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They were a group of radicals during the time of the English Civil War. They believed in a democratic society and very much supported the execution of the King (Charles I). They were on the Parliamentarian side and supported Oliver Cromwell for a certain amount of time. They wanted Parliament to be voted in every two years and for the monarchy to be abolished.

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The Levellers were a political movement during the English Civil War. They believed in principles such as universal suffrage, equality before the law, religious freedom, and the redistribution of power. They advocated for a more democratic and egalitarian society, challenging the authority of both the monarchy and the aristocracy.

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Q: What did the levellers believe in?
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What did Oliver Cromwell do to the levellers?

he was mean


When did cromwell kill the levellers?

Oliver wanted to be rid of the Levellers, as they had ambitious plans to change the government. He, basically executed them and when they rebelled, their three leaders were shot and the others were captured.


Were the Levellers a threat to Oliver Cromwell?

= Were the Levellers a threat to Oliver Cromwell? = Following the end of the First Civil War England was in a political melting pot, the relaxing of laws restricting freedom of press meant that political propaganda was rife and so rose in popularity the radical Leveller movement. The agreement of the people, the civilian Leveller constitution, was an ideological threat to Cromwell. The Agreement of the People stated that every freeman is entitled to franchise; 'one man, one vote', this Cromwell was highly opposed to. Firstly because only citizens with more than forty pounds worth of land were able to vote so the Agreement of the People threatened to reduce the voting power of landed citizens, including Cromwell a member of the Gentry. Secondly the Agreement of the People acted as counter to The Heads of Proposals, drafted in summer 1647, was a set of moderate propositions intended to be a basis for a constitutional settlement after King Charles I was defeated in the first English Civil War proposed by Cromwell and Henry Ireton to the King in 1647. Also, the Levellers threatened the tradition structure of Government, the Levellers wanted authority to be vested in the House of Commons rather than the King and Lords. Such a radicalism Cromwell would have found greatly threatening, despite being an MP potentially seeing an increase in personal power, as can be shown from this quotation from him; "A nobleman, a gentleman, a yeoman; the distinction of these: that is a good interest of the nation, and a great one". After all Cromwell, a landed Gentry, in 1647 would have had many traditional views and expectations on how a government should be structure, and that lay with a Parliament consisting with two houses, a Privy Council and a King all with limited traditional power. Leveller sympathisers and supporters within the New Model Army were a threat to Cromwell's, authority. This can be shown by the Putney Debates, starting October 1647, a series of discussions between members of the New Model Army, a number of the participants were Levellers, concerning the makeup of a new constitution for England. The debates featured a polarization between; Grandees (high ranking officers) and Agitators (soldiers elected by their troops as representation). The Agitators wanted a constitution based upon manhood suffrage reflecting ideas later to be shown in the Agreement of the People, whilst the Grandees, namely Henry Ireton pressed the Heads of Proposals. This shows that the Levellers were influential in the Rank and File of the Army to form the majority of those elected to represent them. The Agitators continued wanting to discuss the future of even king and the Grandees, fearing a complete breakdown of discipline in the Army, the Agitators were ordered by Cromwell to return to their regiments and the debates drew to a close, therefore portraying Cromwell's fear that the Levellers did indeed seem a threat to discipline in the Army. Conversely, leveller inspired mutinies within the New Model Army were few and easily dealt with. One example of this is the Cork bush Field mutiny November 1647. At the Corkbush Field rendezvous soldiers were ordered to sign a declaration of loyalty to Thomas Fairfax, the commander-in-chief of the New Model Army (NMA), and the Army Council. An uninvited regiment arrived carrying copies of the Agreement of the People. They stoned and wounded one of Fairfax's officers when he approached them. Cromwell had eight or nine of the more truculent troopers arrested with ease. They were tried at an improvised court-martial and found guilty of mutiny. Three ringleaders were sentenced to death and, having cast lots, Private Richard Arnold was shot on the spot as an example. The crushing of the Corkbush field mutiny ended any hopes of Cromwellian support for the Levellers and in addition reasserted Cromwell's authority over the Army and suppressed further Leveller influence. The Levellers were undoubtedly an ideological threat to Cromwell and his aspirations of a return to a traditional contractual Monarchy led government. However the Levellers were not a practical threat, they did not have a say in Government, but when Cromwell invited them at the Putney Debates, nor did the Levellers have any means of implementing their radical reforms themselves lacking sufficient support for a Parliament based series of reforms, a revolution from the public or Coup d'état by the army, thanks to Cromwell's efforts to suppress the Levellers.


In the 1600s what were diggers?

The Diggers were an English group of agrarian communists, begun by Gerrard Winstanley asTrue Levellers in 1649, who became known as "Diggers" due to their activities.Their original name came from their belief in economic equality based upon a specific passage in the Book of Acts.


What do the Greeks not believe in?

they do not believe in resurrection

Related questions

What did the Levellers do?

fail


When was Mouth to Mouth - Levellers album - created?

Mouth to Mouth - Levellers album - was created in 1997.


When was Zeitgeist - The Levellers album - created?

Zeitgeist - The Levellers album - was created on 1995-11-27.


What did levellers demand during the English commonwealth period?

The Levellers demanded that all citizens should have a voice in government.


What did Oliver Cromwell do to the levellers?

he was mean


When was the band the Levellers founded?

Levellers was founded in 1988 in Brighton, England. They have been a relatively stable group with only a couple of members changing since their founding.


What cromwell did to the levellers?

Oliver wanted to be rid of the Levellers, as they had ambitious plans to change the government. He, basically executed them and when they rebelled, their three leaders were shot and the others were captured.


Who argued for the poor mans rights?

Levellers


Where can you find levellers bootlegs to download?

www.levellers.nl/archive


Who are all the people in The Levellers?

The Levellers are a band from England. The members are Mark Chadwick, Jeremy Cunningham, Charlie Heather, Simon Friend, Jonathon Sevink, and Matt Savage.


What has the author Tony Benn written?

Tony Benn has written: 'Wildflower' 'Letters to My Grandchildren' 'The Levellers and the English democratic tradition' -- subject(s): Politics and government, Levellers


What did levellers in the 1650's dislike about the way the country was run?

The Levellers were a political movement, developed during the English Civil War, that felt strongly that religious tolerance and equality were important issues. As such, Levellers in the 1650s disliked many aspects of how the country was run, especially those laws that persecuted minorities.