AQA A-LEVEL HISTORY COMPONENT 2E:
THE ENGLISH REVOLUTION, 1625–1660
Section A: Source Analysis
Question 01
With reference to these sources and your understanding of the historical context, assess the value of
these three sources to an historian studying the impact of the New Model Army on politics and
religion (1646–1649). [30 marks]
Source A: From a letter by Thomas Fairfax, Commander-in-Chief of the New Model Army, to the
Presbyterian members of Parliament, London, August 1647.
We have observed with grief the increasing divisions in Parliament and the City, stirred up by those who
seek to impose a rigid Presbyterian settlement upon the nation. We took up arms to defend the liberties
of the people and the freedom of their consciences, not to exchange one form of tyranny for another.
The soldiers of this Army, having suffered greatly for the Parliament's cause, now find their service
rewarded with slander, their grievances unheard, and their very right to petition denied. We do not seek
to dissolve the authority of Parliament, but we must demand that the rights of the soldiers and the
liberty of all Englishmen be secured before any further settlement is made. We shall not disband until
our just demands are met, nor shall we allow the Kingdom to be delivered into a new bondage.
Source B: From the Agreement of the People, a constitutional manifesto drafted by the Levellers and
discussed at the Putney Debates, October-November 1647.
We the free people of England, do agree to settle a government for the peace and security of the nation.
Power is originally in the people, and all just government ought to flow from them. We therefore
declare:
1. That the people ought to be represented equally in Parliament, by a distribution of seats
according to the number of inhabitants.
2. That the present Parliament shall be dissolved on a set date, and future Parliaments shall be
chosen biennially.
3. That the power of any future Parliament is to be limited, and they shall not have the authority to
punish any person for matters of religion so long as they do not disturb the civil peace.
, 4. That all men be not bound by any law to which they have not, by their representatives,
consented.
Source C: From a pamphlet by John Lilburne, a leading Leveller, attacking Oliver Cromwell and the
Grandees of the Army, London, May 1649. Published after the Leveller mutinies were suppressed.
I shall now lay open the hypocrisy and tyranny of your new "masters." Are you not the same men who,
at Putney, spoke so nobly of the rights of the people and the freedom of conscience? You who
demanded the King's blood for his tyranny now exercise a greater tyranny over the free-born people of
England. You have set up a Council of State that governs by decree, without the consent of the people.
You have muzzled the press, silenced our petitions, and imprisoned the honest soldiers who would not
bow to your arbitrary will. You speak of a Commonwealth, but it is a Commonwealth for you and your
friends. I name the men: Cromwell, Ireton, and the rest. They have betrayed the cause for which we
fought. They are no better than the tyrants we overthrew.
Mark Scheme for Section A (Question 01)
Level Descriptor Mar
Excellent analysis. Shows a very strong understanding of the value of the sources, considering their
Level
provenance (nature, origin, purpose), tone, and content. Contextual knowledge is precise and used 25–
5
to evaluate the sources effectively. Judgements are well-substantiated.
Level Good analysis. Shows a good understanding of the sources' value, with clear evaluation of content
19–
4 and provenance. Contextual knowledge is accurate and relevant.
Level Reasonable analysis. Shows some understanding of the value of the sources, with some evaluation
13–
3 of content and/or provenance. Some accurate contextual knowledge.
Level Basic analysis. Shows limited understanding of the sources' value. Content is summarised with little
7–1
2 evaluation.
Level Very basic analysis. Describes the content of the sources without evaluation. Little or no contextual
1–6
1 knowledge.
Answers and Rationales for Section A
, Source A (Fairfax, 1647):
o Value: High. Thomas Fairfax, as the commander of the New Model Army, was a central
figure. His letter provides an invaluable primary insight into the Army's grievances and
motivations in 1647. Its purpose was to justify the Army's political intervention against
the Presbyterian Parliament. The provenance is strong because it reflects the official
stance of the Army leadership during the critical period before the Putney Debates.
o Limitation: It is a political statement with a clear purpose, so it exaggerates the Army's
unity and the purity of its motives. It presents the Army as defenders of "liberty" while
downplaying its role as a coercive military force.
Source B (The Agreement of the People, 1647):
o Value: Very High. This is a core primary document of radical political thought during the
Revolution. It was debated at the Putney Debates, a unique event where military
leaders debated political philosophy. Its value lies in its explicit articulation of Leveller
principles: popular sovereignty, extended suffrage, religious toleration, and limitations
on parliamentary power.
o Limitation: As a manifesto, it represents the demands of a radical faction (the Levellers)
and does not reflect the views of the majority of the political nation or even the Army's
leaders (Grandees), who ultimately rejected it.
Source C (Lilburne, 1649):
o Value: High as a source of opposition. John Lilburne was the most famous Leveller.
Published after the crushing of the Leveller mutinies, its purpose is to expose the
hypocrisy of Cromwell and the Grandees. It is highly valuable for showing the deep
divisions among the revolutionaries after the King's execution and the shift from army
unity to bitter conflict between radicals and the new republic's leaders.
o Limitation: It is a polemical pamphlet, inherently biased and emotionally charged. It
simplifies the complex political pressures facing the Grandees and ignores the threat
from Royalists and foreign powers.
Section B: Essay Questions
This section tests your ability to write analytical essays on the key topics of the course. You should spend
approximately 45 minutes on each question. Answer two questions.
