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Jun 15, 1215
Signing of the Magna Carta
King John signs the Magna Carta in order to make peace with rebels against this kingship. The Magna Carta establishes limits on what the King can do. Mainly these limits are in the field of civil liberties. For example the King cannot illegally imprison members of the nobility. Though it is mainly concerned with the rights of the nobility it still establishes the precedent that even the King is not above the law. -
Period: Jun 15, 1215 to
The Path to Limited Monarchy
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Jan 20, 1265
First Parliament Convened
English usurper Simon de Montfort convened a gathering of Lords and Commoners way to consolidate his support among them. Though Simon de Montfort did not long sit on the English throne this meeting is now widely seen as the first Parliament. Parliament is the institution which would seek to limit the king's authority and expand their own over the years. -
Oct 31, 1517
Protestant Reformation Begins
The Protestant Reformation began when Martin Luther published his ninety-five thesis's. The ideas of the Reformation are a major reason that England ended up with a limited monarchy. It is unlikely that Parliamentarians would have prevailed in the English Civil War's without the support of English Puritans who wanted to more completely establish the Reformation's ideas of local control over religious life in England. -
Long Parliament Convenes
The Long Parliament was the Parliament that would bring Charles I and the concept of absolutism crashing down. They convened in 1640 intent on challenging King Charles I after the long period of personal rule. They issued the Grand Remonstrance and would be the Parliament who prosecuted the English Civil War. They also would be the Parliament who executed the King. The Long Parliament was filled with people who wanted to curtail the kings power and make England a limited monarchy. They made grea -
Execution of King Charles I
Charles I was a firm believer in the divine right of kings. Even after being beaten in the English Civil Wars Charles continued to assert his divine right rather than compromise with the victorious parliamentarians. So Parliament tried him for treason and then lopped off his head. So much for the divine right of kings. -
The Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution was indeed bloodless when compared to the English Civil Wars. However, the Glorious Revolution is still an incredibly important event of England's path to a limited monarchy. King James II of England was overthrown by a combination of English Parliamentarians and William of Orange. James II, a Catholic, had been attempting to establish freedom of worship for Catholics in England. Since there is no way Parliament would sign off on this he resorted to royal decrees to estab -
English Bill of Rights
The English Bill of Rights formally set up a limited monarchy bound by the rule of law. Included in the Bill of Rights were provisions calling for the regular election of Parliaments and the requirement of Parliamentary consent to most functions of state. For example the King could not levy taxes, make laws, or raise a standing army without Parliamentary consent. England was now and forever after a limited monarchy.
