AQA A-Level History 7042
1A The Age of the Crusades, c1071–1204
1B Spain in the Age of Discovery, 1469–1598
1C The Tudors: England, 1485–1603
1D Stuart Britain and the Crisis of Monarchy, 1603–1702
1E Russia in the Age of Absolutism and Enlightenment, 1682–1796
1F Industrialisation and the People: Britain, c1783–1885
1G Challenge and Transformation: Britain, c1851–1964
1H Tsarist and Communist Russia, 1855–1964
1J The British Empire, c1857–1967
1K The Making of a Superpower: USA, 1865–1975
1L The Quest for Political Stability: Germany, 1871–1991
2A Royal Authority and the Angevin Kings, 1154–1216
2B The Wars of the Roses, 1450–1499
2C The Reformation in Europe, c1500–1564
2D Religious Conflict and the Church in England, c1529–c1570
2E The English Revolution, 1625–1660
2F The Sun King: Louis XIV, France and Europe, 1643–1715
2G The Birth of the USA, 1760–1801
2H France in Revolution, 1774–1815
2J America: A Nation Divided, c1845–1877
2K International Relations and Global Conflict, c1890–1941
2L Italy and Fascism, c1900–1945
2M Wars and Welfare: Britain in Transition, 1906–1957
2N Revolution and Dictatorship: Russia, 1917–1953
2O Democracy and Nazism: Germany, 1918–1945
2P The Transformation of China, 1936–1997
2Q The American Dream: Reality and Illusion, 1945–1980
2R The Cold War, c1945–1991
2S The Making of Modern Britain, 1951–2007
2T The Crisis of Communism: The USSR and the Soviet Empire, 1953–2000
2E The English Revolution, 1625–1660
- 27 subtopics
- 76 things to know
- Component 2
What 2E The English Revolution, 1625–1660 covers
Option 2E is a depth study of the English Revolution, taken as one of the Component 2 choices. It covers the collapse of consensus under Charles I, the Personal Rule, civil war and radicalism, and the experiments in republican government.
Where it is assessed
Component 2
A depth study, of which a student sits one.
Check the AQA specification ↗The 27 subtopics
Each one has its own page.
- James I's Legacy and Charles I's KingshipRecall questions on the religious factions in the Church, the constitutional strains of James's reign, the Spanish Match and divine right.Open →
- Charles I, Buckingham and the Petition of RightRecall questions on the Forced Loan, Tonnage and Poundage, billeting, Arminianism, Buckingham's expeditions to Cadiz and Rhé, Eliot and Coke, the Petition of Right of 1628 and the Three Resolutions of 1629.Open →
- The Personal Rule and Its MinistersRecall questions on the eleven years without Parliament, Charles's method of governing and the careers of Laud and Wentworth.Open →
- Laud's Reforms and Protestant FearsRecall questions on Arminian theology, the changes Laud made to worship and why so many Protestants found them alarming.Open →
- The Scottish Prayer Book and Thorough in IrelandRecall questions on Scotland's reaction to the new liturgy, Wentworth's years as Lord Deputy and the policy of Thorough, the Irish groups it alienated, and the resentments that led opponents to demand a Parliament.Open →
- Puritan Emigration, the National Covenant and the First Bishops' WarRecall questions on Puritan emigration and the separatist sects of the 1630s, the National Covenant and the Glasgow Assembly of 1638, and the First Bishops' War and the Pacification of Berwick.Open →
- The Bishops' Wars and the Recall of ParliamentRecall questions on the Second Bishops' War, the Short Parliament, the defeat at Newburn, the Treaty of Ripon, why the Scottish crisis ended the Personal Rule and the calling of the Long Parliament.Open →
- Charles I and the Parliamentary Opposition in 1640Recall questions on the powers and support Charles I still held in 1640, the financial, religious and military weaknesses that undermined him, and what the parliamentary opposition wanted and disagreed about.Open →
- John Pym and the Long ParliamentRecall questions on Pym's management of the Commons, his links with the City and the Scots, the safeguards he sought, the Grand Remonstrance and its narrow vote, and the London crowds of 1640–1642.Open →
- Deadlock, the Fall of Strafford and the Irish RebellionRecall questions on why Charles's concessions were distrusted, Strafford's attainder and execution and its effect on the King, and the Irish Rebellion of 1641 and the dispute over who should command an army.Open →
- The Attempt on the Five MembersRecall questions on the members Charles tried to arrest in January 1642, the peer named with them and what the King said in the Commons.Open →
- The Militia Ordinance and the Drift to WarRecall questions on the local grievances behind the crisis, the arsenals Charles tried to secure, the commissions of array, the Militia Ordinance, and the fears that drove moderates to the King in 1642.Open →
- The Nineteen Propositions and the Outbreak of WarRecall questions on the Nineteen Propositions and the King's rejection of them, the raising of the standard at Nottingham, and the arms, men, money and territory both sides sought in 1642.Open →
- Royalist Strengths at the Outbreak of WarRecall questions on the regions the King controlled, his advantage in cavalry, the standing of an anointed monarch and Prince Rupert.Open →
- Royalist Weaknesses and War FinanceRecall questions on the problems of coordinating regional armies, the priorities of local commanders and how the King's war was paid for.Open →
- Parliament's Commanders and the Wealth of LondonRecall questions on Parliament's strategic direction, the shortcomings of Essex and Manchester and the advantage of holding the capital.Open →
