Second Bishops' War begins

Historical Context Note

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The First Bishops' War, the previous year, had been fought between King Charles I and Scottish Covenanters, who saw themselves as defending the Presbyterian Kirk against Charles' attempts to enforce a Prayer Book that would bring it in line with the more high-church England. It had forced the English into a humiliating retreat, and in June 1639 the two parties had signed the Pacification of Berwick. However, this was little more than a holding agreement, and on 3rd August, the Scottish Committee of Estates decided to launch a pre-emptive invasion of England. With the Battle of Newburn at the end of August, the Covenanters overwhelmed the English, and on 30th August they marched freely into Newcastle. In response to this defeat, the English agreed to the terms of the Treaty of Ripon, which…

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2198 Second Bishops' War begins 2 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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