-
1215
The Magna Carta
The Magna Carta that protected Barons against the power of the crown. It's creation was the first time the English Parliament was convened. While most of the protections provided by it really only applied to Barons, many came to misinterpret it as a restoration of individual freedoms that had supposedly existed before the Norman Invasion in 1066. This interpretation allowed the document to become part of the foundation that legitimized the power of Parliament later on. -
The Petition of Right
The Petition of Right cited a number of violations of the rights of the people by the king. It sought to force the monarch to adhere to the written law of the land as well as to give more power and say to Parliament in governmental matters. This document is seen as one of the most influential of British legal documents. The ideals expressed in it, mostly checks on the Monarch’s power, helped to facilitate for Britain's future limited monarchy. -
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a conflict between Royalists and Parliamentarians. The Royalists supported an absolute monarchy, citing the divine right of kings in support of their ideology. Parliamentarians wanted Parliament to have supreme executive control over the nation; most supported a constitutional monarchy. The war ended with a Parliamentarian victory and set the precedent that the monarch could not govern without the consent of Parliament, though Parliament wasn't yet sovereign. -
King James' Rule
King James II often undermined the rule of law, for example he wanted to dismiss judges who disagreed with him on a relatively large scale. He sought to purge his government of anti-Royalists to garner support for his unpopular Declaration of Indulgence, which promoted his widely disliked Catholic Faith. It also crossed Parliament as it implied that he had the power to overrule it. This lessened support for the crown, setting up for the revolution that would allow for a constitutional monarchy. -
The Glorious Revolution
This revolution was a mostly bloodless conflict where James II was deposed and replaced by his daughter Mary and William III of Orange. These eventual joint-monarchs were receptive to proposals of a more limited monarchy. If the English Bill of Rights had been proposed to James II, it would have been quickly crushed, but it would probably never have been proposed to him in the first place. Mary and William facilitated for the increasing restrictions and limits on the English monarchy. -
The English Bill of Rights
This bill was proposed to Mary and William after the Glorious Revolution. It made them joint-monarchs of England, and limited their power. It delineated the rights of Parliament, requiring regular parliaments, free elections, and freedom of speech within Parliament, and created a constitutional requirement for the crown to adhere to the wishes of the people, which were represented by Parliament. These developments created a constitutional monarchy. -
Act of Settlement
The Act of Settlement was meant to clarify and establish the line of succession after William and Mary failed to produce any surviving heirs. It ended up leading to the Parliamentary unification of England and Scotland, and increased power for the Parliament. It ensured judicial independence from the monarchy and it prevented any royal pardon from overruling Parliament. It established a fully constitutional monarchy and made the Parliament the sovereign governing body in England.
