-
Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta Signed by King John I
One of the first instances the King of England recognized that his implimentations would have to seek approval by another existing body in government, meaning that he aknowledged that he did not have all power when it came to making decisons on behalf of his people. Although the Parliament was near non-existant, the document was written by nobles and barons who ruled cities and townships on behalf of themselves and the people in them so that their property and rights could not be taken away. -
Nov 1, 1534
Henry VIII passes first Act of Supremacy
This act made it so that Henry VIII was officially the head of the Church in England; seperating the country from the Roman Catholic Church. In order to become both a political and religious power, Henry sought compensation from the Parliament, that set a precedent that the King would have to consult parliament when making any major changes in the Church. As a result both powers were limited in how far they could expand. -
Rules of James I and Charles I
The consecutive monarchies of James I (1603-1625) and his son, Charles I (1625-1649) marked the rise in tension between the monarch and Parliament. Unlike Elizabeth I, both James and his son believed in the "divine right of kings" and were weary of parliament, so much so that they didn't call on Parliament unless there was a dire need too. Because of this both implimented high royal taxes, and jailed those who didn't comply which angered both their subjects and Parliament. -
Charles I signs the Petition of Right
Although he disagreed with most of the document, Charles I signing of the Petition of Right foreshadowed the establishment of the English Bill of Rights over 60 years later. Specifically it stated that there should be no forced taxes without consent of parliament, no quartering of troops, or unexplained arrests (later stated in the Bill of Rights). This showed Parliaments determination to establish an equal rule with the monarch; Charles' non-compliance only widened the gap between the two. -
Puritan Republic Under Oliver Cromwell
After the execution of King Charles I, England's politics shifted to a Puritan "Republic". Although Military leader Oliver Cromwell became esstentially a Military Dictator (calling himself "Lord Protector") this had shown that the English people were so fed up with the centralization of the Monarchy that they would radically shift their government to one that they had not had before. The shift back to a Parlimentary Monarchy in 1660 conveyed the English weren't ready to give up the monarchy. -
Glorious Revolution
The bloodless overthrow of King James II by his daughter Mary, and her husband, William of Orange marked the end of the last absolute monarch in England. In fear that James would establish a Catholic dynasty, Parliament invited William of Orange to invade which showed that the Parliament did not distrust monarchs fully. William and Mary in turn ruled with Parliament, signing a Bill of Rights a year after the revolution which set a precedent for future English monarchs. -
English Bill of Rights Established
One of the last steps of the 17th century in which England established itself as a limited monarchy; the Bill of Rights summarized what Parliament was trying to accomplish during the rule of the Stuart monarchies. By listing out the Rights of English men, they were now free from royal taxes (James I, Charles I) and had the privledge to petition against a ruler. Because of this, the Monarch's power was now level with Parliament.
