The Levellers

A petition signed by more than 2,000 London citizens helps secure Lilburne's release after his imprisonment for denouncing comfortable Members of Parliament while common soldiers suffered

John Lilburne is imprisoned for denouncing Members of Parliament who lived in comfort while the common soldiers fought and died for the Parliamentary cause

Lilburne's imprisonment helps turn a circle of supporters into a wider Leveller movement, as campaigns for his liberty are presented as campaigns for the birthright liberties of all freeborn Englishmen

Overton helps define the emerging Leveller movement through the Remonstrance of Many Thousand Citizens, a radical petitionary text generally treated as one of the movement's founding documents

Overton is arrested after attacking the House of Lords, and his imprisonment strengthens the Leveller argument against arbitrary authority and unelected power

The soldiers in the New Model Army elect Agitators from each regiment to represent them; the Agitators are recognised by the Army commanders and sit on the General Council. Richard Overton is arrested for publishing a pamphlet attacking the House of Lords; during imprisonment he writes the influential Leveller manifesto "An Arrow Against All Tyrants and Tyranny"

Overton publishes "An Arrow Against All Tyrants and Tyranny", a major Leveller statement against arbitrary government and imprisonment

Overton publishes "An Arrow Against All Tyrants and Tyranny", a major Leveller statement against arbitrary government and imprisonment

Lilburne is imprisoned again, this time in the Tower of London, for denouncing his former army commander the Earl of Manchester as a Royalist sympathiser because he had protected an officer charged with treason. Campaigns to free Lilburne from prison help spawn the movement known as the Levellers

Walwyn helps organise London support for petitions demanding legal and political reform during the growth of the Leveller movement

Lambert works with Ireton and the senior officers on the Heads of the Proposals, giving the Grandees an alternative settlement to both Parliament's Newcastle Propositions and Leveller radicalism

Walwyn is connected with the radical civilian circle consulted during the Army's settlement discussions, but the resulting Heads fall short of Leveller demands for popular sovereignty

Prince becomes associated with the London Leveller organisation, helping support the movement's petitions, publications and links with soldiers opposed to settlement without constitutional guarantees

The Levellers demand a dissolution of Parliament within a year and substantial changes to the constitution of future Parliaments, to be regulated by an unalterable law paramount. At least five regiments of cavalry elect new unofficial agitators and produce "The Case of the Army Truly Stated", which is presented to Sir Thomas Fairfax

Wildman takes part before the Army Council as radical soldiers and civilian Leveller advisers press the Agreement of the People against the more moderate Heads of the Proposals

Cromwell chairs the Army Council at Putney for the Grandees, attempting to preserve Army unity while allowing Agitators and Leveller advisers to present their constitutional demands

Everard, known as Buff Coat, presents the Agreement of the People to the General Council of the Army and helps bring Leveller constitutional demands into the Army debates

Senior officers in the Army, nicknamed the Grandees, are angered by "The Case of the Army Truly Stated" and order the unofficial Agitators to explain their principles before the General Council of the Army at the Putney Debates

Senior officers in the Army, nicknamed the Grandees, are angered by The Case of the Armie Truly Stated and invite the New Agents and their civilian supporters to debate their proposals before the General Council of the Army at the Putney Debates

Sexby represents the Army radical side of the Leveller cause, arguing that the soldiers' sacrifices in the war require a settlement based on liberty, indemnity and political security

Wildman assists the Army radicals and New Agents at Putney, helping press the Leveller Agreement of the People against the Grandees' more moderate constitutional settlement

Rainsborough takes part as the highest-ranking officer sympathetic to the Leveller position and challenges continued negotiation with the King

Rich supports the Grandees' concern that a broad franchise might allow men without property to vote against property, reinforcing the officer case against the Leveller Agreement

Ireton defends the Heads of the Proposals during the Army debates at Putney, presenting them as a lawful and balanced alternative to the Leveller Agreement of the People

Ireton opposes the Leveller demand for a broad franchise, warning that political power without a fixed interest in the kingdom could threaten property and civil order

Petty argues for a broad male franchise during the Putney Debates, supporting the Leveller claim that political voice should rest on birthright rather than property alone

Rainsborough becomes the leading senior officer sympathetic to the Levellers, arguing that the poorest man in England should have a voice in choosing the government he must obey

Ireton opposes the Leveller demand for a broad male franchise, arguing that political power should rest with those who have a fixed interest in the kingdom

Cromwell urges caution over breaking with monarchy, reflecting the Grandees' preference for a controlled settlement with Charles I rather than immediate adoption of the Leveller programme

Ireton supports modifying the Agreement rather than adopting the Leveller draft unchanged, producing a limited result short of the radicals' full programme

Fairfax's authority is used as the Army Council meetings are suspended and the Agitators are ordered back to their regiments, limiting the Leveller challenge to the officer leadership

Ireton's moderate constitutional line prevails over the Leveller demand for the Agreement to become the Army's official settlement programme

Sexby and the Agitators fail to secure adoption of the Leveller Agreement, but the debates leave a lasting record of soldiers demanding political consent

Fairfax's authority is used at the Ware rendezvous to suppress Leveller-influenced Agitator resistance, restore Army discipline and end the immediate challenge to the Grandees

Arnold is executed after soldiers at the Corkbush Field rendezvous resist the Army leadership and display papers supporting soldiers' rights and Leveller demands

