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The Magna Carta is one of the greatest document ever created in world. It forced King John of England to recognize that he is like all men; that he is subject the same laws. This is important to remember as this type of document will come up again but in a different form: Petition of Right. Image Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magna_Carta
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When Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses to a church door, surely a place everyone would see it, it opened a door to contemplation. The 95 Theses consisted of ways that the Catholic Church could better themselves. Tension was created through his actions which brought forth the Protestant Reformation, the driving cause to a limited monarchy. Image Source: https://mysteryoffaithblog.com/2012/10/31/luthers-95-theses/
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Henry VIII created the Church of England in order to separate from the Pope's power. It allow himself to divorce Queen Katherine of Aragon and to marry Anne Boleyn. This shows an abuse of power that would later on cause for a limited monarchy within government. Image Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Church_of_England
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James I became king of England after Queen Elizabeth I. Parliament saw him with favor until he started to misstep his authority. In Scotland, he ruled with absolute authority, but in England, he had to work with Parliament. He had a hard time grasping this concept and rarely called Parliament to talk about important matters. This caused James to have a sort of absolute authority that angered Parliament. Image Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_VI_and_I
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The Petition of Right is a document that states that the king cannot overreach his authority and that he must obey the laws like any man. Charles I did not sign it and did not call upon Parliament for almost eleven years. Image Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petition_of_Right
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Taxes during this time were used during emergencies such as war, and it was those types of taxes Charles I could call for. However, general taxes was something only Parliament could call for and Charles did not want to call for them. Charles and his advisors created events and schemes to gain the money like fining people for not attending his coronation. This shows the abuse of power by Charles. Image Source: https://faculty.history.wisc.edu/sommerville/123/123%20303%20Personal%20Rule.htm
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Charles forced a religion and different prayer books upon Scotland. In response, the Scottish were angry and rebelled. Charles was forced to call Parliament together in order to gain funds for the civil war. This marked the end of Charles's personal rule. Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:King_Charles_I_by_Gerrit_van_Honthorst_sm.jpg
