Course:History 344 Nasty Families/Religion/Fear of Catholicism and the Revolution

The English Revolution showed many discontentments that the citizens of England had in the seventeenth century. One of the main issues behind the revolution was religious intolerance. While the official religion of the country was Protestantism, there were two other religions being followed more quietly in the country, Catholicism and Puritanism. While being a Puritan was basically a more extreme and simple version of being a protestant, Catholicism was very different and threatening during the revolution. BN: Perhaps this should be moved to the main page for religion.

Catholicism however was not perceived as a threat on a neighborly basis; rather, “[t]he ongoing nightmare of the Irish uprising fuelled [the] fear [of Catholics] for the remainder of the 1640s”. This essentially meant that people were not afraid of the Catholics in their own area, but of the ones in Ireland and other foreign countries. This fear often aided the New Model Army in recruiting soldiers as everyone was afraid of the Irish, who massacred thousands of Protestants, attacking England. The New Model army spread the rumor "that the king was actually encouraging the Irish in their murderous designs”, but they could not have spread this rumor without the help of Charles' own actions as well. Catholics were very supportive of the King, “which is why he responded favourably to a petition from Lancashire Catholics to be allowed to arm themselves”. This would only further the belief that Charles minimally supported the Catholics, if not encouraged them.

However, the support from the Catholics of England and the rumours about his support to the Irish Catholics were not the only problems that Charles had. His wife Henrietta Maria was another problem, as she too was Catholic. “[H]er negotiations with the pope, with foreign powers, and with English army officers” allowed the Parliamentarians to further rumours the King and the Royalist Army were supporting Catholicism and may have even been secret Catholics themselves. The majority of the religious intolerance during the revolution was based on these sorts of rumours and fears. If the massacre in Ireland had not occurred there would likely not be this extent of fear and the revolution may have occurred very differently.

BN: Perhaps most of this should be moved to the main Catholicism or Puritan sections.

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