Cromwell helps enforce the Grandees' settlement at the Corkbush Field rendezvous, suppressing Leveller-influenced resistance and restoring discipline within the New Model Army

Cromwell suppresses Leveller-influenced resistance at the Corkbush Field rendezvous, restoring Army discipline after soldiers reject the Grandees' settlement and display slogans for England's freedom and soldiers' rights

A radical group within the New Model Army, the Levellers, calls for constitutional reform

The Levellers call for a broader franchise under a republican government

The Levellers call for a broader franchise under a republican government. The Levellers emphasise popular sovereignty, extended suffrage, equality before the law and religious toleration, ideas expressed in the manifesto "Agreement of the People". A radical group within the New Model Army calls for constitutional reform

The Levellers, a political movement during the English Civil Wars which emphasised popular sovereignty, extended suffrage, equality before the law, and religious tolerance, all of which were expressed in the manifesto "Agreement of the People"

The Levellers call for a broader franchise under a republican government

Walwyn is associated with the London Leveller leadership as supporters present a major petition to Parliament demanding political and legal reforms grounded in popular liberties

Leveller supporters present a large London petition to Parliament demanding reforms associated with the Agreement of the People

Rainsborough is killed at Doncaster after becoming identified with the Leveller cause, and his funeral later becomes a large Leveller demonstration in London

Thomas Rainsborough is killed in Doncaster; he was a Member of Parliament and Leveller sympathiser who had spoken at the Putney Debates, and his funeral later becomes a large Leveller-led demonstration in London

Rainsborough's funeral becomes a mass Leveller demonstration in London, with supporters using sea-green ribbons as political symbols

Thomas Rainsborough is killed; he was a Member of Parliament and Leveller sympathiser who had spoken at the Putney Debates. His funeral becomes a large Leveller-led demonstration in London

Lilburne and the Leveller movement press the revised Agreement of the People as a proposed written constitution, but Parliament does not adopt it as the national settlement

Lilburne publishes "England's New Chains Discovered", attacking the new regime and warning that the people remain unfree after the King's execution

Lilburne publishes "England's New Chains Discovered", attacking the new regime and warning that the people remain unfree after the King's execution

Lilburne publishes England's New Chains Discovered and attacks the concentration of political power in the Army and Rump Parliament.

Lilburne publishes England's New Chains Discovered, attacking the army-dominated government for betraying the liberties for which Parliamentarian soldiers and civilians had fought

Lilburne publishes "The Second Part of England's New Chains Discovered", renewing Leveller criticism of the Council of State and Army Grandees

Lilburne publishes "The Second Part of England's New Chains Discovered", renewing Leveller criticism of the Council of State and Army Grandees

Lilburne is arrested with other Leveller leaders after renewed pamphlet attacks on the post-regicide government.

Prince is arrested with other Leveller leaders and brought before the Council of State before imprisonment in the Tower of London

Overton is imprisoned in the Tower with Lilburne, Walwyn and Prince after the Council of State moves against the Leveller leadership

Walwyn is imprisoned in the Tower with Lilburne, Overton and Prince as the government suppresses the Leveller leadership

Walwyn is arrested with Lilburne, Overton and Thomas Prince after renewed Leveller attacks on the new regime, showing the Commonwealth's determination to break the movement's leadership

Walwyn joins Lilburne, Overton and Prince in issuing a Leveller Manifestation defending their principles while under prosecution

Elizabeth Lilburne helps lead Leveller women petitioners demanding the release of imprisoned Leveller leaders and asserting that women also have an interest in the liberties of the Commonwealth

Lockyer is condemned by court martial after the Bishopsgate mutiny and becomes a symbol of Leveller-linked military resistance.

Lockyer is executed by firing squad after the Bishopsgate mutiny, becoming a Leveller martyr

Lockyer is executed after the Bishopsgate mutiny, becoming a Leveller martyr whose funeral draws a large London demonstration marked by sea-green ribbons and rosemary

Lockyer's funeral becomes a large Leveller demonstration, with mourners wearing sea-green ribbons and rosemary in memory of the cause

Wildman remains associated with Leveller efforts to secure constitutional guarantees as conflict grows between radicals and the Commonwealth government.

Lilburne and the imprisoned Leveller leaders issue "An Agreement of the Free People of England" as a proposed constitutional settlement

Lilburne and fellow Levellers issue the Agreement of the Free People while imprisoned, setting out their constitutional programme.

Church is shot with other Leveller mutineers after the Burford rising, marking the destruction of the Levellers' organised support base within the New Model Army

A Parliamentary force under Colonel Reynolds defeats the Levellers

Cromwell helps suppress the Leveller-linked mutiny at Burford after army units resist orders and challenge the authority of their commanders.

Puts down the Leveller mutiny

Puts down the Leveller mutiny

Mutinous Leveller troops under William Thompson occupy Northampton

A London jury acquits Lilburne of high treason after a celebrated trial arising from his attacks on the Commonwealth government.

Cromwell attacked the "Banbury mutineers", 400 troopers who supported the Levellers and who were commanded by Captain William Thompson

Lockyer supports the Bishopsgate mutiny, in which soldiers refuse orders to leave London while Leveller grievances over Ireland service and soldiers' rights remain unresolved

Cromwell attacked the "Banbury mutineers", 400 troopers who supported the Levellers and who were commanded by Captain William Thompson