King James I: Forceful, Independent And Corrupt Monarchy

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1. King James I of England can be described as a forceful, independent and corrupt monarch. As a result of dealing with Puritans, who wanted to get rid of the hierarchical episcopal system of Church governance and replace it with a more representative Presbyterian form that is like the one the Calvinists have, James displayed his forcefulness. At the Hampton Court Conference in 1604, James rejected the Puritans and clearly stated that he wanted to reinforce the Anglican episcopacy. Despite the tensions his actions may have caused, James did what he believed to be right, instead of compromising and possibly coming up with an agreement. James was independent because he didn’t want Parliament to help him, so he seldom asked for their assistance. …show more content…

He appointed the people he liked rather than people who were suited for the job. One of these favorites that were not suitable was the Duke of Buckingham, who controlled royal patronage and even sold titles to the highest bidders. This cheapened the rank of the nobility, who were angered by this practice. Therefore, King James I of England can be described as a forceful, independent and corrupt monarch because of the decisions he made regarding the puritans, his strong belief in the divine right of kings and his urge to pick favorites in his royal court.
2. Religious fears over James I and Charles I further contributed to the tensions between Parliament and the monarchy because it led to wariness between Parliament and the monarch through the disagreements they had. James rarely called Parliament to help him while he was the monarch. In 1604, at the Hampton Court Conference, James rejected the Puritans, who wanted to eliminate the hierarchical episcopal system of Church governance and replace it with a more representative Presbyterian form, and he made it clear that he wanted to strengthen the Anglican episcopacy instead. He …show more content…

England changed under Cromwell because he made it a Puritan Republic that he controlled. Cromwell and his parliamentary army were disciplined and strong, so it was easy for them to get rid of the monarchy and take control. When they defeated King Charles’ militarily, in 1649, they had Charles executed and then got rid of the monarchy, the House of Lords, and Anglican Church. England became a Puritan republic that Cromwell dominated. Then, in 1653, when the House of Commons wanted to split his army, he reacted by disbanding Parliament and ruled as Lord Protector. He ruled harshly and focused mainly on maintaining Puritan conformity in the place of political liberty. People hated his harsh rule and so, when he died in 1658, people were willing to restore the Anglican Church and the monarchy. Therefore, England changed under Cromwell because he made it a Puritan Republic that he harshly

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