From Catholic rebellion to Civil War, what happened during the latter years of the reign of Charles I that caused people to take up arms against their fellow citizens? This free course, The origins of the wars of the three kingdoms, looks at the background of the wars between England, Scotland and Ireland and how the king's actions led to the rift between royalists and parliamentarians.

After studying this course, you should be able to:

• describe developments in the British Isles that led to the outbreak of war
• assess the debates between historians about the cause of the wars
• understand how to use evidence from church records to learn about changes in religion and society.