Charles I disbands the Short Parliament
Westminster, London The 5th of May 1640 AD
That Charles I was surprised at the reaction of Parliament when he finally recalled it after 11 years of his personal rule – sometimes referred to dramatically as the Eleven Years Tyranny – is an illustration of his lack of awareness, or his sheer inability to see the views of others.
Denied a forum for 11 long years, MPs when recalled spilled forth their long pent up grievances: the ending of the 1629 Parliament; religious matters not to their liking; the use of Ship Money to finance Charles’s wars; the unchecked power of the Star Chamber. The list went on and so did the speeches.
Charles had hoped – somewhat optimistically – that Parliament would vote him funds to fight the Scots Covenanters. He was not to see his hopes fulfilled. Frustrated at Parliament’s standpoint and concerned at the vehemence with which the likes of John Pym expressed it, Charles hastened to bring it to a close when a debate on his policy in Scotland loomed. Thus the Parliament which began on April 13 1640 only lasted until May 5, just three short weeks.
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