Essay Question: Explain why, between 1646 and 1649, Parliament decided to place the king on trial.

Introduction
By 1646, the first phase of the English Civil War had ended with a seemingly decisive victory for Parliament, leaving Charles I a prisoner. The years leading up to 1649 were marked by continued instability and shifting political landscapes. Rather than bringing peace, Parliament’s victory sparked a period of intense debate regarding the future governance of England. The decision to put the king on trial in 1649 was a dramatic escalation fueled by various factors, including the scars left by the Second Civil War and the rising influence of the New Model Army.

Paragraph 1: The Second Civil War (1648)
The outbreak of the Second Civil War in 1648 proved to be a pivotal turning point. Charles, despite being a prisoner, managed to reignite conflict by exploiting divisions within Parliament and forming an alliance with the Scottish Covenanters. This betrayal shattered any remaining trust held by Parliament towards the King. Charles’ willingness to plunge the nation back into war, even after his capture, convinced many that he was not interested in a peaceful settlement and could not be trusted to uphold any agreement reached. The conflict solidified the perception of Charles as inherently untrustworthy, making a trial increasingly likely.

Paragraph 2: Pride's Purge and the Rise of the Army (1648)
The execution of Charles I cannot be understood without acknowledging the significant influence of the New Model Army and its increasingly radicalized stance. Pride’s Purge in December 1648 dramatically altered the political landscape, enabling the king’s trial. Under the command of Colonel Thomas Pride, the Army forcibly removed from Parliament any member identified as sympathetic to the king or supportive of continued negotiations. This purge, a military coup in essence, resulted in the formation of the Rump Parliament, a smaller, more radical body dominated by those who viewed Charles as a tyrant deserving punishment.

Paragraph 3: The Rise of Republicanism
While the Second Civil War and Pride’s Purge created the context for the king's trial, it's crucial to recognize the growing intellectual and ideological shift within Parliament. The period saw the rise of republican ideals, challenging the very notion of divine right monarchy. Thinkers like John Milton advocated for popular sovereignty and condemned Charles's actions as tyrannical. This intellectual current provided a moral and philosophical framework for putting the king on trial, something unthinkable just a few years prior. The trial was not simply about retribution; it represented a fundamental reimagining of the English political system.

Conclusion
The decision to put Charles I on trial was not taken lightly nor was it inevitable. It was the culmination of a series of events between 1646 and 1649 that radicalized Parliament and shattered any remaining trust in the monarchy. The Second Civil War painted Charles as inherently untrustworthy, while Pride's Purge empowered those who believed in holding him accountable for his actions. Underpinned by the rise of republican ideals, the trial of Charles I transcended a simple act of punishment; it represented a seismic shift in English political thought, paving the way for new conceptions of governance and the relationship between a ruler and the ruled.