In class we have been learning about the English civil war. I was asked to choose something that interested me the most to do some further research on. My question is, why was government and religion so important to people in the 17th century that it started wars like the English civil war? After doing some further research on this and looking at many different websites, I found the answer I was looking for below.

Unlike other civil wars in England, which mostly focused on who should rule rather than how the nation should be ruled, this war was more concerned with how the kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland were governed. Some people say that the English civil war was not just one war, but three.

When King James came into power, he came into conflict with parliament. The cost of government was rising but the government’s income did not keep up. Rents from royal lands could only be raised when the lease ended. Parliament was therefore in a strong position. MPs could refuse to raise money for the king unless he bowed to their demands. So the king was forced to look for new ways to raise money.

Government and money were two key factors for having power. Every country wanted more power then the other and the only way to get this power was through government. That is why government was so important back in the 17th century. This lust for power and control over government, or even a new, better government, was what the main reason for the English civil war was.