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Jun 15, 1215
Signing of the Magna Carta
The signing of the Magna Carta was one of the first steps taken to limit monarchy absolutism in England. The Magna Carta limited the power of the monarchy since it stated that the king was no longer able to autonomously imprison barons, collect tax payments, and rule over the land at his own will. -
Jun 15, 1215
Establishment of Parliament
Parliament was formed with the House of Commons and House of Lords in order to give the people more rights and other politicians more say in the operations of the government. Many people were discontent with the amount of power that the King had, so parliament was designed to see that the King did not have full control over the country. Over the years until the year 1707 when it was disbanded, the Parliament consistently checked the King and acted as a sort of check and balance. -
1532
The Prince by Machiavelli
When The Prince was published it released a whole new swarm of Humanist ideals into society. The Prince primarily deals with Machiavelli giving advice to people on how to be an effective ruler and be able to maintain his power consistently. This showed that individuals were able to start thinking about gaining their own power in the English society, thus decreasing the autonomy and control that the monarchy had. -
The Petition of Right
The Petition of Right forced King Charles I to give up his autonomous style of rule. It limited his ability to quarter soldiers in civilian's homes, collect unreasonable taxes, and most importantly, it stopped him from being able to punish subjects according to his own will. This took a lot of power away from the King as he now had to share his former power and authoritarian commands with Parliament. -
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of battles between the Parliamentarians and the Royalists over the mode of England's government. The first and second wars were between the supporters of King Charles I and the Long Parliament, whereas the third war was between those loyal to King Charles II and the Rump Parliament. Ended with a Parliament victory. English Parliament was replaced by the Commonwealth of England and then the Protectorate under Cromwell and his son Richard. -
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution took place in the years of 1688 and 1689 in England. It resulted in the Catholic king James II being deposed. William and Mary were then installed as the rulers of England. As a result of the Revolution, Parliament had a lot more power over the monarchy and the country, thus limiting the control of the monarchy over England. -
English Bill of Rights
The English Bill of Rights limited the power of the monarchy, separated powers from the monarchy and the Parliament and it also allowed for democratic elections. Just like the American Bill of Rights, it also advocated for the freedom of speech. It was authorized by William and Mary. It ultimately gave power to Parliament and took power away from the monarchy.
