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‘Light Risen Out of Darkness’ – The Civil Wars and Early Quakers, 1646-1660

Quakerism emerged in England in the social and religious tumult of the Civil Wars.

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Features, Religion, Talks

1641 Depositions Project – Lessons for todays divided world

The landmark 1641 Depositions Project at Trinity College Dublin, has digitised and analysed more than 8,000 witness statements made during the Rebellion which swept through Ireland.

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Interviews, Ireland

The Irish Rebellion 1641 – Sorting the facts from the fake news

Events in Scotland and Ireland directly contributed to political crisis which would explode into Civil War in England and Wales.

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1641, Interviews, Ireland

John Poyer – Starting the Second Civil War in Wales

This is the incredible but true story of John Poyer of Pembroke.

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Books, Interviews, Oliver Cromwell, Second Civil War, Wales

The Civil War encapsulated in a single siege

Between 1643 and 1645, Basing House in Hampshire – which once rivalled Hampton Court in size and opulence – was besieged by Parliament’s forces.

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Battles, Books, Education, Interviews, Teachers

Beyond England’s Borders – Wales Besieged (1642-1648)

The British Civil Wars are often referred to as the Wars of the Three Kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland, which ignores the Welsh experience.

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Interviews, Series, Wales

Fleeing the Irish Rebellion 1641 – Refugees’ experiences

On the 23rd of October 1641 – about a year before the outbreak of civil wars in England and Wales – a bloody Rebellion swept across Ireland.

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1641, Interviews, Ireland

How Scottish Presbyterians became so powerful in England

In January 1644, the Scottish army was sent into England to directly intervene in the Civil War in Parliament’s favour. The Scots became aligned with the Presbyterians at Westminster, where they generated the political ideas which shaped much of the war effort.

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Ireland, Religion, Scotland, Series, Talks

How Scots opposition irreparably damaged the King’s authority

From 1637 popular opposition to Charles I in Scotland ignited a crisis which first spread to Ireland in 1641 and then to England and Wales in 1642.

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Ireland, Religion, Scotland, Series, Talks

Understanding the Importance of Scotland, Ireland and Wales

Historians now recognise that the civil wars of the mid-seventeenth century must be viewed in a British and Irish context and not exclusively from an English perspective.

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Ireland, Religion, Scotland, Series, Talks

Historians’ evolving views of John Pym

To unravel this historiography Contributing Editor, Professor Andrew Hopper, sat down with Dr Stephen Roberts, the distinguished Emeritus Editor of The History of Parliament.

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Academic, Interviews

John Pym (1584-1643) – Pivotal Parliamentary figure and opponent of the King

John Pym, who was born in 1584 and died in December 1643, was one of the most important Parliamentary figures in the years leading up to the outbreak of the Civil Wars.

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1640, 1641, 1642, Charles I, Interviews

Was Cromwell’s inability to work with Parliament the greatest irony of the English Revolution?

Oliver Cromwell’s actions, decisions and response to the world in which he had to operate had consequences which shaped the history of Britain and the world beyond.

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Key Questions, Oliver Cromwell, Talks, Teachers

Did Oliver Cromwell’s death make the Restoration inevitable?

Oliver Cromwell’s actions, decisions and response to the world in which he had to operate had consequences which shaped the history of Britain and the world beyond.

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1658, Education, Key Questions, Oliver Cromwell, Restoration, Series, Teachers

Was Oliver Cromwell the defender of liberty or a tyrant?

There is no more iconic or controversial figure in Britain during the first half of the 17th Century than Oliver Cromwell.

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Education, Key Questions, Oliver Cromwell, Series, Teachers

1660 – The year the world changed, war ended and the King returned

By New Year’s Day 1660, the Republican experiment in Britain was almost at an end and the country appeared to be drifting towards anarchy.

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1660, Restoration, Series, Talks

1642 – The story of the year when the English Civil War began

1642 was a tempestuous year beginning on 4th January with the unsuccessful attempt by the King to arrest Five Members of Parliament.

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1642, Causes of Civil War, Series, Talks

Did Oliver Cromwell ban Christmas?

Many controversies swirl around the legacy of Oliver Cromwell and over the centuries it has become increasingly difficult to separate fact from fiction.

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Interviews, Key Questions, Oliver Cromwell

Edward Sexby (1618-1658) – A comrade-in-arms

Edward Sexby, a comrade-in-arms of Oliver Cromwell who became his implacable enemy.

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1647, Education, Key Questions, Oliver Cromwell, Series

Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658) – In the chair

Oliver Cromwell, who chaired most of the Putney Debates,  took a different approach to that of his son in law, Henry Ireton, who confronted the radicals head-on and tried to undermines their arguments.

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1647, Education, Key Questions, Oliver Cromwell, Series

Henry Ireton (1611-1651) – Soldier and political thinker

Henry Ireton was the eloquent spokesperson for the Grandees of the New Model Army who sided with his father-in-law Oliver Cromwell.

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1647, Education, Key Questions, Oliver Cromwell, Series

Thomas Rainborowe (1610-1648) – Romantic radical hero

Thomas Rainborowe was the romantic rallying point of the radicals during the debates.

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1647, Education, Key Questions, Oliver Cromwell, Series

John Wildman (c1621-1693) – Remarkable and original

John Wildman was one of most active members of the group of radical Levellers who argued for democratic, republican government in the Putney Debates of 1647.  He was one of the most enigmatic and fasinating figure whose life spanned two revolutions and a bewildering range of political alliances.

