Was this the Start of British Democracy?

The Putney Debates

The Putney Debates took place from 28 October to 8 November 1647, and they were a series of discussions over how they would run the country should they, Parliament, win the civil war.  Basically, it was a discussion as to what they would do if they were in charge of the country once there was no King.

It was at the Putney debates that the ordinary people, as opposed to the monarchy, established the idea that there should be votes for all, well, not everyone, just those who owned property.  But the point is this was the first time that this principle was discussed, the idea of one man one vote, freedom of conscience, and most importantly, the freedom of religious thought. Actually, up to this time, in England there had never been a debate about the right to vote, the people simply accepted the reality of the time.

The Debate

The argument was over. Colonel Thomas Rainsborough’s proposal of a constitution based upon one man, one vote, biennial Parliaments, a re-organisation of parliamentary constituencies, with authority entrusted in the House of Commons rather than the King and Lords.

This idea was opposed by Thomas Cromwell, who didn’t agree and felt the vote should be restricted to those who owned property.

They failed!

Unfortunately, due to pressure from the Army, who were worried about the effect of the ideas coming out of the Putney Debates, they were closed down.

Then came King Charles II.

Parliament then took these principles from the Putney Debates as the basis for the deal they made for the return of Charles II as King on 1stJanuary 1651 and the way he was to work.

36 years later

The symbolic importance of the debates became obvious when 36 years later, during what is called the Restoration, that King Charles II chose Putney Heath as the site of a parade of 6,000 soldier in October 1684, in a form of remembrance.

Isn’t History fun?

10 questions to discuss:

1. What were the central ideas proposed by Colonel Thomas Rainsborough during the Putney Debates, and how did they challenge the existing political structure in England?
2. How did Thomas Cromwell’s stance on voting rights during the Putney Debates differ from Rainsborough’s proposal, and what were his reasons for advocating for property restrictions on voting?
3. Why did the Army exert pressure to shut down the Putney Debates, and what were their concerns about the potential impact of the ideas discussed there?
4. How did the principles discussed at the Putney Debates influence the eventual deal made with King Charles II in 1651 upon his return to the throne?
5. What role did the idea of “one man, one vote” play in the Putney Debates, and how did it challenge the traditional notions of political representation at the time?
6. In what ways did the Putney Debates contribute to the development of concepts such as freedom of conscience and religious thought in England?
7. Why did King Charles II choose Putney Heath as the location for a parade during the Restoration in 1684, and what symbolic significance did this event hold?
8. How did the Putney Debates reflect broader societal changes and ideological shifts occurring during the English Civil War period?
9. What factors ultimately led to the failure of the proposals put forward during the Putney Debates, and how did this failure impact subsequent political developments in England?
10. How have the Putney Debates been remembered and commemorated throughout history, and what significance do they hold in the collective memory of England’s political evolution?

For more on this please go to:

http://bcw-project.org/church-and-state/second-civil-war/putney-debates

http://www.theputneydebates.co.uk/the-debates/whos-who/

© Tony Dalton