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Death of Queen Elizabeth I
Queen Elizabeth is considered by many to be the greatest monarch in English history. During her reign, she had successfully reinstated the Church of England, built up a surplus for England, and instututed a revival for the arts throughout the country. Her death, however, marked the end of the Tudor line and the start of the Stuarts'. The Stuarts would upend nearly everything that Elizabeth had accomplished, and become the cause for England's political transition. -
Charles Stuart Becomes King of England
Charles I was not a very effective ruler in England. Despite the fact that the English Church was Protestant, one of the first things that Charles did as king was marry Henrietta Maria of France, a Catholic. This was immediately cause for suspicion, but, to avoid any questioning, Charles I repeatedly disbanded Parliament. This was the beginning of an ugly feud between the monarchy and Parliament, one which only escalated over the course of Charles' reign. -
The Grand Remonstrance
On this date, the English Parliament created a list of greivances against the current King, Charles I, and presented them to him. Charles I had been constantly dismissing Parliament throughout his reign, and, at this point, had led England straight into a Civil War, which was the main rationale behind the Grand Remonstrance's publication. The passing of this document effectively divided Parliament into two factions: those who supported the King, and those who wished for change. -
King Charles I Executed
On this day, King Charles I, commonly renowned as one of England's worse kings, was executed at the command of a high court for his repeated dismissals of Parliament. This was the first time in British history that a king had ever been brought to court. The charge was led by Oliver Cromwell, an army commander in the English Civil War. Cromwell helped to make England more Republican, belittling the power and sovereignty of the King. -
Monarchy Reinstated
After Oliver Cromwell's death in 1658, the question arose of who would succeed him. Parliament tried to hand the power to Cromwell's son, Richard, but Richard really held no authority in Parliament. With nowhere else to turn, Parliament decided to reinstate the Monarchy, naming Charles II, son of the late executed Charles I. Although Chalres initially agreed to pardon his father's enemies, by the end of his reign, he had fallen back to his father's tendencies, dissolving Parliament himself. -
The Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution, also known as the Bloodless Revolution, refers to Parliament's removal of King James II of England from power and his subsequent replacement, also orchestrated by Parliament. This was a monumental victory for Parliament, which had been battling the male line of Stuart Kingsfor quite some time. Parliament could now convene regularly, regulate taxes, and form political alliances. This was the start of the Constitutional Monarchy. -
Sir Robert Walpole Becomes 1st British Prime Minister
Walpole's ascension to the position of Prime minister marked another change in Enalgnd's transition to a Constitutional Monarchy. Although at the time he was simply the First Lord of the Treasury, the title of Prime Minister later came to him, and that was something which he embraced. Walpole, in this new position of power, had the ability to regulate trade and try to build up a surplus for England. To this day, English Prime Minister is one of the most powerful people in the entire country.
