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When James I came to power he, like many monarchs at the time, wanted to rely on and have as little to do with Parliament as he he could. However, it would be Parliament that would fund his lifestyle and the kings coin. King James I would find inventive ways around this parliament by instituting a whole host of new and old forgotten taxes to raise funds. When these proved to be too little and Parliament took issue with James's actions, he would dissolve it. After it would not meet much..
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In 1639, A Scottish Army would rise up demanding religious concessions. While Parliament debated with the King on who should lead the Army against them, the Irish rose up alongside the Scots. The disagreement would come to a head when Charles I would attempt to raise his own army against Parliament. The Puritan Army of Oliver Cromwell would be victorious, and Charles I would be executed while Cromwell went to to suppress the Scots and Irish.
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In January of 1649, Parliament would formally dissolve the long standing English monarchy, along with the state church, as means of moving toward a more Parliamentarian focus government, similar to the republics of Italy. For the first few years, despite some minor protests, Parliament had to deal with very little further dissent and tried to steer England back to a recoverable position.
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When Cromwell finally defeated the Scottish Army and routed the Irish, he would call for Parliament to meet again. Cromwell desired for a united Britain, more so than ever before. When they objected, Cromwell dissolved them, just as Charles had, and proclaimed himself Lord Protector of the Commonwealth. His puritan reign would harsh, unforgiving and brutal and would show that either extreme of Kingdom or Republic could and would lead to corruption with a powerful constitution to uphold.
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James II, son of Charles II and Grandson of the deposed and executed Charles I, would prove to be just as religiously and politically difficult. Despite the many troubles and grievances, it would be the birth of his son as a Roman Catholic that scared and concerned Parliament the most. They would invite William and Mary of Orange, blood relatives to James from the Netherlands, to lead the British union. The monarchs would land on the shore and gain legitimacy almost immediately.
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on Dec I of 1689, the Two Treatises of Government would be published by influential thinker John Locke. The book would both argue against the idea of absolute monarchy and defend the need and legitimacy of the Glorious Revolution and the right of William and Mary of Orange to rule Britain.
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William and Mary were not simply handed their new kingdoms without any questions. They were more than replacements for a troubling King. An aspect of their ascension was the signing of the newly drafted Bill of Rights, limiting the power of the Monarchs and creating more of a balance between Parliament and the King or Queen. While the document did not rob the King of all of his power, it would severely limit his abilities to influence the nation as Kings had before and affect the people.
