The Trial of Charles I (1649)

Sources:
---

Music:
"Heliograph," by Chris Zabriskie
"John Stockton Slow Drag," by Chris Zabriskie
"Your Mother's Daughter," by Chris Zabriskie
"Hallon," by Christian Bjoerklund

[cjezinne]

The fact that I was on the edge of my seat for something that happened 400 years ago is exciting

[BirdThatEatsPrometheussLiver]

Bradshaw: "We've tried kings before."
Charles: "Source?"
Bradshaw: "Dude trust me."

[RobGcraft]

“The court was in chaos”

Everybody: *spins aggressively*

[alexross]

Charles I: "That's a nice argument, Lord President. Why don't you try backing it up with a source?"
Bradshaw: "My source is that I made it the fuck up."

[willcarstens]

It's a shame Shakespeare wasn't alive to see this, because this would've made a great play.

[AnotherGradus]

I'd like to believe that "chaos erupting in the court" as depicted, literal spinning in place by all that attended.

[pariza]

where is the part when Cicero opposed because he thought killing a monarch was too destabilizing?

[benjaminwalker]

"The most interesting thing about King Charles I was that he was 5'6 tall at the start of his reign but only 4'8 at the end of it."

[TheSquidPro]

Charles: "By who's authority!"
Bradshaw: "He can't do that! Shoot him!... or something!"

[karlleonis]

"If I would die for it, I must do it!"

Cromwell: "Say no more fam, I got u."

[absintel]

"How do you plead, sir?"


"I AM THE SENATE!"

[silver]

The first true Sovereign Citizen.

"On what legal authority is this trial being held!?"

[klausgartenstiel]

"making it up as you go along."

the slogan of british politics since times immemorial

[xazelnighthaunterfanboy]

Meanwhile in Kingdome of France: HonHonHon Silly English! This could never happen to our Kings!

[rakaman]

Under what authority?


Well, the authority of we have a bigger army than you do, of course.

[bigbadseed]

After Charles' death, the monarchy was abolished, and Britain became a republic.
Within a few years, Cromwell had transformed it into a military dictatorship.
Just putting that out there.

[jackharvey]

I still miss the red square 😭 RIP Caesar

[SigEpBlue]

Seems like it would've been easier, if not "more legit, " to depose Charlie as king first, and _then_ charge him, as a non-monarch, with crimes.

[kauffner]

The whole parliament had 507 members at this time. After Pride's Purge in 1648, 200 of these continued to serve. Only 29 MPs voted to established the High Court of Justice that tried Charles I.

[claiminglight]

Charles made a huge tactical error from the outset. He was trying to leverage the wrath of his loyalists against the ambitions of his captors, figuring that they couldn't just kill him off without risking more war. But he seemed to lose sight of what that leverage was worth: a seat in negotiations. By stonewalling them, he threw away the only card he had.