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Death of Elizabeth I
Lead to James I's reign. -
James I
Inherited the unsettled issues of Elizabeth I The Puritans hoped he would make enact reforms to purify the English church of Catholic practices. They wanted a new translation of the bible, but he refused to make Puritan reforms. -
Charles I
After James I died, Charles I, his son took the throne. Charles always needed money because he was at war with both Spain and France. Every time the the Parliament refused to give him funds, he dissolved it. -
Petition of Rights
1628 Charles was forced to call the Parliament again, but this time they refused to give him money until he signed the Petition of Rights. This had four points he had to agree to:
He would not imprison subjects without due to cause.
He would not levy taxes without the Parliament's consent.
He would not hold soldiers in private homes.
He would not impose martial law in peacetime. -
Charles I Dissolves Parliament
Charles dissolved Parliament again, to get money he imposed all kinds of fees and fines on the English people, his popularity decreased year by year. -
Charles I calls Parliament back into session.
Charles tried to force the Presbyterian Scots to accept a version of the Anglican prayer book. He wanted both kingdoms to have one religion. The Scots rebelled, assembled an army, and threatened to invade England. To fight them on, Charles needed money, He was forced to call the Parliament, this gave the Parliament the change to oppose him. -
Period: to
English Civil War
Charles’ supporters and opponents fought the English civil war, the people who stayed loyal to him were called Royalists, or Cavaliers. On the other side were the Puritan who supported the Parliament. Since these men wore short hair that covered their ears cavaliers called them “Roundheads”. -
Autumn of 1641 Laws
Parliament passed laws to limit royal power. Charles tried to arrest the leaders of the Parliament in January 1642 but they escaped. A mob of Londoners raged outside the palace. Charles fled London and raised an army in the North of England where people were loyal to him. -
Oliver Cromwell Rules Over England
Cromwell and the Puritans sought to reform society. They made laws that promoted Puritan morality and abolished activities they found sinful, such as the theater, sporting events, and dancing. Although he was a strict Puritan, Cromwell favored toleration for all Christians except Catholics. He even allowed Jews to return. (They had been expelled from England in 1290). -
Charles I Executed
1649 Cromwell beheaded him during the invasion of the Irish, for treason. -
Oliver Cromwell
1649 he abolished monarchy and the House of Lords. He established commonwealth, a republican form of government. Cromwell’s associate John Lambert drafted a constitution. However Cromwell eventually tore up the document and became a military dictator. Cromwell landed on Irish shores with an army and crushed the uprising that was forming, he seized lands and homes of the Irish and gave them to the English soldiers. Fighting plague, and famine killed hundreds of thousands. -
Charles II
Passed the Habeas Corpus in 1679 Parliament also debated who should have right to the throne after Charles II because he had no legitimate child, his heir was his brother James who was catholic. -
Restoration
Prince Charles II restores monarchy. -
Habeas Corpus passed
1679 Latin meaning “to have the body”. Gave every prisoner the right to obtain a writ or document ordering that the prisoner can bring to the judge to specify the charges against the prisoner. -
James II
In 1685 Charles II died, and James II became king. James soon offended his subjects by displaying his Catholicism. Violating English law, he appointed several Catholics to high office. When Parliament protested, James dissolved it. In 1688, James second wife gave birth to a son. English Protestants became terrified at the prospect of a line of Catholic kings. -
William and Mary
1685-1689 (around that time period) Mary was the older daughter of James II, who was Protestant. She was also the wife of William of Orange, the prince of the Netherlands. Seven members of the Parliament invited William and Mary to overthrow James for the sake of Protestantism. -
James II
In 1685 Charles II died, and James II became king. James soon offended his subjects by displaying his Catholicism. Violating English law, he appointed several Catholics to high office. When Parliament protested, James dissolved it. In 1688, James second wife gave birth to a son. English Protestants became terrified at the prospect of a line of Catholic kings. -
William and Mary
1685-1689 (somewhere around that time period) Mary was the older daughter of James II, who was Protestant. She was also the wife of William of Orange, the prince of the Netherlands. Seven members of the Parliament invited William and Mary to overthrow James for the sake of Protestantism. -
Glorious Revolution
When William led his army to London in, James fled to France. The overthrow of James was bloodless. -
Glorious Revolution
When William led his army to London in, James fled to France. The overthrow of James was bloodless. -
English Bill of Rights
A document to make clear the limits of the royal power. Parliament drafted the Bill of Rights in. This document listed many things that the ruler could not do:
No suspending of Parliament’s laws.
No levying of taxes without a specific grant from the Parliament.
No interfering with freedom of speech in the Parliament.
No penalty for a citizen who petitions the king about grievances. -
Constitutional Monarchy
England had become not an absolute monarchy but a Constitutional Monarchy, where laws limited the ruler’s power. -
Habeas Corpus passed
Latin meaning “to have the body”. Gave every prisoner the right to obtain a writ or document ordering that the prisoner can bring to the judge to specify the charges against the prisoner.
