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Trial of Charles I
This account of the trial of Charles I was written by John Phelps, a clerk of the court. It records a dramatic moment in British history - the first and only time a king was put on trial for treason.
According to this account, Charles was brought from Windsor Castle to St James's Palace on 19th January 1649. The next day he was led into Westminster Hall for his trial. There were no existing laws to deal with such a trial. In the end, Charles' accusers used an ancient Roman law that said a military group could try to overthrow a tyrant. The king refused to accept that the trial was legal and would not answer the charges made against him. However, the commissioners of the court found Charles guilty and sentenced him to death. The execution was carried out on the balcony of the Banqueting House, Whitehall, on 30th January.
The trial and execution of Charles I came at the end of the English Civil War, which had broken out in 1642. The cause of the war was Parliament's opposition to Charles's policies, including his unlawful demands for taxation. Charles and his Royalist supporters were defeated in 1645, and the king was held in captivity while Parliament decided what to do next. Oliver Cromwell persuaded Parliament that by waging war on his people, Charles had committed an act of treason. After the execution, Oliver Cromwell established a Commonwealth before becoming Lord Protector, with all the powers of a king.
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