January 12, 1679 

Dear Mother, 

I do apologize for not writing to you for a while, finding time and scraping up a penny to

send you this letter has been very difficult. After losing my job at the plantation, I have

been wandering the streets of London, searching for any job. Competition is high, and

jobs are scarce. For a common laborer like me, finding a job in the city is a

barely attainable feat, if not impossible. Alas, it appears that I have resorted to a life of

crime, stealing bread and beer from the local market stalls. Oh, how I would love to sink

my teeth into a juicy piece of meat; the stale bread and bitter beer is not up to my

palate. So far, my punishments have not been so severe. While I do not get caught very

often, I still get the odd whipping here and there. The whippings leave bruises and

gashes on my back, making my back very sore, but compared to the broken bones of

poor Henry down the corner, I would say that I was let off easy. It’s astonishing to think

that the middle and upper class think that we are being lazy. Do they think that we

chose this lifestyle? Seriously, mother, do these people not have even the slightest bit of

pity on us? It’s not our fault that we are condemned to a life of poverty and have to

resort to crime just to live by. Witch hunts are becoming more and more common, and a

man by the name Hopkins has been trialing witches everyday. Apparently, they were the

ones responsible for us losing the war and the plague breaking out. I do feel pity for

these women, but only heaven knows if they are truly witches or scapegoats for

the upper class. I fear that staying here in London might endanger my life. Who knows

who they’ll blame next? I have decided to travel north to a plantation nine miles yonder.

Hopefully there will be work there. I would love to write more, but the cost of mailing

more than one page is a luxury I cannot afford, so I shall have to conclude abruptly.

Matthew 

While the English Civil War is a completely different event from other revolutions and conflicts, it follows the same trajectory as them. Both the English Civil War and the American Revolutionary War were sparked by unfair taxes imposed upon the people by their rulers. In the English Civil War, Charles I imposed unfair taxes on coastal towns in order to fund his lavish desires and show off his opulence, while the British also imposed unfair taxes on their colonies to pay off their war debts. This angered the people, who felt they were not entitled to pay these taxes, and moved them to rise up against their rulers. Additionally, in the American Revolutionary War, the English Civil War, the French Revolution, and the Industrial Revolution, the revolutions all resulted in the lower classes gaining more power. All these revolutions resulted in the high class or aristocracy losing power, which further led to the power being passed down the hierarchy. Sometimes this resulted in the creation of the wealthy middle class, such as in the French and Industrial Revolution, while other times, it just meant the lower class gained more civil rights.

The wheel of revolution in the English Civil War doesn’t necessarily end in justice. While the monarch was punished accordingly for his wrongdoings, the government structure of England didn’t really turn democratic; the short-lived Commonwealth of England was basically a military dictatorship, as Cromwell held absolute power and controlled England to his liking. The war initially had negative consequences, as large numbers of people died and the farmers’ lands were burned. Later, however, the effects would prove to be positive. The lower class got more power, the economic system of England changed from feudalism to capitalism, and the gap between the aristocracy and the common folk narrowed. Although initial consequences were negative, the English Civil War would later be resolved and have positive effects for England.