The beginning of the English Civil War (1642)

Study note

Charles I tried to impose a revised Prayer Book on the Presbyterian Church in Scotland, causing serious unrest. In 1640 he recalled Parliament for money, but many members were Puritans who disliked his religious reforms and refused. Charles entered the House of Commons to arrest five parliamentary leaders, but they had been warned and escaped. No monarch has entered the Commons since. Civil war began in 1642, splitting the country into Cavaliers, who supported the king, and Roundheads, who supported Parliament.

Memory tip: Civil War from 1642: Cavaliers (king) vs Roundheads (Parliament); Puritans dominate Parliament.