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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
This document outlined the basic rights of the people. It pointed out that a king's power was not absolute, that the citizens were entitled to certain basic freedoms. -
Dec 14, 1241
Parliament is Established
The original Parliament was composed to act as advisers to the king, to ensure he was acting accordingly as outlined in the Magna Carta. Eventually however, Parliament was the acting force that challenged absolute power held by the king. -
Nov 1, 1534
Acts of Supremacy
King Henry the VIII divided England from the control of the Roman Catholic Church, severing any ties that England still had with the Pope. The figure that managed politics in England was the same figure for the religious aspects too. -
King Charles Defys Parliment
King Charles I was a strong believer in the divine right of kings, given to them by God. With this mindset, King Charles began to defy Parliament, causing them to resent him. One way he defied them was when he was looking for funding for the Thirty Years War. Because they did not support his efforts as much as he wanted financially, he imposed a new tax. This behavior contributed to the anti-absolutism mindset in England. -
Charles I Executed
After failing in many battles and escapes from prison, Charles I was beheaded in the tower of England. Convinced that if England was continued to be ruled by a king it would fail, Oliver Cromwell became Head of State in England. This shifted England from an absolute monarchy to a Puritan commonwealth. -
Glorious Revolution Overthrows James II
After the final upheaval of James II, the final absolute monarch of England, absolutism came to an end in England. William and Mary marked the new beginning of a joint system with Parliament -
English Bill of Rights is Approved
The English Bill of Rights was approved to give balance to the power of the Parliament and Monarchy. The bill outlined simple rights held by the upper classes while stating that the monarchy is not above the law.
