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The Divine Right of Kings
James VI of Scotland declares the divine right of kings to be ruled only by God and not by the law. The photo depicts King Louis XIV in a divine fashion. This essentially gave the king the right to do whatever they pleased as long as they claimed they were instructed by God. This was the initial extreme lean towards absolutism in England which led to civil unrest. -
Charles I Becomes Monarch
Charles I becomes monarch of England. Initially, it seems that Charles does not need the approval of parliament to do anything, leaving it dissolved for a long time. Charles's personal rule represents the apparent absolutism of the English monarch at the time. However, nobles find more and more disdain for the monarch as they feel they are being ignored. -
Short Parliament Dissolved and Long Parliament Established
Charles dissolves the parliament after it refuses to provide financial support for war unless the king adresses a set of grievances. This extreme reaction shows the monarch's overall powerlessness without parliamentary support. The reestablishment of parliament gives parliament an opportunity to practice political domincance over Charles. -
The Militia Ordinance
Parliament reacts against Charles's invasion by raising an army of their own. This is the climax of the building conflict and distrust of the monarchy by parliament. It also marks the beginning of civil war. -
Cromwell's Republic
A failed attempt at a Puritan republic ends with Oliver Cromwell's death. In reality, it was just a dictatorship that actually ended up being worse than previous monarchy. Dictatorial oppression led to people distrusting absolutism even more than ever. -
William of Orange's Invasion
William of Orange is invited by Parliament to invade the monarchy in order to preserve parliament. This marks a major turning point to a transition in English politics where the Monarch and Parliament seem to exert mutual control over one another and over England. This also marks the start of the Great Revolution and the birth of the Constitutional Monarchy. -
Parliamentary Bill of Rights Ratified
The image shows the Parliamentary Bill of Rights. Signed as part of the Glorious Revolution, this bill essentially establishes Parliament's sovereignty over the monarchy and the monarchy's subjection to the law. Some of the rights include the right to petition and no taxation without representation
