36. What were the reasons and the results of the sea battle between the Armada and the English fleet?

The defeat of the Spanish Armada is one of the most famous events in English history. Spain was the most powerful country in the world. And Phillip II planned to invade in England and had begun to prepare a great fleet. The final confrontation of Spain and England was the battle of Gravelines, in which England won. There were some reasons for this.

The first is that the English were near to their naval ports and did not have to travel far to fight the Armada.

The second is that the English used smaller but faster and more maneuverable ships.

And the third reason is a storm known as the Protestant Winds came through, wiping out the Spanish.

Before this battle Spain was known as "sea dogs", they were rulers of the sea. After being defeated by England, they lost that control and England gained it.

37. What were the reasons for the conflict of the Stuarts with the Parliament?

James I came to power after the death of childless Elizabeth I. He was the son of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots. Like Elizabeth I, James I tried to rule without Parliament as much as possible. He believed in the divine right of kings: the king was chosen by God and therefore only God could judge him. He expressed these ideas openly and this led to trouble with the Parliament.

When Elizabeth died she left James with a huge debt. James had to ask Parliament to raise a tax to pay the debt. Parliament agreed, but in return insisted on the right to discuss James’ home and foreign policy. James however insisted that he alone had the “divine right” to make these decisions, and it was supported by the law. James did not agree to this, so he didn’t get the money. This was the first quarrel between James and Parliament, and it started the bad feeling which lasted during his entire reign, and that of his son Charles.

Charles I quarreled with the Commons even bitterly than his father had done. More than once Charles dissolved Parliament, but had to recall it again because he needed money. In 1628, in return for money, Parliament wanted Charles to sign a document known as the Petition of Rights, which would give Parliament the right to control state money, the national budget and the law. Charles realized that the Petition of Rights was putting an end to a king’s divine right. So he dissolved Parliament again.

38. How did the Civil War develop and end? What was King Charles I accused and found guilty of? What was his execution like?

The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians ("Roundheads") and Royalists ("Cavaliers") in the Kingdom of England over, principally, the manner of its government. The first (1642–46) and second (1648–49) wars pitted the supporters of King Charles I against the supporters of the Long Parliament, while the third (1649–51) saw fighting between supporters of King Charles II and supporters of the Rump Parliament. The war ended with the Parliamentarian victory at the Battle of Worcester on 3 September 1651.

Charles was moved to Hurst Castle at the end of 1648, and thereafter to Windsor Castle. In January 1649, the Rump House of Commons indicted him on a charge of treason, which was rejected by the House of Lords. Charles was accused of treason against England by using his power to pursue his personal interest rather than the good of the country.The charge stated that he, "for accomplishment of such his designs, and for the protecting of himself and his adherents in his and their wicked practices, to the same ends hath traitorously and maliciously levied war against the present Parliament, and the people therein represented", and that the "wicked designs, wars, and evil practices of him, the said Charles Stuart, have been, and are carried on for the advancement and upholding of a personal interest of will, power, and pretended prerogative to himself and his family, against the public interest, common right, liberty, justice, and peace of the people of this nation."

Charles's beheading was scheduled for Tuesday, 30 January 1649.The following morning, he called for two shirts to prevent the cold weather causing any noticeable shivers that the crowd could have mistaken for fear: the season is so sharp as probably may make me shake, which some observers may imagine proceeds from fear. I would have no such imputation." At about 2:00 p.m. Charles put his head on the block after saying a prayer and signalled the executioner when he was ready by stretching out his hands; he was then beheaded with one clean stroke. According to observer Philip Henry, a moan "as I never heard before and desire I may never hear again" rose from the assembled crowd, some of whom then dipped their handkerchiefs in the king's blood as a memento.