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England was ruled by tudor monarchs, they believed in divine right, but the shrewdly recognized the value of good relations with the Parliament.
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When Elizabeth I gained the throne, she consulted and controlled Parliament. Parliament forbid discussion of certain subjects such as, foreign policy or the queens marriage. Elizabeth died childless in 1603. The new ruler that followed Elizabeth would be James Stuart, the ruling king of Scotland.
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In 1625, Charles took the throne. Charles acted like his father, and acted as a absolute monarch. He imprisoned his enemies without trial, and ruined the economy.
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Parliament insisted that Charles had to sign the petition of right. This prohibited the king from razing taxes without parliaments conscent, or from jailing anyone without legal justification. Charles signed the petition, but then dominated Parliament in 1629
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Parliament became known as the long parliament, because started at 1640 and it lasted until 1653. Its actions started the greatest political revolution in English history.
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Charles lashed back, and in 1642 he led troops into the house of commons to arrest most radical leaders. They escaped, and this created the civil war.
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At first, the odds seemed to favor the supporters of Charles I, these people were called cavaliers. Many cavaliers were wealthy nobles. They were well trained in dueling and war, the cavaliers expected a quick victory.
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Cramwells army defeated the Cavaliers in a series of battles. By 1647, the king was in the hands of the parliamentary forces.
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In a struggle with Charles I, Parliament tried and executed his chief ministers, including Archbishop Laud. It called for the abolition of bishops and declared that the parliament can not be dissolved without its own consent.