- The Solemn League, Marston Moor and the New Model ArmyRecall questions on the Solemn League and Covenant, the victory at Marston Moor, the Self-Denying Ordinance and Cromwell's exemption, and the command, promotion, pay and discipline of Fairfax's New Model Army.Open →
- Naseby, Popular Radicalism and the PressRecall questions on Naseby and the papers captured there, London's petitions and crowds, religious radicalism in the New Model Army, and the collapse of censorship and the pamphlets that followed.Open →
- Presbyterians, Independents and the Captive KingRecall questions on the Presbyterian and Independent factions and their leaders, the Newcastle Propositions and the King's rejection of them, and Charles's surrender to the Scots and handover to Parliament.Open →
- The Politicisation of the Army and the LevellersRecall questions on arrears of pay, the demand for indemnity, resistance to disbandment, the agitators and Army Council, John Lilburne and Leveller ideas, the Agreement of the People and the Putney Debates.Open →
- The Sects, the Heads of the Proposals and the King's EscapeRecall questions on Fifth Monarchists and Ranters, Gangraena, the Blasphemy Ordinance and Westminster Assembly, the Heads of the Proposals, the seizure of the King at Holdenby and his flight to the Isle of Wight.Open →
- The Engagement and the Second Civil WarRecall questions on the bargain Charles made with the Scots and on the risings in Wales and England and the invasion that followed.Open →
- Pride's Purge and the RegicideRecall questions on Pride's Purge and the Rump, the men who pressed for a trial, the High Court of Justice, the charge against Charles I and his response, the death warrant and his execution.Open →
- The Third Civil War: Dunbar and WorcesterRecall questions on what triggered the war of 1649 to 1651, its two decisive battles and the escape of Prince Charles.Open →
- Radical Sects, the Rump and Barebone's ParliamentRecall questions on the Diggers, Quakers, Baptists, Fifth Monarchists and Ranters, the Rump Parliament's limits and its dissolution by Cromwell, and the Parliament of the Saints and its end in December 1653.Open →
- Cromwell, the Instrument of Government and the CrownRecall questions on Cromwell's character as a ruler, the constitution of 1653 and his providential reasons for refusing the crown.Open →
- The Collapse of the Protectorate and the RestorationRecall questions on the succession to Oliver Cromwell, Richard Cromwell's resignation, the army divisions of 1659, Monck's march, the Declaration of Breda, Charles II's return and the legacy and limits of the settlement.Open →
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
Define the Divine Right of Kings as understood by Charles I.
How did the character of Charles I's court affect his relationship with Parliament and his subjects?
What did the sermons of Manwaring and Sibthorpe argue in 1627?
What was the Five Knights' Case (1627)?
What happened to the Duke of Buckingham?
How long did Charles I's Personal Rule last, and what were its dates?
Name two prerogative courts used to enforce royal policy and suppress opposition during the Personal Rule.
What was Distraint of Knighthood?
Define Arminianism as a theological position.
Name the three Puritan critics punished by Star Chamber in 1637 who became martyrs to the cause.
What did Charles I and Laud attempt to impose on Scotland in 1637?
What was the Scottish response to the introduction of the new Prayer Book?
How did Wentworth's policies alienate Old English Catholics in Ireland?
How did Wentworth's policies alienate Ulster Scots?
Which sectarian groups emerged during the 1630s rejecting both episcopal and Presbyterian church structures?
When did the First Bishops' War occur, and what was its cause?
What happened at the Battle of Newburn in August 1640?
What military defeat forced Charles I to recall Parliament in November 1640?
What governmental powers did Charles I retain in 1640 that strengthened his position?
What ecclesiastical question divided MPs within the parliamentary opposition?
What control over royal appointments did Pym seek?
What was the Grand Remonstrance?
What was the 'London mob' in the context of 1640-1642?
What did Parliament demand that Charles saw as unacceptable?
Who rose against whom in the Irish Rebellion?
Why did the Irish Rebellion require raising an army?
Name the Five Members whom Charles attempted to arrest on 4 January 1642.
Where did the Five Members take refuge after escaping?
What local military issue contributed to the slide into civil war?
What strategic assets did Charles attempt to secure in early 1642?
What did the Militia Ordinance of March 1642 claim?
What ecclesiastical concern led some to rally to Charles I?
What military demand was included in the Nineteen Propositions?
What demand regarding the royal family was included in the Nineteen Propositions?
When and where did Charles I raise his standard to begin the First Civil War?
Which regions did the Royalists control at the start of the Civil War?
Why did Charles I's status as anointed monarch benefit the Royalist cause?
What tactical approach was Prince Rupert known for employing?
What structural problem affected Royalist military coordination?
What strategic weakness resulted from the priorities of Royalist regional commanders?
What external financial source did the Royalists pursue?
How did Parliamentary strategic direction compare to that of the Royalists?
