Why did the English Execute their King?
In 1648, while Charles was in Carisbrooke Castle negotiating with Parliament, he secretly persuaded the Scots to invade England. The second Civil War broke out. The Royalists were easily defeated, but many people were killed. Parliament no longer trusted Charles. It decided he had to be put on trial for treason. The trial was fixed for 20 January 1649, in Westminster Hall. Many people on Parliament's side were very reluctant to.be involved in the trial. Many top lawyers and judges disappeared to their country estates to escape being involved. A High Court of Justice was set up, made up of 135 commissioners, who were really both judges and jury. But on the first day only 68 of the 135 turned up!
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SOURCE 1 A picture of the trial
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The First Day: Saturday January 20th, 1649
SOURCE 2
A modern historian's account of Charles at the trial It was a small man who walked into Westminster Hall with short steps and mounted the few steps to the dock. He was dressed entirely in black. His beard was tinged with grey and it Was less finely -trimmed than it had been. His hair fell down to his shoulders and was still thick, though its lustre had gone and it was streaked with grey. Those who had not seen him since the Civil War would have noticed the sunken eyes and the pouches beneath them. He looked like a man who had suffered.. It was the face of one who had fought hard and perhaps knew he had lost. Yet there was a Maturity in the face. Nor was it a face of an old or a sick man, and when he spoke people noticed that his stammer had gone. |
SOURCE 3
A description of the trial by a modern historian At one end of the Hall were the benches for judges. In the middle, raised above everyone else a little, was John Bradshaw, the President. Down either side of the Hall were lines of soldier. Opposite the judges was the dock —a wooden enclosure with a crimson chair facing judges. Behind the dock was a wooden partition separating off the rest of the Hall and guarded by soldiers. The spectators in the rest of the Hall were separated into two groups by soldiers. Around the top were galleries for more important spectators. |
SOURCE 4 Another picture of the trial
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SOURCE 5
The charges against Charles were read out Charles, trusted with a limited power to govern according to the laws of the land and to use the power for the good of the people, has:
Charles was then asked to say whether he pleaded innocent or guilty to these charges. He refused to do this. Instead, he said that the court had no legal right to try him. Remember that all courts were meant to be the king's courts and under his authority.
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The Second Day: Monday January 22th, 1649
The second day of the trial started in the same way as the first day ended, with the court trying to get Charles to plead. An exchange of words then took place between Charles and Bradshaw, the President of the court (see Source 6). The spectators erupted in uproar as Charles was taken away.
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SOURCE 6
King: I do plead for the liberties of England more than any of you do Bradshaw: We sit here by the authority of the Commons of England, which has called your ancestors to account. King: I deny that! Show me one precedent. Bradshaw: The point is not to be debated by you. King: The Commons of England was never a court of law. Bradshaw: Confess or deny the charge. King: By what authority do you sit? Bradshaw: Take him away. |
The Third Day: Tuesday January 23rd, 1649
Witness are heard: January 24th - 27th, 1649
The judges met without Charles. They were worried because things were not going as they had planned. Some of the judges were having doubts about the whole thing! To stiffen their determination it was decided to hear all the evidence against Charles now. He would not be allowed to be present. Evidence against Charles which had been collected from around the country was read out. There were still less than half the Commissioners there.
Here are the main points made against Charles:
Here are the main points made against Charles:
- First, Charles was accused of starting the war against Parliament. Several witnesses described Charles raising his standard in August 1642 at the start of the war.
- A soldier who had changed sides from King to Parliament during the war claimed that Charles said to one of his officers, who was mistreating prisoners after the Royalists had captured Leicester, 'I do not care if they cut them three times more, for they are mine enemies.
- Evidence was also given about the period when Charles was a prisoner in Carisbrooke Castle after the war. A letter from Charles was produced, which showed that while he was negotiating with Parliament for a peace settlement he was also asking his son to raise another army to fight again.
Verdict and Sentence: Saturday January 27th, 1649
On January 27th the court sat again and Charles was brought before the judges for the verdict and sentence. Charles was promised that he could make a speech before the verdict was read out. First he said that he wanted to talk to the Houses of Commons and Lords because he had a plan for peace to put to them. This was refused. When he then tried to make a statement Bradshaw would not allow him to. The verdict and the sentence were then read out. Bradshaw claimed Charles was guilty because it was the duty of the king to see that Parliaments were called frequently. Charles had not done this and so he had attacked the basic liberties of everyone in the country.
Source 7
The Sentence This court does judge that Charles Stuart, a tyrant, traitor, murderer and public enemy of the people, shall be put to death by the severing of his head from his body. The execution was fixed for January 30th. The death warrant still had to be signed. About 40 of the judges signed it without any hesitation, but others had to be forced to sign it. In the end it was signed by only 59 of the original 132 judges!
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Execution: Tuesday January 30th, 1649
On the morning of the 30th Charles rose early. He asked for two shirts, since it was cold and he did not want to appear to be shivering from fear. He was then taken to Whitehall, where he ate a piece of bread and drank some wine and then prayed. At two o'clock he stepped onto the scaffold.
Source 8
From the diaries of Philip Henry who was visiting his father in London at the time Stood amongst the crowd where the scaffold was erected and saw what was done, but was not so near as to hear anything. I saw the blow given, I can truly say with a sad heart. At that instant, I remember well, there was such a groan by the thousands then present, as I never heard before and I desire may never hear again. There was according to order one troop immediately marching from Charing Cross to Westminster and another from Westminster to Charing Cross, purposely to massacre the people, and to disperse and scatter them, so that I had much trouble amongst the rest to escape home without hurt. |
Questions:
- What impression does Source 2 give you of Charles - that he was weak and afraid or that he had been through a lot but was brave?
- Which of the Sources 1 - 4 do you think the historian used to write the description in Source 3? Explain your answer fully
- After the first three days of the trial who do you think was getting the better of the argument at that point of the trial Bradshaw or Charles?
- Make a list of all the evidence which suggests that Parliament was worried and nervous about putting the King on trial and sentencing him.
- Source 9 shows three separate events taking place on the scaffold. What are they?
- Describe the different reactions of the people marked A,B,C and D in sources 9-11.
- What evidence is there that the painter of Source 10 may have seen Source 9?
- Why do you think Dutch and French artists were interested in painting the event, as well as English artists?
- "The execution of the king was the most important moment in the English Revolution so far." Do you agree with this statement? Give your reasons.