The Causes of the English Civil War
There were many causes that eventually forced the country into civil war and these causes are usually split up into long-term causes and short-term causes. I am going to start with the long-term causes. These events caused mistrust between Charles and Parliament. They could not cause a Civil War on their own, but they helped to make it possible.
From 1629 to 1640, King Charles ruled without Parliament. He still had the same old problem; how to raise enough money? He used 3 different methods to increase his income from £600,000 a year in 1629 to £900,000 a year by 1640. He did this by imposing forest fines, selling monopolies and collecting ship money.
The forests belonged to Charles. He had the boundaries of the forests fixed so anyone living inside the boundary had to pay a fine.
Counties in coastal areas of England were supposed to provide ships in time of war to protect England from invasion. Instead of sending ships they sent money called Ship Money. In 1634, Charles asked that coastal counties pay Ship Money and in 1635 he insisted that everyone pay it.
There were many causes that eventually forced the country into civil war and these causes are usually split up into long-term causes and short-term causes. I am going to start with the long-term causes. These events caused mistrust between Charles and Parliament. They could not cause a Civil War on their own, but they helped to make it possible.
From 1629 to 1640, King Charles ruled without Parliament. He still had the same old problem; how to raise enough money? He used 3 different methods to increase his income from £600,000 a year in 1629 to £900,000 a year by 1640. He did this by imposing forest fines, selling monopolies and collecting ship money.
The forests belonged to Charles. He had the boundaries of the forests fixed so anyone living inside the boundary had to pay a fine.
Counties in coastal areas of England were supposed to provide ships in time of war to protect England from invasion. Instead of sending ships they sent money called Ship Money. In 1634, Charles asked that coastal counties pay Ship Money and in 1635 he insisted that everyone pay it.
