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1215
Magna Carta Signed
This historical document, signed in England in 1215 was the first ever document to write into law that the king was not above the law. English barons wrote it to protect and ensure the rights of the people. The document established a guarantee that the reigning monarch of England would not hold absolute power, making it hard for absolutism to ever exist in England. -
Jan 20, 1265
English Parliament Meets for the First Time
The Magna Carta was the basis for a body like Parliament. Although similar meetings in England had been held, Parliament's first official meeting in 1265 marked the start of the English monarch's loss of power. Parliament gave voice to the people and took away power from the King. Parliament would be allowed to state grievances with the King and helped develop a limited monarchy system with power spread beyond the head monarch. Image: Houses of Parliament -
Petition of Right
The Petition of Right was sent from Parliament to King Charles I stating breaches of law. They did not want the King to tax without the consent of Parliament, imprison citizens without cause, quarter soldiers with citizens, and institute martial law during peacetime. This document exemplifies Parliament's increasing voice and ability to limit the monarch's power. -
English Civil War Ends
The war started in 1642 and was a nine-year conflict between the Parliamentarians and the Royalists. The Parliamentarians won which resulted in a republican Commonwealth as well as a large increase in Parliament's power. As Parliament gained power, the monarch lost power leading to a limited monarchy. Image: English Civil War model reenactment -
Two Treatises of Government Published
The Two Treatises of Government by John Locke asserted Enlightenment ideals, particularly consent of the governed. As word from this spread, citizens understood that a monarch system was not necessarily in their best interest. These ideas led -
William and Mary Reign Began
They ruled as joint monarchs and accepted a Declaration of Rights that limited the sovereigns power and provided guarantees against abuses of power that other monarchs had executed. Their reign signified a change in the shift of power that monarchs held and also gave Parliament more power in the government. Image: William and Mary shown in a painting together -
English Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights achieved royal assent on December 16, 1689 codifying basic civil rights and lines of succession for the crown. It was now official that citizens had certain unalienable rights that a King could not deny. As citizens gained more power that a monarch could not take, the limited monarchy started to form. The fact that the Bill of Rights signed in 1689 still stands today in England and served as a template for other nations' citizens' rights shows how impactful it was.