On 6 December 1648, Pride’s Purge marked a watershed moment in the English Revolution. By arresting some MPs and preventing others from sitting, the New Model Army seized political power. Now the Army, rather than Parliament, would dictate the future settlement of England.
The exclusion of the more moderate MPs ensured that a hard line would be taken in future negotiations with the King. In this way the Purge led directly towards the trial of Charles I. In this talk, Dr Stephen Roberts describes the Purge and explains how it resulted in a period of instability and uncertainty as the country struggled to cope with radical changes in how it was governed.