Question 02
THE ENGLISH REVOLUTION, 1625–1660
Section A: Source Analysis
Question 01
With reference to these sources and your understanding of the historical context, assess the value of
these three sources to an historian studying the impact of the New Model Army on politics and
religion (1646–1649). [30 marks]
Source A: From a letter by Thomas Fairfax, Commander-in-Chief of the New Model Army, to the
Presbyterian members of Parliament, London, August 1647.
We have observed with grief the increasing divisions in Parliament and the City, stirred up by those who
seek to impose a rigid Presbyterian settlement upon the nation. We took up arms to defend the liberties
of the people and the freedom of their consciences, not to exchange one form of tyranny for another.
The soldiers of this Army, having suffered greatly for the Parliament's cause, now find their service
rewarded with slander, their grievances unheard, and their very right to petition denied. We do not seek
to dissolve the authority of Parliament, but we must demand that the rights of the soldiers and the
liberty of all Englishmen be secured before any further settlement is made. We shall not disband until
our just demands are met, nor shall we allow the Kingdom to be delivered into a new bondage.
Source B: From the Agreement of the People, a constitutional manifesto drafted by the Levellers and
discussed at the Putney Debates, October-November 1647.
We the free people of England, do agree to settle a government for the peace and security of the nation.
Power is originally in the people, and all just government ought to flow from them. We therefore
declare:
1. That the people ought to be represented equally in Parliament, by a distribution of seats
according to the number of inhabitants.
2. That the present Parliament shall be dissolved on a set date, and future Parliaments shall be
chosen biennially.
3. That the power of any future Parliament is to be limited, and they shall not have the authority to
punish any person for matters of religion so long as they do not disturb the civil peace.
, 4. That all men be not bound by any law to which they have not, by their representatives,
consented.
Source C: From a pamphlet by John Lilburne, a leading Leveller, attacking Oliver Cromwell and the
Grandees of the Army, London, May 1649. Published after the Leveller mutinies were suppressed.
I shall now lay open the hypocrisy and tyranny of your new "masters." Are you not the same men who,
at Putney, spoke so nobly of the rights of the people and the freedom of conscience? You who
demanded the King's blood for his tyranny now exercise a greater tyranny over the free-born people of
England. You have set up a Council of State that governs by decree, without the consent of the people.
You have muzzled the press, silenced our petitions, and imprisoned the honest soldiers who would not
bow to your arbitrary will. You speak of a Commonwealth, but it is a Commonwealth for you and your
friends. I name the men: Cromwell, Ireton, and the rest. They have betrayed the cause for which we
fought. They are no better than the tyrants we overthrew.
Mark Scheme for Section A (Question 01)
Level Descriptor Mar
Excellent analysis. Shows a very strong understanding of the value of the sources, considering their
Level
provenance (nature, origin, purpose), tone, and content. Contextual knowledge is precise and used 25–
5
to evaluate the sources effectively. Judgements are well-substantiated.
Level Good analysis. Shows a good understanding of the sources' value, with clear evaluation of content
19–
4 and provenance. Contextual knowledge is accurate and relevant.
Level Reasonable analysis. Shows some understanding of the value of the sources, with some evaluation
13–
3 of content and/or provenance. Some accurate contextual knowledge.
Level Basic analysis. Shows limited understanding of the sources' value. Content is summarised with little
7–1
2 evaluation.
Level Very basic analysis. Describes the content of the sources without evaluation. Little or no contextual
1–6
1 knowledge.
Answers and Rationales for Section A
, Source A (Fairfax, 1647):
o Value: High. Thomas Fairfax, as the commander of the New Model Army, was a central
figure. His letter provides an invaluable primary insight into the Army's grievances and
motivations in 1647. Its purpose was to justify the Army's political intervention against
the Presbyterian Parliament. The provenance is strong because it reflects the official
stance of the Army leadership during the critical period before the Putney Debates.
o Limitation: It is a political statement with a clear purpose, so it exaggerates the Army's
unity and the purity of its motives. It presents the Army as defenders of "liberty" while
downplaying its role as a coercive military force.
Source B (The Agreement of the People, 1647):
o Value: Very High. This is a core primary document of radical political thought during the
Revolution. It was debated at the Putney Debates, a unique event where military
leaders debated political philosophy. Its value lies in its explicit articulation of Leveller
principles: popular sovereignty, extended suffrage, religious toleration, and limitations
on parliamentary power.
o Limitation: As a manifesto, it represents the demands of a radical faction (the Levellers)
and does not reflect the views of the majority of the political nation or even the Army's
leaders (Grandees), who ultimately rejected it.
Source C (Lilburne, 1649):
o Value: High as a source of opposition. John Lilburne was the most famous Leveller.
Published after the crushing of the Leveller mutinies, its purpose is to expose the
hypocrisy of Cromwell and the Grandees. It is highly valuable for showing the deep
divisions among the revolutionaries after the King's execution and the shift from army
unity to bitter conflict between radicals and the new republic's leaders.
o Limitation: It is a polemical pamphlet, inherently biased and emotionally charged. It
simplifies the complex political pressures facing the Grandees and ignores the threat
from Royalists and foreign powers.
Section B: Essay Questions
This section tests your ability to write analytical essays on the key topics of the course. You should spend
approximately 45 minutes on each question. Answer two questions.
Question 02
