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Long Parliament
When the Long Parliament assembled in November, John Pym and his allies were ready to act -
1) Laud and Wentworth were impeached and arrested
2) in February 1641 MPs introduced Triennial Act which ensured the king would call parliaments every 3 years
3) they also drew up Ten Propositions to be considered by the king. These propositions included extension of parliamentary powers such as a right to approve king’s advisers and measures to protect themselves from royal vengeance -
Pym’s Junto and Constitutional Royalists
The group that led opposition, known as Pym’s Junto was certainly a new element in English history, but emergence of this group was a result, rather than a cause of the build-up to the political crisis.
Nevertheless, some MPs thought that Pym had gone too far in pursuing Lord Strafford (he was beheaded in May 1641 after opposition chose to pass Act of Attainder against him).
As a result, group of moderates emerged in Commons led by Edward Hyde and supported by Lords such as Lord Falkland. -
Irish Rebellion
Irish Rebellion happened in October 1641, and the rumours about a rising of Irish Catholics and attacks against local Protestants quickly developed into tales about massacre with at least 200,000 deaths.
The reality of course proved much less dramatic with only few thousand deaths, but the conjunction of Catholicism and a king who was already mistrusted had done the damage. -
Grand Remonstrance
Despite a spread of panic over the Irish Rebellion Charles remained in Scotland until November, and in his absence parliament decided that an army must be raised to suppress the rebellion.
However some MPs feared that an army might be used by Charles against parliament, so they demanded that a parliament should be allowed to approve king’s choice of commander.
So a document called ‘Grand Remonstrance’ was sent to the king on 22 November 1641. -
The build-up to the war
In early January rumours reached the king that Pym was planning to impeach the Queen.
On 3 January Charles ordered Lords to begin impeachment proceedings against opposition leaders.
On 4 January he arrived at the Commons with a warrant for the arrest of five opposition leaders including Pym and Hampden backed by armed escort of 300 soldiers. -
Charles raises standard and declares the war
By 10 January king abandoned London for the safety of his family and retired to Hampton Court. From there he would move his court to York.
In June parliament issued Nineteen Propositions. In which they sought a larger share of power in the governance of the kingdom.
Before the end of month Charles rejected the Propositions and in August 1642 he raised standard in Nottingham declaring the war.