Experiments in Government and Society - The Rump Parliament
- Created by: miaodavies@gmail.com
- Created on: 03-03-21 10:30
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- The Rump Parliament - experiments in government
- Dissolution of the Rump
- Attendance at the Rump was always low - average attendance only 50 - 70 MPs out of 210
- Great antipathy between the Rump and the Army, largely caused by the extreme conservatism of the Rump
- Taxes remained high - taxes such as the Assessment / Excise tax were still in use from the Long Parliament.
- Failed to meet demands such as replacing unworthy parish ministers, providing for widows and orphans, abolition of excise taxes.
- Some positives, eg passing much needed legislation like legal documents from Latin to English
- 1653 - Cromwell led 30 soldiers in to forcibly dissolve the Rump
- Rump as an experiment in radical republicanism
- 'Council of State' elected by the Rump - poor attendance
- Had to swear oath of allegiance to the 'government of the future'
- Innate conservatism- eg promoted Praliament's role as preserver of ancient liberty and custom
- Parliament of the Saints / Nominated Assembly
- In a short period it passed through good legislation - promotion of Godly reform eg marriage law, abolition of tithes etc
- Made up of Fifth Monarchists and the Army Council - not respected
- Tried to purge ex-conservatives from the old Rump - bad
- 1653 - Lambert led a military coup early in the morning, voting to disperse the assembly and give full power to Cromwell
- Dissolution of the Rump
- Radical religious groups
- Diggers
- Claimed to be 'true levellers', more emphasis on togetherness and religion - property
- Rejected ides of monarchy, hoped for a commonwealth
- Caused anxiety among local landowners like gentry and the church
- Dug vegetabe plots on common land for 'everyone' - not long lasting or successful
- Other groups
- Quakers
- 1640s, 50s - George Fox taught oath taking to men was wring, God spoke to believers, no need for designated ministers etc
- Fox was one of the first tried under the blasphemy act - 6months in prison
- Baptists
- Churches grouped into Regional Associations - represented in the General Assembly
- Accountabilityetc - more political?
- Moves for religious liberty
- Quakers
- The Levellers
- Denounced the Rump because it didn't use equal representation
- Rumours circulated that the Levellers would join Royalists against the Rump
- Lilburne and other leading Levellers arrested and charged with treason
- Levellers stirred up dissent, writing pamphlets and leading mutinies
- Rump passed measures to pay army arrears, satisfying levellers - Lilburn was acquitted but the movement was over
- Diggers
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