English Civil War
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| - | :''[[Censorship in the United Kingdom]]'' | ||
| - | '''''Areopagitica: A speech of Mr John Milton for the liberty of unlicensed printing to the Parliament of England''''' is a [[prose]] [[tract (literature)|tract]] or [[polemic]] by [[John Milton]], published [[November 23]], [[1644]], at the height of the [[English Civil War]]. Milton's ''Areopagitica'' is titled after a speech written by the [[Athens|Athenian]] orator [[Isocrates]] in the 5th century BC. (The [[Areopagus]] is a hill in Athens, the site of real and mythical tribunals. Isocrates hoped to restore the Council of the Areopagus.) Like Isocrates, Milton had no intention of delivering his speech orally. Instead it was distributed via [[pamphlet]], defying the same publication [[censorship]] he argued against. | ||
| - | Milton, though a supporter of the [[Parliament of England|Parliament]], argued forcefully against the [[Licensing Order of 1643]], noting that such [[censorship]] had never been a part of classical [[Ancient Greece|Greek]] and [[Roman Republic|Roman]] society. The tract is full of biblical and classical references which Milton uses to strengthen his argument. The issue was personal for Milton as he had suffered censorship himself in his efforts to publish several tracts defending divorce (a radical stance at the time and one which met with no favor from the censors). | + | The '''English Civil War''' (1642-1651) was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between [[Roundhead|Parliamentarians]] and [[Cavalier|Royalists]]. The [[First English Civil War|first]] (1642–1646) and [[Second English Civil War|second]] (1648–1649) [[civil war]]s pitted the supporters of [[Charles I of England|King Charles I]] against the supporters of the [[Long Parliament]], while the [[Third English Civil War|third war]] (1649–1651) saw fighting between supporters of [[Charles II of England|King Charles II]] and supporters of the [[Rump Parliament]]. The Civil War ended with the Parliamentary victory at the [[Battle of Worcester]] on [[3 September]] [[1651]]. |
| - | Interestingly, Milton is not completely libertarian in ''Areopagitica'' and argues that the ''[[status quo ante]]'' worked best. According to the previous English law, all books had to have at least a printer's name (and preferably an author's name) inscribed in them. Under that system, Milton argues, if any blasphemous or libelous material is published, those books can still be destroyed after the fact. | + | The Civil War led to the trial and [[execution of Charles I]], the exile of his son, Charles II, and replacement of [[English monarchy]] with first, the [[Commonwealth of England]] (1649–1653), and then with a [[The Protectorate|Protectorate]] (1653–1659), under [[Oliver Cromwell]]'s personal rule. The monopoly of the [[Church of England]] on Christian worship in [[England]] ended with the victors consolidating the established [[Protestant Ascendancy]] in Ireland. Constitutionally, the wars established the precedent that an English monarch cannot govern without Parliament's consent, although this concept was established only with the [[Glorious Revolution]] later in the century. |
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| - | ''Areopagitica'' is among history's most influential and impassioned philosophical defences of the principle of a right to [[free speech]]. | + | |
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| - | Some consider ''Areopagitica'' worth reading side-by-side with ''[[Paradise Lost]]''; a juxtaposition of these texts may yield an intriguing window into Milton's non-conventional theological tendencies. | + | |
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Revision as of 12:28, 12 December 2008
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The English Civil War (1642-1651) was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists. The first (1642–1646) and second (1648–1649) civil wars pitted the supporters of King Charles I against the supporters of the Long Parliament, while the third war (1649–1651) saw fighting between supporters of King Charles II and supporters of the Rump Parliament. The Civil War ended with the Parliamentary victory at the Battle of Worcester on 3 September 1651.
The Civil War led to the trial and execution of Charles I, the exile of his son, Charles II, and replacement of English monarchy with first, the Commonwealth of England (1649–1653), and then with a Protectorate (1653–1659), under Oliver Cromwell's personal rule. The monopoly of the Church of England on Christian worship in England ended with the victors consolidating the established Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. Constitutionally, the wars established the precedent that an English monarch cannot govern without Parliament's consent, although this concept was established only with the Glorious Revolution later in the century.
