Political and religious radicalism: the politicisation of the New Model…

The idea

Between 1646 and 1649, the breakdown of traditional authority fuelled intense political and religious radicalism. The New Model Army became highly politicised, driven by arrears of pay and religious zeal, culminating in the Putney Debates where soldiers demanded a voice in the settlement. John Lilburne and the Levellers championed popular sovereignty, wider male suffrage, and religious tolerance, drafting the 'Agreement of the People'. Simultaneously, extreme religious sects emerged. The Fifth Monarchists anticipated the imminent return of Christ and advocated a theocracy, while the Ranters rejected orthodox morality, believing that those predestined for salvation could not sin. Other populist groups, such as the Diggers, pushed for agrarian communism, reflecting the era's profound ideological ferment.

What earns the marks

• Explain the factors driving the politicisation of the New Model Army, including material grievances such as pay arrears and ideological radicalism.
• Assess the influence of John Lilburne and the Levellers in promoting democratic ideas, specifically through the 'Agreement of the People'.
• Analyse the theological and political threat posed by the Fifth Monarchists' millenarianism to the established social order.
• Evaluate the social impact and perceived threat of the Ranters and other populist groups like the Diggers in challenging traditional hierarchies.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Confusing the Levellers with the Diggers.

  Put it right: Ensure you distinguish the Levellers, who sought political reform and wider suffrage, from the Diggers, who advocated for agrarian communism and the abolition of private property.

• Assuming the New Model Army was uniformly radical.

  Put it right: Recognise that radicalism was primarily concentrated among the rank-and-file and Agitators, whereas the Grandees, such as Cromwell and Ireton, were significantly more conservative.

• Overstating the actual numbers of Ranters.

  Put it right: Acknowledge that while the Ranters caused immense moral panic in the contemporary press, their actual numbers and organised threat were highly exaggerated by conservative propagandists.

Exam tips

• Use the Putney Debates of 1647 as a primary example to demonstrate the clash between Leveller radicalism and the conservatism of the Army Grandees.
• When discussing religious radicalism, explicitly link the breakdown of censorship and the collapse of the established Church to the proliferation of sects.
• Evaluate the extent to which these radical groups actually threatened the political settlement versus the perceived threat amplified by conservative propaganda.