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Parliament forces Charles I to agree to the Petition of Right
In order to recieve funding from Parliament, they forced Charles I to agree to this petition of right. This document limited certain royal powers, such as requiring all taxes to go through Parliament, and protected citizens, such as prohibiting quartering of troops and causless imprisonment. This was a large step on Parliament's part to reassert its power. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Petition_of_Right.jpg -
Parliament Abolishes Courts, Sets time limits, and prohibits levying of taxes
Within a year of its emergence, the Long Parliament took many steps towards limiting Charles I's power. They prohibited his levying of tazes without their consent. They also cracked down on courts which had enforced Charles's unjust laws. Finally, they effectively killed Charles's power to dissolve Parliament by stating that they must meet at least every three years. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Charles_I_BestLo.jpg -
Parliament passes Military Ordinance
After Charles I invaded Parliament seeking to arrest his political opponents, Parliament passed the Military Ordinance. This act allowed Parliament to raise and control an army of their own. Not only did this lead to the English civil war, it represented a huge gain in the power of Parliament, and a physical check to the power of the monarch. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Image_of_Irelande_-_plate09.jpg -
Parliament takes control of England, Charles I killed
The end of the English Civil war shows a new kind of defeat over absolutist monarchy. Not only had Charles been blocked by financial and legislative means, he had been defeated militarily. His death signified the end of one of the last absolute monarchs. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Execution_of_Charles_I.jpg -
Parliament blocks the Declaration of Indulgences
Charles II tried to aid the Catholics and non-Anglican Protestants by passing a Declaration of Indulgences, protecting many of their rights. Parliament, however, struck down this law by refusing to fund the war effort until he rescinded it. This marked yet another strong example of the Parliament overruling the wishes of the monarch. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Charles_II_%281675%29.jpg -
Glorius Revolution drives James II from England
James II proved to be yet another absolute ruler, imposing his wishes on both Parliament and the country. In response, Parliament invited William of Orange to invade England, and take the throne. This event, known as the Glorius Revolution, drove James II from England, and installed the more moderate William and Mary. It represented a second time that Parliament had defeated militarily, or otherwise driven an autocratic ruler from power. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:James.II.jpg -
English Bill of Rights Passed by Parliament
After James II fled the country, Parliament created the English Bill of Rights. This document set many restrictions on the monarch in England, such as prohibiting the King from creating innapropriate extraparliamentary laws, and rendering the monarch's power to dissolve Parliament usless. This represented a change from the trend of absolute monarchs, to the era of constitutional monarchy.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:English_Bill_of_Rights_of_1689.jpg
