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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta marked the first push to limit the power of the monarch. This document, agreed to by King John, surrender partial jurisdiction from the king to British nobility. Though not granting direct power to the larger population, the Magna Carta, through allowing barons the power to question the monarch's tax collection, forged the British parliament, a body that slowly seeped the power of the throne, granting control to both wealthy landowners and, in part, the common folk. -
Jun 15, 1215
Establishment of Parliament
The English government consists of two broad figures: parliament and the monarch. Parlement was the outlet in which power was subtracted from the king, for, when the throne’s jurisdiction over matters was to be fed back to the people, it was diverted into the hands of parliament. Without the interjection of this body into the British government, the king's absolute jurisdiction would have remained uncontested from within the working of the government. -
Petition of Rights
The Petition of Rights, similar to the US Bill of Rights, granted the general population protection over certain individual liberties in which the state was prohibited from violating. This not only limited the power of the monarch but Parlement as well. -
King Charles I Arrests Parliament
Starting the English Civil War, this event was brought about by King Charles I’s desire to centralize power by dissolving parliament. Upon making a move against parliament, a strong revolt was formed which hosted a near opposite outcome to that which was intended: a weakened monarch and strengthened parliament. -
The English Civil War
Though two events on this timeline are key parts within the civil war, I have included this due to its invaluable role in the dismantling of the centralist monarchy which stood with substantial power some hundred years prior. This event forced a corrupt figure off the throne, granting the decision of how to reshape the government to parliament. In fact, this event determined whether England would shift back to a totalitarian monarchy or shape into the democracy present today. -
Execution of King Charles I
This event marked the end of the English Civil War, bring about a reformed government in favor of the general population. With those supporting parliament being the victors, the new monarch established by the parliament had limited influence, marking the end of a powerful “centralization” within the government. -
The English Bill of Rights
Granting rights similar in style to those on the Petition of Rights, the English Bill of Rights gave individuals a set of specific civil rights. This document, more relating to the topic at hand, marked the turning point in which the monarch had lost its rulership to parliament. This was due to the document elevating the status of parliament in governmental affairs past that of the English throne and further limiting the power of the king.
