Making peace in the English civil wars^*.

The article examines how peacemaking emerged as a central and widely debated political concern in England during the 1640s amid the civil wars, extending beyond elite negotiations to involve ordinary citizens proposing reconciliation schemes. It highlights the diverse perspectives on whether lasting peace could be achieved through negotiation and compromise or required decisive military victory, with both Royalist and Parliamentarian partisans adopting the language of peace to support their positions. The study also explores the role of neutral mediators, such as Sir Thomas Roe and Thomas Povey, who sought to bridge deep mistrust between king and parliament, emphasizing the importance of addressing mutual fears before treaty terms. Additionally, the article situates these debates within broader religious and classical frameworks, noting that many contemporaries viewed peace as contingent on spiritual renewal or divine will. Ultimately, it argues that the complexity and contested meanings of peace contributed to the difficulty of reaching settlement during the English Revolution.