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1647, Education, Key Questions, Oliver Cromwell, Series

The Putney Debates – A founding moment of British democracy

By the summer of 1647, Parliament had won the First Civil War. At the battles of Naseby and Langport, the New Model Army had crushed the Royalist field armies and the King himself was now their prisoner. But all was not well on the parliamentary side.

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1647, Education, Key Questions, Oliver Cromwell, Series

Religion and the Civil Wars – Introductory overview

A concise introduction to the causes and consequences of the religious divisions which contributed to the outbreak of the Civil Wars.

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Interviews, Key Questions, Religion, Teachers

Divided by religion – Post-Reformation Britain

The Tudor Reformation of the 16th Century left England, Scotland and Ireland bitterly divided.

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Interviews, Key Questions, Religion, Teachers

Origins of the Civil Wars – The role of religion

Religious divisions inflamed by King Chares I were an important cause of the wars and were exacerbated by significant differences between the Three Kingdoms.

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Interviews, Key Questions, Religion, Teachers

The Interregnum and the unsuccessful quest for religious conformity

After the Regicide, religious fragmentation particularly within the army, made Britain difficult to govern and ultimately contributed to the downfall of the republic.

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Interviews, Key Questions, Religion, Teachers

Trial of Charles I – What were the real objectives?

The proceedings played out in front of thousands of spectators within Westminster Hall and in print were read by many more. The Rump Parliament intended the trial to serve propaganda purposes. However, this aim was subverted by the king’s surprisingly fluent defence in which he recast himself as a defender of the people’s liberty in the face of a new, arbitrary power.

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1649, Charles I, Key Questions, Series, Talks

Upside Down World – Exciting new free access programme for schools

The British Civil Wars provides an exciting opportunity to engage learners of all ages and as Denise Greany, Learning Officer at National Civil War Centre explains, it brings compelling stories with a diverse and colourful cast of characters to the classroom

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Education, National Civil War Centre, Teachers, Video

Rediscovering the stories of the wounded – The Battle of Naseby, 1645

The battle of Naseby finally destroyed the field army of the King and in two hours changed the history not only of Britain, but every modern democracy.

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1645, Battles, Civil War Petitions Project, Interviews, Military Medicine

Two Hours that Changed the World – The Battle of Naseby, 1645

Discover the momentous event that occurred at Naseby, which was to shape history - not only of Britain but every modern democracy.

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1645, Charles I, English Civil Wars, Interviews, Military History, Oliver Cromwell

Forgotten voices – The ordinary people of the Civil Wars

It is often said that there was nothing 'civil' about the British Civil Wars. This was not the story of dashing Cavaliers and God-fearing Roundheads fighting battles in fields far from the civilian population.

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Civil War Petitions Project, English Civil Wars, Interviews

Changing Sides – Turn Coats

“Turncoat!” The word creates immediate images of traitors, renegades and defectors… here is a person who places self-interest above the well-being or safety of comrades-in-arms, and so switches sides irrespective of the resulting harm it does to the Cause.

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English Civil Wars, Interviews, Royalists

Revealing the forgotten voices of ordinary people – The Civil War Petitions Project

Discover the stories of ordinary people preserved in more than 4000 petitions. Professor Andrew Hopper introduces this window in to what the conflict meant for them.

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Civil War Petitions Project, English Civil Wars, Interviews

Growing Up – Children’s Experiences

The Civil Wars changed the lives of families all across the British Isles, and inevitably children became involved not only as passive bystanders, but also as child soldiers.

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English Civil Wars, Interviews

Mental trauma – These distracted times

In this interview, Dr. Ismini Pells reveals that PTSD in veterans is not a new problem. She discusses the psychological impact that can be seen in the men who fought in the Civil Wars.

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Civil War Petitions Project, English Civil Wars, Features, Interviews, Mental Health, Military Medicine

Why was Charles I executed?

In this talk Professor Vallance asks whether his condemnation and death were the pre-determined outcome of his trial.

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1649, Charles I, Education, English Civil Wars, Key Questions, Second Civil War, Talks, Teachers

Why did Royalists lose the Civil War?

This podcast discusses the range of factors which caused the defeat of the royalists in England and Wales during the First Civil War of 1642-1646.

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Charles I, English Civil Wars, Key Questions, Royalists, Talks, Teachers

How far was Charles I responsible for causing the Civil War?

While many potential causes of the British Civil Wars have been identified, in this talk Professor Vallance focuses on the degree to which the king himself was responsible.

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1640, 1641, Charles I, Education, English Civil Wars, Key Questions, Talks

History of Parliament

Events which affected the course of British history are revealed in the “History of Parliament” Project.

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English Civil Wars, Interviews

Causes, Conflicts, Consequences – The Historians Debate

The origins and causes of the British civil wars have been the source of debate among historians.

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Academic, Charles I, Education, English Civil Wars, Key Questions, Talks, Teachers

Consequences – Political upheaval & constitutional change 1649-1660

The Regicide was followed by a period of political upheaval and constitutional change.

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1649, 1660, Academic, Education, English Civil Wars, Key Questions, Oliver Cromwell, Talks, Teachers

Conflicts – Fighting the British Civil Wars 1642-1649

How were the British Civil Wars fought and why did they end with the Royalist defeat and the execution of the King?

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1642, 1649, Academic, Charles I, Education, English Civil Wars, Key Questions, Second Civil War, Talks, Teachers

Causes – Why did war break out in 1642?

What were the origins of the British Civil Wars?

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1642, Academic, Charles I, Education, English Civil Wars, Key Questions, Talks, Teachers