New
New
Year 8

Popular political pamphlets in seventeenth-century England

I can explain how historians have used pamphlets to understand seventeenth-century politics.

New
New
Year 8

Popular political pamphlets in seventeenth-century England

I can explain how historians have used pamphlets to understand seventeenth-century politics.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Pamphlets represent an important source for historians studying early modern England.
  2. Pamphlets were used as a form of propaganda during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.
  3. Historians can read these pamphlets carefully to understand the culture of seventeenth century England.

Keywords

  • Provenance - the background of a source is known as its provenance. This includes who, why, and when it was written

  • Purpose - the reason why a source was made is known as its purpose

  • Propaganda - propaganda is information, often false, which is published by a person or group to make others agree with them

Common misconception

That all contemporary sources can be accepted based solely on the value of their content.

Historians must consider how the provenance of a source may have affected the way it discusses and portrays a historical issue.

Students would benefit from having the extracts from each pamphlet studied in previous lessons included together on one sheet. This will allow pupils to make quicker reference to the sources in their work during the lesson.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of serious crime
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match up the key words with their correct definitions.
Correct Answer:Restoration ,the return of monarchy to England

the return of monarchy to England

Correct Answer:republic,a country without a monarch

a country without a monarch

Correct Answer:regicide,act of killing a monarch

act of killing a monarch

Q2.
Who was crowned king during the Restoration?
Charles I
Correct answer: Charles II
Oliver Cromwell
Q3.
Identify a financial cause of the English Civil War.
Charles I approved a new Book of Common Prayer.
Charles I refused to let Parliament approve his advisors.
Correct answer: Charles I made more people pay taxes like Ship Money.
Charles married a Catholic Queen, Henrietta Maria.
Q4.
What does propaganda tend to do?
Correct answer: Exaggerate information
Provide factual statistics
Provide a range of different opinions
Q5.
Write the missing word. When historians use sources, they must think carefully about their _______ as well as what the sources actually say.
Correct Answer: provenance, Provenance
Q6.
What do pamphlets from the years 1640-60 tell us about England at the time?
Most people were happy with their rulers.
There was lots of agreement about how the country should be run.
Correct answer: There were lots of different ideas about how to run the country.

6 Questions

Q1.
Match up each of the key words with its correct definition.
Correct Answer:purge,getting rid of something you disagree with

getting rid of something you disagree with

Correct Answer:Puritan,person with very strict Protestant beliefs

person with very strict Protestant beliefs

Correct Answer:propaganda,information, often false, used to change how others think

information, often false, used to change how others think

Correct Answer:regicide,an act of killing a monarch

an act of killing a monarch

Correct Answer:sect,group with a set of, often extreme, religious beliefs

group with a set of, often extreme, religious beliefs

Q2.
Write the missing word. The 11-year gap between the reigns of Charles I and Charles II is known as the _______.
Correct Answer: Interregnum, interregnum
Q3.
Write the missing word. The author, date, and purpose of a source are all part of its _______.
Correct Answer: provenance, Provenance
Q4.
Why did the Parliamentarians create pamphlets during the Civil War claiming that many leading Royalists were Catholics?
They had clear proof that this was true.
Correct answer: They wanted to make people switch support to themselves.
They wanted to provide people with entertaining reading.
Q5.
Starting with the earliest, sort these events into chronological order.
1 - Charles I reintroduces some Catholic practices
2 - First Civil War breaks out
3 - Second Civil War breaks out
4 - Regicide
5 - Cromwell dismisses the Rump Parliament
6 - Protectorate set up
7 - Restoration of Charles II
Q6.
What can historians learn from Anna Trapnel’s pamphlet "Cry of a Stone"?
Cromwell and the Protectorate were popular.
Correct answer: Cromwell and the Protectorate were unpopular.
King Charles I’s reign was popular.
King Charles I’s reign was unpopular.