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James I becomes the first Stuart king of England
James I's reign began a long train of abusive monarchs that attempted to bypass precedent by expanding taxes without the consent of Parliament. Additionally, his Catholic connections made Protestants skeptical of his intentions. These factors opened Parliament to the possibility of needing to exert dominance over a non-submissive monarch by expanding the legal powers of the Houses of Commons and Lords. -
Short Parliament
in response to Charles I request for new taxes supporting war in Scotland, this three week Parliamentary session chose to write a list of grievances incurred by the monarch rather than accept his tax plans. This set the establishment that the Parliament would have to confront monarchs on their policies outside of taxation and set into motion the notion that Parliament should be able to convene for reasons other than the monarch calling session. -
King Charles I Invades the Long Parliament
Attempting to arrest Puritan opponents, King Charles I invades the House of Commons with armed guards, sparking Civil War in England: Parliament versus monarchy. This event established a feud in England, demonstrating Parliament's will to maintain their rule, even if that meant completely opposing and fighting the current monarch. If Parliament won the war, the country could run on their terms. -
Oliver Cromwell's Republic
As leader of the Parliamentary forces in the Civil War, Cromwell takes control after winning the war. However, when Parliament attempts to control him, he disbands it, again proving to Parliament that they should have ultimate rule on meetings and how much influence the ruler should have over them. Cromwell's Republic proved that England could not survive on the power of individuals and needed the representative Parliament to control the figurehead of the country. -
Clarendon Code
In response to Charles II and his views on religious toleration, Parliament passed the Clarendon Code to exclude non-Anglican religions from England's religious and political spheres. This marked the first example of Parliamentary dominance over the monarch, as Charles II was forced to accept the new laws without any way to counter them. At last, Parliament was stretching its arms and legs to its newfound powers. -
Test Act of 1673
After a bout with Charles II on religious toleration and the war with Holland, Parliament passed this to ensure Catholics would not serve as civil or military officials. Through this, Parliament once again proved a power to control the monarch by restricting his ability to direct religious prospects. Specifically, Parliament was intentionally targeting James, duke of York, Charles' heir and devout Catholic. The act proved the final factor in finding new monarchs for Parliament to control. -
The Glorious Revolution
When James II gained an heir, Parliament asked William III of Orange to invade England and rid the country of the Stuart line. With this accomplished, William and his wife Mary became king and queen of England, happily supporting the English Bill of Rights and rule beneath Parliament. This is the indicative event of the beginning of parliamentary monarchy in England as it represents the instant where the monarchy stopped fighting the advances of Parliament and accepted lessened powers.