Which city did Parliament control that gave them crucial financial advantages?
How did City merchants contribute to Parliament's war finances?
What military benefit did Parliament gain from the Solemn League and Covenant?
Which commanders were removed from their positions by the Self-Denying Ordinance?
What was Cromwell's relationship to Fairfax in the New Model Army command structure?
What significant documents were captured at the Battle of Naseby?
What religious beliefs spread among New Model Army soldiers and officers?
What range of opinions could be expressed in print after censorship collapsed?
What type of settlement did the Presbyterian faction in Parliament favour?
Which Parliamentary leaders were associated with the Independent faction?
How did Charles I respond to the Newcastle Propositions?
What grievance regarding unpaid wages contributed to the politicisation of the New Model Army after 1646?
Who was the leading figure of the Leveller movement?
What principle did the Levellers support regarding the legal system?
What religious settlement did the Newcastle Propositions of July 1646 demand?
What did the Newcastle Propositions demand regarding military control?
What did the Newcastle Propositions demand concerning royalist supporters?
Where did royalist risings occur in Wales during the Second Civil War of 1648?
Which battle effectively ended the Second Civil War, and when did it occur?
Who formed the core of those pushing for the trial of Charles I?
What was the Third Civil War (1649–1651) and what triggered it?
What were the core political beliefs advocated by the Levellers?
Why did the Levellers lack a broad base of support in English society?
Why did the Digger movement ultimately fail?
What was the Rump Parliament and how did it come into being?
What was the Parliament of the Saints (Barebone's Parliament) and when was it convened?
What key characteristics defined Oliver Cromwell's personality as a leader?
Why were Catholics still persecuted under Cromwell's religious settlement?
When and why did Richard Cromwell resign as Lord Protector?
What did Parliament gain and commit to under the Solemn League and Covenant, and which battle did the alliance help win?
What settlements did the Presbyterians and the Independents each want?
What kind of leader was Cromwell, what did the Instrument of Government establish, and why did he refuse the Crown?
Why did Charles I have to recall Parliament in November 1640?
Take 2E The English Revolution, 1625–1660 further
The same content, four other ways.
Commonly confused
Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.
Presbyterian vs Independent
Presbyterian: supporter of a church governed through elected elders. Independent: supporter of autonomous congregations free from a national hierarchy.
Questions from this topic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
What were the two main religious factions that created divisions in the Church of England by the end of James I's reign?
Model answer
Arminians, who favoured ceremonial worship, and Calvinist Puritans, who sought further reformation of the Church of England.
- 2
What key constitutional tensions did James I's reign establish regarding governance?
Model answer
Tensions over the relationship between Crown and Parliament, particularly regarding parliamentary privileges and the royal prerogative.
- 3
What was the Spanish Match, and why did it create conflict between James I and Parliament?
Model answer
The Spanish Match was a failed negotiation for Prince Charles's marriage to a Spanish princess. It conflicted with Parliament's preference for a Protestant foreign policy, as Parliament opposed James I's policy of peace with Catholic Spain.
- 4
Define the Divine Right of Kings as understood by Charles I.
Model answer
The belief that monarchs derived their authority directly from God and were accountable only to God, not to Parliament or the people.
- 5
What key personality traits characterised Charles I's approach to kingship?
Model answer
A belief in his own rectitude, an unwillingness to compromise, a reserved and formal manner, and a commitment to order and ceremony.
- 6
Why did Charles I's marriage to Henrietta Maria arouse suspicion among English Protestants?
Model answer
As a French Catholic queen, she aroused Protestant suspicions about Catholic influence at court and concerns about the direction of royal religious policy.
What is inside Levo
Six ways to work the same material.
2E The English Revolution, 1625–1660 revision questions
- What does 2E The English Revolution, 1625–1660 cover in AQA A-Level History?
- 27 subtopics: james i's legacy and charles i's kingship, charles i, buckingham and the petition of right, the personal rule and its ministers, laud's reforms and protestant fears, the scottish prayer book and thorough in ireland, puritan emigration, the national covenant and the first bishops' war, the bishops' wars and the recall of parliament, charles i and the parliamentary opposition in 1640, john pym and the long parliament, deadlock, the fall of strafford and the irish rebellion, the attempt on the five members, the militia ordinance and the drift to war, the nineteen propositions and the outbreak of war, royalist strengths at the outbreak of war, royalist weaknesses and war finance, parliament's commanders and the wealth of london, the solemn league, marston moor and the new model army, naseby, popular radicalism and the press, presbyterians, independents and the captive king, the politicisation of the army and the levellers, the sects, the heads of the proposals and the king's escape, the engagement and the second civil war, pride's purge and the regicide, the third civil war: dunbar and worcester, radical sects, the rump and barebone's parliament, cromwell, the instrument of government and the crown and the collapse of the protectorate and the restoration. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.
- How is 2E The English Revolution, 1625–1660 organised?
- By the AQA 7042 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.
Every question in 2E The English Revolution, 1625–1660, on a schedule.
Attempt a question from memory, write the correct version, then attempt it again. Levo records the jump between your first attempt and your last, and brings each question back on the day you are due to forget it.
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