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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
Written during the age of the Middle Ages, the Magna Carta was one of the first legal documents that instilled civil rights and liberties for the common man. The power of the monarchy was limited by this document because King John of England was not doing his job as the protector of the people. The basic clauses of the Magna Carta are:
1) No one is above the law, not even the king
2) Everyone had the right to a fair trial
3) No taxation without representation -
Jun 15, 1215
Creation of English Parliament
Based on the provisions of the Manga Carta, the British Parliament was soon created after the publishment of the legal document to ensure that there would be no infringement of the monarchy on the interests of the people. Parliament is one of the sole reasons as to why England became a constitutional monarchy because their exercise of power over the king everntually proved more powerful and significant. -
Petition of Rights
Written by Sir Edward Coke, the Petition of Right demands for King Charles I to recognize the rights of Parliament and his subjects. At this time, Charles was taxing his people unlawfully, and in return, Coke drafted this petition to make sure both Parliament and the monarchy would not let underrepresentation occur once again. Parliament thus took the side of Sir Edward Coke. -
English Civil War
The Parliamentarians ("Roundheads") and the Royalists ("Cavaliers") fought against each other in a seven-year war over how England should be governed. The "Roundheads" won the war in a definite victory, and King Charles I was executed by Parliament at the end of the war. The Commonwealth of England was formed, and the new republic proved that another form of government would be successful in place of an absolute monarchy. -
Glorious Revolution
Also known as the Bloodless Revolution, the Glorious Revolution was a plot to overthrow King James II of England and replace his position with Mary, his daughter, and her husband William. Successful in its efforts, William and Mary took the throne, and they developed the English constitutional monarchy by singing the Bill of Rights. -
English Bill of Rights
Written by Parliament, the English Bill of Rights described the basic civil rights and liberties of the English subjects and how the inheritance of the throne would work from there on out. The power of the monarchy was limited by these provisions, and the British Parliament gained many more rights through William's singing of this bill. The rights of the individual were deemed far more important from this bill, and it truly helped develop a modern constitutional monarchy. -
The Englightenment
Although the Age of Enlightenment came after the creation of the English Bill of Rights, it is still important to recognize the significance of this era. Enlightenment thinkers like John Locke, Voltaire, Montesquieu, and Rosseau introduced points and opinions about how the government should act; namely, that the government should be the protector of individual rights and not infringe on one's personal beliefs because their purpose as a leading body is only for protection.
