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Monarchs Defy Parliament
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Charles I Fights Parliament
Charles always needed money because of the war between Spain and France. Several times Parliament refused until in 1628 when Charles was forced to sign the Petition of Right but after he signed it he ignored it. In 1629, Charles dissolved Parliament and refused to call it back into session. In order to get money he imposed high taxes. In 1641 Parliament passed laws to limit royal power, but Charles tried to arrest Parliament in 1642 but they escaped. Charles fled to the North of England. -
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English Civil War
Supporters and opponents of King Charles fought the English Civil War. Those who remained loyal to Charles were called Royalists or Cavaliers. On the other side were Puritan supporters of Parliament. By 1644, general Oliver Cromwell of the Puritans began defeating the Cavaliers. In 1647 they held the king prisoner. In 1649, Cromwell and the Puritans brought Charles to a public trial for treason against Parliament. They found him guilty and publicly executed him. -
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Cromwell's Rule
In 1649 he abolished the monarchy and the House of Lords. He established a commonwealth, a republican form of government. In 1653, Cromwell sent home the remaining members of Parliament. Eventually he became a military dictator. He immediately put down a rebellion in Ireland. In 1649, Cromwell crushed the uprising. In England Cromwell and the Puritans sought to reform society. Cromwell favored religious toleration for all Christians except Catholics. Oliver Cromwell died in 1658. -
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Restoration and Revolution
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Charles II Reigns
Prince Charles enters London in 1660 and restored the monarchy, this period of his rule is called the Restoration. During Charles II's reign, Parliament passed an important guarantee of freedom, "habeas corpus." In Latin meaning " to have the body." This 1679 law gave every prisoner be brought before a judge to specify the charges against the prisoner. Charles II died in 1685 -
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James II and the Glorious Revolution
In 1685 James II became king. He offended his subjects by displaying Catholicism. Violating English law, he appointed several Catholics to high office. When Parliament protested, James dissolved it. James' older daughter and her husband Prince William of Orange were invited to overthrow James for the sake of Protestantism. When William led his army to London in 1688, James fled to France. This bloodless overthrow is called the Glorious Revolution. -
Bill of Rights
Parliament drafted a Bill of Rights. This document listed many things that a ruler could not do:
-No suspending of Parliament's laws
-No levying of taxes without a specific grant from Parliament
-No interfering with freedom of speech in Parliament
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Limits on Monarch's Power
William and Mary vowed to recognize Parliament as their partner in governing. England became a constitutional monarchy, where laws limited the ruler's power. -
Cabinet System Develops
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Shared Rulers
England and Scotland shared a ruler