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What was Pride’s Purge and how did it change the Long Parliament?
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English Civil Wars
Battle of Naseby, by an unknown artist. The victory of the Parliamentarian New Model Army, under Sir Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell, over the Royalist army, commanded by Prince Rupert, at the Battle of Naseby (June 14, 1645) marked the decisive turning point in the English Civil War.
Pride’s Purge was a military intervention that took place in December 1648 during the English Civil Wars. Acting on behalf of the army, Colonel Thomas Pride stood at the entrance to the House of Commons and forcibly excluded members who opposed the army’s political agenda or sought further negotiations with King Charles I.12
This action fundamentally transformed the Long Parliament:
- Composition: Pride arrested 45 members and prevented 186 others from entering, effectively removing more than half of the 460-member body.12
- Political Shift: The purge eliminated the influence of Presbyterian members who favored reconciliation with the King, leaving behind a small group of about 75 active members known as the Rump.12
- Outcome: This remaining body was controlled by the Independents and the army. It proceeded to establish a High Court of Justice to try Charles I for treason, ultimately leading to his execution in January 1649.12