Surrender of Charles I

Historical Context Note

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.04: English Writing and Culture of the Seventeenth Century, 1625-1688.
Vol. editors: Jennifer Brady (Rhodes College), Daniel Cook (University of Dundee), Neil Forsyth (Université de Lausanne), Claire Preston (Queen Mary, University of London), J A Roe (University of York), Virginia Mason Vaughan (Clark University)

Domains

Politics

Dates

Date of occurrence 1645

Places

United Kingdom (Location)

Resources

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At the beginning of 1645, King Charles I and Parliament had made an attempt to negotiate an end to the First Civil War, via the Treaty of Uxbridge. However, neither side was prepared to compromise sufficiently, in part because both felt they had a good chance of winning the war. What Charles did not know at the time, however, was the strength of the New Model Army, which was just being formed on the order of Parliament in winter 1645. Over the following year, they won a series of decisive battles, and, in alliance with the Scottish Covenanters, eventually forced the King into defeat. He surrendered at Newark on 5th May 1646. However, on secret terms negotiated by an envoy from Cardinal Mazarin, made sure he surrendered to the Covenanters rather than the Parliamentarians, so that he would…

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