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James VI of Scotland Becomes James I of England
Because Queen Elizabeth I died childless, the throne went to her cousin James of Scotland. He was not as politically shrewd as Elizabeth had been, and he had the habit of offending many, particularly with his theories of the divine right of monarchy. He was known for the translation of the Bible he commissioned – the King James Bible. The first permanent English colony in North America was named after him – Jamestown. -
Charles I Succeeds James I
Upon becoming king, Charles immediately upsets his subjects. He constantly invoked the divine rights of kings and claimed to only have to answer to God, not Parliament. He married the sister of King Louis XIII of France, who was a Catholic and then started to grant concessions to English Catholics. When criticized, he persecuted Puritans, whom he considered disloyal. -
Parliament passed Petition of Rights
This act declared all taxes not voted by Parliament illegal, condemned the quartering of soldiers in private homes and prohibited arbitrary arrest and imprisonment and the confiscation of private property under martial law. At first, Charles accepted the Petition, but later he rejected it. Charles decided to rule without Parliament by funding government with levies and fines imposed without the consent of parliament. -
William Laud is Appointed Archbishop of Canterbury
He introduced a new liturgy in Scotland that the Calvinist population felt was too Catholic. When the bishop of Edinburgh introduced it in his church, the women threw their chairs at him. The Scots signed the National Covenant pledging to defend their Church, including abolishing bishops in their church in favor of Presbyterian system of church government. They also mobilized a large army and invade England in late 1640 -
Charles Calls Together Parliament, which Became the "Long Parliament"
To raise money to wage against the Scots, Charles needed money so he called Parliament. Months after Parliament met, it made clear that it had no intention of providing Charles with money. Parliament even considered negotiating with the Scots itself, but still continued to demand concessions from the king as long as the Scottish threat remained. -
Civil War Erupts
Charles had attempted to arrest the leaders of the House of Commons, but his plan failed. Months later, he called the leaders of Parliament rebels and traitors. Civil war breaks out between Parliamentarians (anti-king), called Roundheads, and Royalists (pro-king), called Cavaliers. -
Charles I Goes on Trial
Parliament tried Charles as a king, rather than deposing him first and then trying him as a private citizen. This act represented a clash between 2 theories of government – one that claimed that the king stood above Parliament and the other that the king must answer to Parliament. Charles was accused of claiming to rule by divine right. Charles refused to respond to any of the charges. -
Charles I is Executed
England was declared to be a commonwealth. The monarchy and the House of Lords were abolished, and the nation was to be governed by who was left in the House of Commons. Democracy was not established, although one group supported the creation of democracy. The Levellers, a party that originated in the New Model Army called for annual parliaments, the separation of power and the introduction of universal suffrage for men. -
Cromwell Gets Rid of Parliament
Oliver Cromwell with the army at his command became frustrated by the Parliament, so he eliminated it with the army. The Commonwealth was replaced by a "Protectorate," which was a thinly disguised autocracy. Cromwell limited freedom of the press, demanded rigid moral standards, and adopted other strict measures.. In 1657, Parliament offered Cromwell the title of king, but he refused it. -
Charles II is Made King of England
After Cromwell's death, the army and Parliament decided to restore the monarchy by inviting Charles II (son of Charles I) to return from exile. When he returned, not only the monarchy, but also the House of Lords and the Church of England were restored. -
James II Becomes King of England
Not only did James allow Catholics to worship freely, he appointed Catholics to positions in the army, the central administration and local government. His actions revived peoples' fears of absolutism and "popery." When a son was born to him and his Catholic wife in 1688, the fear was that the king's religious policy would continue. -
William of Orange and Wife Mary are Invited to Be New Monarchs
Members of Parliament and the Bishop of London sought James II’s son-in-law, William, and his daughter Mary (both Protestants) to become the monarchs of England. In November, William landed in England with a small military force and quickly had the support of the English people. James II fled to France, the English throne was declared vacant, and William and Mary were proclaimed king and queen. This bloodless revolution became known as the Glorious Revolution -
William and Mary Sign the Declaration of Rights
Upon coming to power, William and Mary agree to these Bill of Rights, which the English consider the cornerstone of their consitution. Kings could no interfere with the law or elections. Kings had to respect freedom of speech, could impose excessive bail or "cruel and unusual" punishments and could not raise taxes without the consent of Parliament.