605 Gunpowder Plot 1625 Ascension of Charles I 1638 Scottish rebellion 1641 Irish rebellion against Protestant settlers 1642 Charles I attempts to arrest 5 MPs; Civil War breaks out 1645 The battle of Naseby; Civil War ends 1647 The Army rebels against Presbyterian attempts to disband it 1648 The Army purges Parliament of non-radical MPs 1649 Charles I executed; House of Lords abolished; beginning of Commonwealth 1653 Parliament dissolved by Oliver Cromwell; beginning of Protectorate 1658 Richard Cromwell inherits his father's office 1660 Charles II restored by General Monk 1673 Test Act 1685 Ascension of James II 1688 The Glorious Revolution THE REFORMATION AND THE RISE OF PURITANISM To understand the rise of Puritanism some knowledge of what had gone before it is needed. Like any movement in history Puritanism did not appear overnight or for no reason. The foundations for the rise of the movement were laid down when, after centuries of religious orthodoxy, the Reformation occurred in the 16th century. The Catholic church in England had been unpopular on several occasions. The Benedictine Reform of the 10th century and the discontent with the Catholic church in the 14th century, when the English were ...