By 1637 he was at the height of his power. His authority seemed to be more completely accepted than the authority of an English king had been for centuries. It also seemed that Parliament might never meet again. [4, p.89] Charles and his father James I had to dissolve their Parliaments more than once mostly on the grounds of the Stuarts trying to consolidate their absolute power and built up a new state apparatus that was indispensable in new conditions, if the monarchy was to be a genuine despotism. Attempts to create a standing army and a state bureaucracy involved taxations, and the taxes had to be voted while the bourgeoisie were ready to fight for their purses fiercely. [3, p. 100]
.3 The Bourgeois Revolution (1640-1653)
.3.1 The Parliament Opposition against the KingApril 1640 Charles summoned Parliament only to find the opposition grown to frightening dimensions. He bore it for three weeks after which the Short Parliament was dissolved.revolutionary situation in the country was glaringly apparent. The wide masses of the people resented the persecution of the puritans (their way to the stake where they were supposed to suffer disgrace was usually strewn with flowers and crowds cheered them as martyrs). The ever increasing taxes fell heavily upon the people «s shoulders; with them it was not a question of their property being attacked, it made all the difference, being a question of bread and butter. The king »s most confidential counselor, Lord Strafford had started creating a hired army in Ireland. In 1639 and 1640 there were uprisings of artisans and workers in London.fact was, that production had been cut and mass unemployment was the result. Wages were low and the people sent petitions demanding that Parliament should be convened and measures taken to improve their living standards. Peasants movements were starting in the East of England. Scotland was far from peaceful. There seemed to be no help for it, so Charles had to stifle his misgivings and convene a Parliament that later came to be called «The Long Parliament» (November 1640-1653), since once met, it did not mean to allow any more dismissals but took up the cause of the bourgeois revolution in good earnest. Its first period, 1640-1642 led to the establishment of a constitutional monarchy (the «constitutional» period of the revolution). [3, p.101-102] election campaign, during the elections to the Long Parliament, was quite tense. The leaders of the puritan opposition were perhaps the first canvassers in English Parliament history: Pym, a popular London merchant leader, Hampden, the beginner of the anti-ship-money movement and other popular city figures traveled over the country propagandizing, organizing the big bourgeoisie securing majority in Parliament for the puritans. They were a convincing success, and Strafford and Laud, the unpopular advisers of the king, were arrested while other ministers emigrated. The rebellious commons could feel secure, for the Scottish Presbyterian army was still in Newcastle waiting for the money Charles was to pay, ready to come to the Commons « aid any moment; besides, the London masses were ready to do the same: there were demonstrations of masses of Londoners moving to Westminster encouraging the parliamentary party and overawing its enemies. It was this support that made Charles agree to Strafford »s impeachment. The House of Commons i...
