Author Description
Contributions to this volume range from studies of particular sessions and individual members of parliament to the general problems of Court and Country, foreign affairs, and royal finance. They question the traditional picture of an early Stuart crisis in relations between Crown and Commons which lead to civil war and the development of modern parliamentary government. The volume indicates the need and raises suggestions for a re-evaluation of the period. Contents: Introduction: Parliamentary History 1603-1629: In or out of Perspective? / Kevin Sharpe; James I and 'the growth of mutual distrust': King, Commons, and Reform, 1603-1604 / R.C. Munden; Medieval Doctrines in the Debates on Supply, 1610-1629 / G.L. Harriss; Court, Country, and Politics before 1629 / Derek Hirst; Foreign Policy and the Parliaments of 1621 and 1624 / S.L. Adams; Sir John Eliot and Parliament, 1624-1629 / J.N. Ball; The Earl of Arundel, His Circle and the Opposition to the Duke of Buckingham, 1618-1628 / Kevin Sharpe; The Divided Leadership of the House of Commons in 1629 / Christopher Thompson; Index
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This collection of essays investigates whether the traditional narrative of an inevitable early Stuart crisis between the Crown and Parliament is historically accurate or a retrospective construct. Kevin Sharpe and his contributors challenge the long-standing historiographical view that the political tensions of the early 17th century were a direct, linear progression toward civil war and modern parliamentary governance. By examining specific sessions, individual political actors, and fiscal policies, the authors argue for a more nuanced re-evaluation of the period's political dynamics.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Detailed analysis of parliamentary sessions and legislative debates from 1603 to 1629.
- Examination of the interplay between royal finance, foreign policy, and domestic political factions.
- Case studies on influential figures such as the Earl of Arundel and Sir John Eliot.
- A critical review of the 'Court and Country' political framework.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Historians frequently cite this volume as a significant contribution to the revisionist school of Stuart political history. Scholars note that the text provides a necessary corrective to teleological interpretations of the English Civil War.
Page Count:
302
Publication Date:
1978-01-01
Publisher:
Clarendon Press
ISBN-10:
0198224680
ISBN-13:
9780198224686
History
British History
Political History
Parliamentary History
Great Britain
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