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1215
Magna Carta
A charter that King John of England agreed to in 1215, the first document to limit the power of the monarch. Set up the basis for the Parliamentary system. Referenced as an important basis for parliamentary power for hundreds of years after its creation. -
Petition of Right
The Petition of Right (1628) was a document that outlines specific liberties of citizens that the king could not infringe upon. One of the main issues discussed is taxation; the document took steps to limit the power that a monarch had to unfairly tax citizens, and put more of the power in the hands of Parliament. -
English Civil War (date started)
The English Civil War was a war fought over how the country would be governed. The two sides were the Parliamentarians and the Royalists. This was an important event because the Parliamentarians won, and the king (Charles I) was overthrown - the parliament ruled for many years following the war, until the rule of Charles II. -
Habeas Corpus Act of 1679
Passed during the reign of Charles II, the Habeas Corpus Act of 1679 was a parliamentary act that established and backed the ancient writ of Habeas Corpus, which is in place to prevent wrongful, unlawful, or arbitrary imprisonment of any individual. It limited the monarch's power to make decisions without going through the parliament, and thus increased the power of the people as well. -
The Glorious Revolution
Also known as the Revolution of 1688, the Glorious Revolution overthrew the rule of James II, and he was replaced by his daughter Mary and her husband, William of Orange. -
English Bill of Rights
The English Bill of Rights is a parliamentary act that limited the power of a monarch, and laid ground rules for the parliament. It also stated some basic human rights (e.g. no cruel or unusual punishment), and increased the representation of the people in political matters, through the medium of the Parliament. -
William and Mary Become Co-Monarchs
William and Mary were decreed co monarchs by the Parliament when James abdicated the throne. In exchange, they recognised a declaration of rights, which later became the Bill of Rights, which limited the monarchy's power, and afforded citizens more rights. Under the new system that started with William and Mary, monarchs would rule with the guidance of parliament, which was now set up to meet every three weeks.
