Scottish Forces Abandon Siege

Date: September 1, 1645 • Location: Kingussie, United Kingdom

English Civil War: Scottish Covenanter forces abandon their month-long Siege of Hereford, a Cavalier stronghold, on news of Royalist victories in Scotland.

The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Royalists and Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three Kingdoms, the struggle consisted of the First English Civil War and the Second English Civil War. The Anglo-Scottish war of 1650 to 1652 is sometimes referred to as the Third English Civil War. The English Civil War also had a significant influence on the development of the English language. The conflict popularized political terms that are still used today, such as "Cavalier" for supporters of King Charles I and "Roundhead" for supporters of Parliament. The 1640s also saw a massive increase in the production of pamphlets, newsbooks, and political tracts, which is considered one of the first examples of mass communication in English. This period helped expand political vocabulary and introduced new words related to democracy, liberty, and religious toleration into everyday English.