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Long Parliament Convenes
When the Long Parliament convened, it lasted for 3 years. During this time, among other measures, they ensured that the monarchy would not be able to dissolve them on his/her own, and they made it so that Parliament would have to be called at least once every 3 years. This helped lead to limited monarchy because it set the foundation for Parliament's increasingly equal status/power in comparison to the monarchy. -
Charles I Invades Parliament
After hearing multiple rumors that specific members of Parliament were conspiring against him, Charles I barged into a session of Parliament in order to arrest them. Unfortunately for him, they had fled in time, and so, he went away to form his own army. This led to the formation of limited government because it signaled a more prominent divide between the monarchy and Parliament, which would lead to a distribution of power. -
Militia Ordinance Passes
After being taken aback by Charles I's actions, the House of Commons quickly passed the Militia Ordinance. This document allowed Parliament to mirror the king's actions and develop its own army. This helped create limited monarchy because it was the ultimate face-off between Parliament and the monarchy, which would eventually result in power being divided among those 2 groups. -
Parliament Defeats Royalty and Its Supporters in 1st English Civil War
After 4 years of fighting, Oliver Cromwell and his Parliamentary forces defeated the Royalists. This led to the House of Lords and the monarchy being done away with, although the royal family would eventually re-surface later on. Although there would be some reconciliation in the future, the monarchy and Parliament would maintain their division of power, which eventually led to a more solidified limited monarchy. -
Glorious Revolution Ends
At Parliament's invitation, William of Orange, Mary's husband, came to England. Seeing William's great support, James II left, and this bloodless coup, known as the Glorious Revolution, came to a close, with the newly crowned royals being William III and Mary II. This helped lead to the formation of limited monarchy because it illustrated the significant shift in power that Parliament could bring about, which strengthened the power division between them and the monarchy. -
English Bill of Rights Passes
William III and Mary II approved the Bill of Rights, which ensured many rights to the English people. This bill embodied limited monarchy because it checked and restrained the monarchy's powers. Additionally, it made sure that the monarchy would need to work with Parliament in order to enact future laws/legislation. -
John Locke Publishes "Second Treatise of Civil Government"
To better express his ideas and theories on government, John Locke wrote "Second Treatise of Civil Government." Through this, he clearly denounced absolutism and proclaimed that the government was, power-wise, in the hands of those being governed. This led to the development of limited monarchy because there was more public awareness of why the monarchy and Parliament should both have similar degrees of power, as opposed to the monarchy having total control.
