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Jan 1, 1534
Separation of Church from Pope and Roman Catholicism by Henry VIII
King Henry VIII is well-known for having branched out from the Pope and Roman Catholicism, creating Anglicanism, in order to divorce his wife. This event caused the people to realize that kings were far from infallible and that their intentions were oftentimes selfish, as they were with King Henry VIII's rash decision. -
Jan 1, 1555
Religious Persecution by Queen Mary
Queen Mary of Tudor was responsible for the arrests and deaths of many she deemed as "heretics". This lack of religious tolerance and its negative effects on her people's opinions showed that England needed a Parliament, to check the power of the monarch, in case their ideas are not ideal. -
Charles I's Marriage
Despite the people's desires, Charles I married a woman from France. Parliament was aggravated, unsure of whether Charles's children with the woman would be raised Catholic or not. I chose this event because it helped increase tension leading up to the English civil war. -
Parliament Granted Limited Custom Duties to Charles I
The "Tonnage and Poundage" (custom taxes) granted for Charles I to pass were only allowed to be applied for one year. This limit was placed by Parliament on Charles, and it kicked off the start of a bad relationship between Charles and his government. The fact that Parliament and an absolute ruler were unable to cooperate shows that England could not function under an absolute ruler in its current state. -
Murder of the Duke of Buckingham
Charles's chief minister was killed by a sailor, who was angry over England's military failures. Although this act was not committed by Parliament, Charles blamed John Eliot (a prominent member of Parliament) for the disaster. This event furthered the negative relationship between Parliament and the King, leading to the English Civil War. -
Petition of Right
Stated that Parliament must be called on a regular basis, and that the king must take out loans only with Parliament's approval. I picked this event as important in changing the nature of England's government because although Charles I wanted absolute authority, he still signed this petition, showing that the government was changing to accomodate for not just the King's needs, but also Parliament's needs. -
Personal Rule of Charles
Eleven year period in which Charles I ruled by himself, after dismissing Parliament. During this period of time, Charles successful gained revenue through ship money, and was therefore able to rule without Parliament intervening. I picked this event becasue Charles failed. After forcing the people of Scotland to adopt ideas from the Church of England and the "English Book of Common Prayer", the Scots rebelled against Charles and he found that he needed Parliament's money to end rebellion.
