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1215
The Signing of the Magna Carta
When this document was first signed in 1215 by King John, under great to rest it was the first attempt by the people to challenge the power of the monarchy. It was very important to the preceding challenges to absolute monarchy because it established the idea that the Kings power connected to the people and that all English subjects had certain rights that shouldn't be hampered. -
Charles I "Signs" the Petiton of Right
Charles I was forced to sign the Petition of Right in 1628 by the English Parliament. The Petition of Right sought recognition of principles for the people that the monarchy could not infringe upon like assembly, speech, and no quartering of soldiers. While Charles I did not follow the principles outlined in this document the fact that Parliament put it forward represents a step forward in England's road to limited monarchy. It challenged the divine right of monarchs. -
Charles I and the Long Parliament
In order to fund his religious war with England, Charles I was forced to call a parliament after years of personal rule to gather funds. Parliament refused to even consider funds until he addressed grievances so Parliament was immediately dissolved by the king. He didn't call it again until 1640 when he called the Long parliament which he invaded when he did’nt get his way. his outrageous actions provoked the English nobility into limiting the power of the monarch -
English Civil War
The English Civil War was one of the major steps in England's road to limited monarchy.It was literally a war between the forces of Parliament that were led byOliver Cromwell and known as the “Roundheads”and the forces of the royalists led by King Charles I.It ended with the parliament winning and the establishment of a Puritan republic.This set a precedent:Parliament could rebel if the monarchy was not following the wishes of the parliament and set further limits on the power of the monarchy. -
Failure of James II's reign
James II was brought back to England to be the Monarch after Oliver Cromwell's Puritan Republic and his father's reign. His reign failed because of his Catholic sympathies and the paranoia that was still present in the English Parliament. as soon as he tried to take overtures without parliament's approval Parliament took action in the form of the Glorious Revolution which I talk about more in a bit. Without the failure of his reign, we could still have a strong monarchy in GB. -
Glorious Revolution
After the failure of Oliver Cromwell's Puritan Republic and following theocratic autocracy, as well as the end of the Catholic-leaning line of Stuarts, the English Parliament invited William of the Netherlands and his wife Mary I, an heir to the British throne that was Protestant to ascend the British throne. King James II, the last of the Stuarts, gave up the throne to William and Mary and set the precedent that Parliament has the power regarding the Monarch represents the people. -
Parliament passes the English Bill of Rights
Parliament passed the Bill of Rights as a condition of William of the Netherlands and Mary is sending the English throne. It laid out the rules for which monarchy have to follow. It limited the monarchies power and address to rights that were reserved for Parliament and the people. this was probably the most consequential event in England's road to limited monarchy asset formalized years of pro-Parliament sentiment and the need to limit the poaer of a hereidtary monarchy.
