Within this episode, I take a deep dive into the rise and fall of Charles I of England and the elements of the English Civil War (next episode). This continues my series on the English Tudor and Stuart Dynasties and the Divine Right of Kings.

Primary Source I: Painting

Charles West Cope, British painter, The Burial of Charles I” 1900.

Link: https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/the-burial-of-charles-i-213799

Primary Source II:

Excerpts from Charles I, Speech at His Trial, January 1649. In The Trial of Charles I: A Complete Collection of His Speeches and Papers (London, 1737), pp. 33–34.

I am your king; I was born a free man; and this liberty I must tell you, that I have not forfeited it by any law of the land. Therefore, I would know by what authority I do stand here to answer. Remember, I am your king, your lawful king, and what sins you bring upon your heads, and the judgment of God upon this land, think well upon it before you proceed any further from one sin to a greater...

...Princes are not bound to give account of their actions but to God; and therefore their people cannot judge them. It is not my case alone, it is the freedom and liberty of all the people of England; and do you pretend what you will, I stand more for their liberties. For if power without law may make laws, may alter the fundamental laws of the kingdom, I do not know what subject he is in England that can be sure of his life or anything that he calls his own...

Primary Source III:

Charles I, Final Speech on the Scaffold, Whitehall Gate, January 30, 1649 (from King Charles His Speech Made Upon the Scaffold at Whitehall-Gate, Immediately Before His Execution) 

“Now for to show you that I am a good Christian: I hope there is a good man that will bear me witness, that I have forgiven all the world, and even those in particular that have been the chief causers of my death… … I shall go from a corruptible Crown to an incorruptible Crown, where no disturbance can be, no disturbance in the world.” Philosophical Questions:

Philosophical Discussion Questions

1. If a ruler believes he is accountable only to God, can moral sincerity excuse political failure?

2. Was Charles I defending divine order, or denying the political evolution that earlier monarchs had set in motion?

3. Can a leader be both hero and villain in the same story, depending on who writes the history?

Trapped in History Email Links:

robert.malcomson@logan.kyschools.us

trappedinhistorypodcast@gmail.com

Social Media Outlets:

Facebook Group Link: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/zr3rKGzVG2ZN4x8n/

TikTok Link: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZP881jy21/

Instagram: robertmalcomson

Substack Link: trappedinhistory.substack.com / @trappedinhistory

Recommended Websites:

Preston Stewart YouTube Channel (Military/History/Global Events)

https://www.youtube.com/@PrestonStewart

Foreign Policy Research Institute Link:

https://www.fpri.org/

Council on Foreign Relations

https://www.cfr.org/

Global Conflict Tracker

https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker

Institute for the Study of War

https://www.understandingwar.org/