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James VI of Scotland succeeded Queen Elizabeth I of England in 1603. James had experienced a very pliable Scottish Parliament and believed he would find the same in England. While he met some resistance from Parliament, for the most part, James ruled in relative agreement with Parliament.
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Charles I succeeded his father in 1625. Charles, like his father, did not particularly want to cooperate with Parliament, pushing the boundaries even further than James I had by forcing the wealthy to pay taxes without Parliamentary consent and taking aggressive action against those who refused to pay.
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In 1628, Parliament presented Charles I with the Petition of Right, which demanded that Parliament consent to any taxes levied against the people, that no freeman should be imprisoned for no reason, and that troops could not be stationed in the private property of individuals. While Charles initially agreed to the document, he went back on his word and dissolved Parliament in 1629.
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In 1637, Charles I tried to impose an episcopal system on Scotland, effectively trying to manipulate Scottish religion. In doing so, Charles confirmed the suspicions that Parliament already held: Charles was willing to take religious action without Parliamentary consent.
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In 1640, under pressure to obtain the funds to wage war against Scotland, Charles I was forced to recall Parliament after their dissolution in 1629. Parliament immediately demanded Charles recognize the Petition of Right. However, Charles refused, disbanding Parliament again. After Charles began losing ground in his war against Scotland, he was forced to recall Parliament once again and agree to their terms.
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In 1641, Parliament refused to fund Charles I's army on the grounds that Charles I could not be trusted with the power of the army. They asserted that Parliament should become responsible for the power of raising and commanding England's army.
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In 1642, Charles I invaded Parliament in an attempt to arrest his political opponents. This attempt failed, and Charles was forced to flee London. He then began building his army to fight Parliament. In response, Parliament passed the Militia Ordinance, which allowed Parliament to raise its own army to defeat Charles. This was the beginning of the English Civil War.
