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Period: 1215 to
Limited Monarchy in England
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Jun 15, 1215
The Writing of the Magna Carta
The Magna Carta is a political document that was written in June of 1215. The Magna Carta was written and published as a challenge to the power of King, and prevented the Crown from holding absolute power over the people of England. The Magna Carta established the fact that each English citizen had set rights that could not be infringed upon by the power of the king. The document was signed and agreed to by King John of England. -
Jan 20, 1265
The Establishment of British Parliament
The Parliament, which is comprised of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, was established because of the Magna Carta that King John had agreed to said that the King could not levy or collect any taxes. King John allowed his advisory council to do this, and this council eventually evolved into a governing body whose power limits the amount of power that the monarch has. The House of Lords was created in 1215, but Parliament as it functions now was created in 1265. -
Economic Turmoil
In 1604, King James of England was caught taking the money of his people without the consent of the Parliament, whose job is to handle finances. As stated in the Magna Carta, the monarch is forbidden from handling the finances of his country. The Parliament used the power they had against the king in order to place limits on his rule, as he did not consult the Parliament before making decisions. -
The English Civil War
The English Civil War, fought between the years 1642 and 1651, was fought between two opposing parties. One party, called the Cavaliers, was fighting to defend the absolute honor and power of the British Crown. The other party, the Roundheads, were fighting so that their Parliament could place limits on the power of the Crown. Those on the side of the Parliament won out over the royalists, plunging England into a new chapter of constitutional government. -
King James II marries a Catholic
In 1660, King James II married Anne Hyde, a Catholic woman. This marriage was controversial because the king was Protestant. The now Protestant population of England became worried that their king would convert the country back to Catholicism because it was the religion of his bride, forcing Parliament to limit the King's powers even further. -
Two Treatises of Government is published
The document entitled 'Two Treatises of Government' is published in 1689. Originally, it was published anonymously, though it is now known that it was written by John Locke, an Enlightenment-era philosopher and author. 'Two Treatises of Government' as generally an argument against any sort of absolute government or monarchy, which was accessible to the people, who formed their opinions based off of it. -
The Act of Settlement
The Act of Settlement was established in 1701. It aimed to establish rules for the succession of the throne. Today, this document is still abided by, in terms of the succession of the monarchs of England. This act gave the Parliament more rights and the ability to have a sort of 'checks & balances' system imposed on the monarchy, to keep it from getting too corrupt with power.
