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Period: Jan 1, 1200 to
Seven Steps To A Limited Monarchy
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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta (or "the Great Charter")
Magna Carta was a charter of liberties agreed to by King John under threat of civil war by English barons and reissued with alterations in 1216, 1217, and 1225. The rebels objected to the king's misrule and excessive taxation. It reduced the king's power and became a basis for individual rights. In its original form, it failed. However, it established the principle that all men, including the king, are subject to the rule of law and have basic rights. It sowed the seed for a limited monarchy. -
Petition of Right (of 1628)
Charles I believed in divine right & ruled by royal prerogative. Due to Charles' overreach & abuse of citizens' rights, Parliament refused to finance his foreign policies unless he agreed to the Petition of Right. The Petition provided that (1) no taxes shall be levied without Parliament's consent, (2) no freeman shall be imprisoned without cause, (3) no troops quartered in private homes, & (4) no martial law in peacetime. Charles reluctantly agreed. The Petition was a check on the king's power. -
English Civil War (1642-1651)
Charles I's tyrannical rule, political, religious, & financial trouble caused conflicts with Parliament, which were ultimately resolved by civil war (1642-51). The war led to Charles I's execution, Charles II's exile, abolition of the divine-right monarchy & a commonwealth. Although the monarchy was restored in 1660, the king’s powers were restricted by Charles I’s beheading & Charles II owed his crown to Parliament. The wars established that a monarch cannot govern without Parliament's consent. -
Charles I Executed And No New King Proclaimed
Charles I was executed on 1/30/1649 as a criminal. The House of Commons prohibited the proclaiming of a new King & declared itself the source of all power. Parliament abolished the monarchy, House of Lords & Anglican Church. From 1649-1660, England was a Puritan republic but it was dominated by Oliver Cromwell, "Lord Protector". Political liberty was banned for religious conformity. In 1660, the monarchy, Parliament & Anglican Church were restored. Power resided in the consent of the governed. -
"Glorious Revolution"
The Glorious Revolution was the overthrow of King James II by an alliance of English Parliamentarians & Dutchman, William III, the leader of European opposition to Louis XIV. The English invited William, (who was married to James' daughter, Mary), to invade England. On 11/1/1688, William arrived. James fled to France. James was a Catholic, absolutist, & Louis XIV fan. The Revolution, provoked by James' Catholicism, established Parliament as the ruling power of England. -
William III (of Orange) And Mary II Proclaimed Co-Monarchs
After James II abdicated the throne, Parliament decreed William & Mary (James II's eldest daughter) as co-monarchs. In exchange, William & Mary recognized a Declaration of Rights (later the "Bill of Rights") that limited the powers of the monarchy and guaranteed civil liberties and rights to citizens. Thereafter, English monarchs would be subject to law and rule with the consent of Parliament, which was supposed to meet every 3 years. Catholics were prohibited from holding the English throne. -
Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights limited the power of the monarch. (E.g. It is illegal to suspend or dispense with laws or levy taxes without parliament's consent or raise an army in peacetime.) It set out the rights of Parliament, including regular parliaments, free elections, and free speech. It set out individual rights, due process rights, and civil liberties.
The Bill established a constitutional monarchy, conditional on the will of Parliament, and provided freedom from arbitrary government.
