Why did Charles I dissolve the Short Parliament after only three weeks?
Charles I dissolved the Short Parliament in May 1640 primarily because the House of Commons refused to grant him the subsidies needed for a second campaign against the Scots until their own long-standing grievances were addressed.12
While the King sought immediate funding for the Bishopsâ Wars, members of Parliamentâled by figures such as John Pymâprioritized debating issues like the crownâs controversial collection of "ship money" and other political grievances accumulated over the previous decade. Furthermore, Parliament signaled its opposition to the war itself and scheduled a debate regarding the Scottish question, which threatened to result in a formal petition against the King's military objectives. Furious at this resistance and the delay of his war funding, Charles precipitately dissolved the assembly after only three weeks.132