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1215
Creation and Signing of the Magna Carta
The Magna Carta was a document composed between King John of England and wealthy barons to negotiate the barons' capturing of London and John's high taxes on the barons themselves. It serves as one of the oldest pieces of democracy and a primary example of the rights first given to citizens by their leader. For example, all "free men" got a fair trial https://www.bl.uk/magna-carta/videos/what-is-magna-carta (additional information source)
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Start of Civil War Between Parliament and King Charles
Due to anger over raising funds for an army to stop Scotland's rebellion, supporters of Parliament believed Parliament should "become the commander-in-chief of English armed forces," not King Charles (Kagan 174). Tensions exploded and the House of Commons passed an ordinance to give Parliament the ability to raise its own army. Thus, the two sides went to war, showing the high levels of disagreement between government and monarchy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Civil_War (image source) -
Influence of Oliver Cromwell
Parliament's eventual victory over King Charles was greatly supported by the reorganization of its army by Oliver Cromwell.
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Revolution of 1688
After William and Mary worked to implement their ideas on the limited monarchy of England, they finally gained power in the revolution. During their reign, religious tolerance increased, as did "modern economic activity" and an anti-absolutism government (Kagan 178). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glorious_Revolution (image source) -
William and Mary
Mary and her husband, William III of Orange, were declared the monarchs by James II. This terminated the revolution against the Catholic monarchy in England. William and Mary "recognized a Bill of Rights that limited the powers of the monarchy" (Kagan 177). The pair took a step further to decrease the sheer power of England's royals.
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Second Treatise of Civil Government
To protect the growing idea that the decisions of a country should be left up to the people who live in that place, John Locke wrote the "Second Treatise of Civil Government." His writings further promoted the idea of a limited government and countered all theories of absolutism.
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Sir Robert Walpole's Government
In 1721, Sir Robert Walpole took control as the head of the English government. The monarchy helped him to take this seat, but Walpole was adept in handling the House of Commons. Some of his best achievements were in his ability to keep the executive government from interfering in local governments around England. He continued the ideas of William and Mary to form a limited government and established much of modern England's system. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Walpole (image source)
