-
King Charles I Defies Parliament to Fund the Thirty Years War
King Charles I firmly believed in his divine right as King when he was first crowned. Very early in his reign, Parliament began to resent him for his attempts at absolute rule. Because Parliament did not provide Charles with enough funding for the Thirty Years' War as he desired, he defied Parliament by creating new, forced taxes. Charles basically got the ball rolling in the growth of anti-absolutism feelings among the English people. -
The Petition of Right
Because of King Charles I's severely tyrannical use of his power, the Parliament, particularly Sir John Eliot, wrote the Petition of Right, which was a list of acts that were deemed criminal for the monarchy to commit. King Charles reluctantly agreed to these terms on June 7th, but soon thereafter disregarded them and continued in his tyrannical ways. This was Parliament's way of asserting there (equal) power to Charles, but he failed to listen. -
After Irish Wars Begin, Charles Attempts to Arrest 5 Members of Parliament for Treason
Because of the uprising in Ireland, there were high tensions in England regarding who should raise an army to try to suppress the Irish. Charles, already in very poor standing with Parliament, only furthered weakened the relationship by attempting to convict those who didn't agree with him. Taking your frustration out on members of Parliament? I hear a straw breaking a camel's very frustrated back... -
Charles I Defeated and Executed
After losing several battles to the Roundheads, and attempting to escape imprisonment a few times, King Charles I was beheaded in London. One significant Roundhead General, Oliver Cromwell, was convinced that an England ruled by a king would never be successful, and pushed for the King's execution. After Charles was dead, Cromwell became the head of the English state, known as the Lord Protector. Now England's taken a full 108, from absolute monarchy to Puritan commonwealth -
Cromwell's Death and His Son's Time in Power
When Oliver Cromwell died, he named his son Richard as his successor as Lord Protector. Richard was forced to abdicate his positon in May 1659 when we was unable to reconcile multiple political, military, and religious disputes. The monarchy was restored in 1660 with King Charles II. The commonwealth proved to be just as unsuccessful as the absolute monarchy, but under the Lord Protector, in my opinion, there was quite a bit less control over unruly citizens. -
The Glorious Revolution
William of Orange and his Wife Mary bloodlessly overthrow English King James II. They assume the crown, and are proof of the consistently growing power of the people and Parliament in England. James II was unable to defend his crown, showing the weakening state of absolutism -
English Bill of Rights is Approved
William and Mary approve the English Bill fo Rights, thus limiting the powers of the monarchy, securing the rights of the English privileged classes, and agreeing that the monarchy is NOT above the law, and is to rule through the consent of Parliament. Finally, peace is achieved between the monarch and the Parliament, and balance exists.
