Treaty of Oxford facts for kids

The Treaty of Oxford in 1643 was an attempt to make peace during the English Civil War. King Charles I and the Long Parliament tried to talk things out, but they couldn't agree. This meant the war continued.

What Was the Treaty of Oxford?

The Treaty of Oxford was a series of peace talks in 1643. It happened during the English Civil War, which was a fight between King Charles I and Parliament. Both sides wanted to end the fighting, but they had very different ideas about how to do it.

Starting the Peace Talks

In January 1643, King Charles I allowed some important people from Parliament to visit him in Oxford. These people included several earls and commoners. They brought Parliament's ideas for peace. The Earl of Northumberland read out Parliament's proposals. King Charles then shared his own conditions for peace. After this first meeting, nothing more happened until March.

Why Peace Was Hard to Find

Parliament's demands were very similar to what they had asked for before, in 1642. King Charles I did not want to give in. He had written that he would rather be a "glorious king or a patient martyr" than give up his power. Also, the King's side, called the Cavaliers, had been winning some battles. This made the King feel stronger and less likely to compromise.

Secret Letters and Royal Confidence

Parliament's position was weakened when they found a secret letter. This letter was from a royal supporter, Lord Goring. It said that the King's side was getting lots of money and weapons from other countries. For example, the King of Denmark and the Prince of Orange were helping. The letter also mentioned that the Queen, Henrietta Maria, was bringing more supplies. This made the King's side feel very confident. They believed they wouldn't need to agree to a treaty unless it was very good for the King.

The King's True Intentions

King Charles I had promised his wife, the Queen, that he wouldn't make any peace deals without her knowing. This was always on his mind. However, some of his supporters wanted peace. These were important people who had a lot to lose in the war. To keep them happy, the King pretended to be interested in the treaty. But in reality, he didn't truly want peace. He was just trying to satisfy his followers.

The Queen's Return and Influence

Between the first talks in January and the later ones in March, Queen Henrietta Maria returned to England from Holland. Parliament intercepted a letter she wrote to the King. In it, she worried about a bad peace deal and said she wouldn't live in England without a personal guard. It seemed clear that the King had been delaying the talks, waiting for her to arrive.

Difficult Negotiations

When Parliament's representatives came back to Oxford, there were fewer of them. The King refused to meet with one of them, Lord Say. The remaining five were given very strict rules by Parliament. They couldn't change even one word in the peace proposals. They also had only 20 days to reach an agreement. Six days were for agreeing to stop fighting, and the rest for the main treaty.

The King's Resistance to Stopping the Fighting

The King did not want to agree to stop fighting. He thought that if he did, he would be forced to agree to a full peace treaty. So, he secretly told some local gentlemen to ask him not to agree to a ceasefire. This made it harder for his own advisors, like Edward Hyde, to help him negotiate. Parliament accused the King of agreeing to a ceasefire and then breaking it.

The King's Changing Mind

The parliamentary representatives were told to only negotiate directly with King Charles. However, he was very difficult to deal with. He often changed his mind between meetings. Some people thought this was because different groups at his court were influencing him. Others believed it was simply because he was being dishonest.

The End of the Talks

Finally, King Charles I sent a last message to Parliament. He suggested that if they brought back all the members they had removed and moved their meetings far from London, he would then send his armies home and return to Parliament. This proposal was not taken seriously by Parliament. They ordered their representatives to return home right away. They left Oxford on April 15, 1643. This meant that the hopes for peace were colder than ever, and the war continued.