Seven Steps to a Limited Monarchy

By isabelkierstead
  • Jun 15, 1215

    Magna Carta

    Magna Carta
    It was issued by King John, and limited monarchial power. It removed the idea that the king was not subject to the law, and they could not unjustly take away the rights of anyone in the kingdom, taking away the power of habeus corpus (unlawful imprisonment), or neglecting the civil rights of subject simply due to personal agendas. It gave more power to the Parliament.
  • Apr 28, 1376

    The Good Parliament

    The Good Parliament
    This was the name given to the 1376 parliament. It was the longest, and more efficient, parliament thus far. The court was so corrupt, and this parliament aimed at fixing that. They criticized England's political and military failures, and challenged the monarchy, bringing attention to many of the issues.
  • Nov 1, 1534

    Henry VIII

    Henry VIII
    After the Church refused to give him a divorce from Catherine of Aragon, he left the Church and created the Church of England. This severed ties with the power of the Holy Roman Empire, and now gave more power to the monarch, as he no longer had to clash with the Pope on policies. This angered people, and led to repercussions and revolts that limited monarchy.

  • The Petition of Right

    The Petition of Right
    It further limited power, and was issued by the Parliament to hinder King Charles I. It stated that no taxes could be issued without the consent of Parliament's, no one could be put in jail unjustly, soldiers weren't quartered at home, and martial law was void during times of peace.

  • Execution of Charles I

    Execution of Charles I
    This was one of the first times that the people overthrew the English monarch, and led to intense differences between the monarch and Parliament as people rejected absolutism and went to constitutional monarchy. The Parliament was seen as being almost equal to the monarchy.

  • Habeas Corpus Act

    Habeas Corpus Act
    This prevented the king from throwing people in jail simply because he felt like doing so. It took away powers from the king, and prevented him from acting above the law. He had to act in accordance with the law of the land.

  • English Bill of Rights

    English Bill of Rights
    The Parliament passed the bill of rights to give more power to the citizens. It marks the start of a constitutional monarchy in England rather than absolute. It calls for free elections and freedom of speech, as well as preventing cruel and unusual punishment. It went off of John Locke's philosophy of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.