16th March 1660: England's Long Parliament dissolved after twenty years in session скачать в хорошем качестве

16th March 1660: England's Long Parliament dissolved after twenty years in session

The Long Parliament had been convened amidst the tumultuous events of the English Civil War, during which King Charles I clashed with Parliament over issues of governance and authority. Its unusually long existence was due to an Act of Parliament that stipulated it could only be dissolved with agreement of the members. Consequently, over the course of its twenty-year existence from 3 November 1640, the Long Parliament witnessed the execution of Charles I, the establishment of the Commonwealth under Oliver Cromwell, and the subsequent collapse of Cromwell's regime. By 1660, public sentiment had turned against the rule of the Commonwealth, and there was growing support for the restoration of the monarchy. Sensing the shifting political landscape, General George Monck, who commanded the army in Scotland, began negotiations with Charles Stuart, the exiled son of Charles I, who had been living in France. As Monck marched his army southward towards London, he received assurances from Charles that he would uphold the rights and liberties of the English people. In a decisive move, Monck allowed the members barred in Pride’s Purge of 1648 to retake their seats and pass the necessary legislation to dissolve the Long Parliament. The dissolution of the Long Parliament signalled the end of the republican experiment initiated by the Civil War and cleared the way for the election of the Convention Parliament, which was convened shortly afterwards. On May 8, 1660, Charles II was formally invited to return to England as king, marking the end of the Commonwealth period and the beginning of the Restoration era.