The English civil wars were made up of fighting, which took place in British Isles between Parliamentarians, who were people who supported Parliament, and Royalists, who were people who supported King Charles I ("English Civil Wars" 499). There were many long-term causes that led up to the civil wars, such as the growing wealth of the middle class, which was made up of the gentry and merchants (Ashley 189). The middle class made up a majority in the House of Commons and therefore had a larger influence upon the government. Another cause of the civil wars was the insufficient funds of the King's inheritance, which made the king dependent on Parliament when he was involved in foreign wars (Ashley 189). The English civil wars and the dearth to a king could have been prevented if the law of England, which was made in 1215 (Magna Carta was followed by King Charles I. .
The beginning of the English civil wars can be traced back to when King Charles I married Herietta Maria, who was the daughter of Henry IV of France ("English Civil War Timeline"). This marriage didn't go to well and was the talk of the country because she was a Catholic. Charles then reinstated the Thirty Nine Articles into the Church of England. In the eyes of the English this was evidence of the King leaning towards Christianity (Collins). Under the circumstances Parliament passed the Petition of Right. The Petition of Right was made up of three resolutions. The first resolution stated that Parliament would ignore any attempt to change religion. The second resolution stated that any taxation levied without Parliament's authority was illegal. The third resolution stated that any merchant who agreed to pay the tax was going against the overall liberty of England (Alderman 73-76).
In order to avoid a conflict based on finance, Charles governed without parliament for eleven years, from 1629-1640 ("English Civil Wars" 499).
