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Jan 1, 1215
The Magna Carta
King John is made to sign the Magna Carta, in essence creating Parliament and diminishing his power as an absolute monarch. It also helped protect certain rights of the people. This is the first step in England's path to limited monarchy as it showed the king could be made to listen to the people and it established Parliament as a force in the English government.
image source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John,_Magna_Carta.jpg -
Dec 14, 1241
The First Parliament
Parliament is convened for the first time; being made up of the House of Lords and The House of Commons. This event established Parliament as was begun in the Magna Carta as it grew in power it would weaken the English Monarchy.
Image Source: http://www.law.ox.ac.uk/lrsp/overview/legislation.php -
Impostions
James I begins to implent impostions, a new type of customs, without the consent of Parliament. This angers Parliament and as James's rule continues he and Parliament often argue over this and other points. As James directly defies Parliament his succeesors think that they can do it too, only to ultimately be chrushed by Parliament and the yoke of limited monarchy. Image Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:James_I,_VI_by_John_de_Critz,_c.1606..png -
The Petition of Right
The Petition of Right was passed in by Parliament in an attempt to prevent Charles I from blantly disregarding Parliament in terms of fiscal matters. It made it so that the king had to gain the consent of Parliament for taxation and it also prohibted the infringement of certain rights of all citizens; further weaking the king and the potential for there to be an absolute monarchy in England.
Image Source: http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/File:Petition_of_Right.jpg -
Execution of Charles I and Oliver Cromwell
Charles I was executed by Oliver Cromwell at the end of the English Civil War. He was charged with being disloyal to his country by ignoring Parliament. This is important because despite putting up a fight the king ultimately lost to Parliament showing that an English King had to work with Parliament in order to succeed, which some of the successors of Charles would do.
Image Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oliver_Cromwell_Gaspard_de_Crayer.jpg -
The Glorious Revolution
After much struggle with James I Parliament "invited" William of Orange and his wife Mary to invade England, ousting James. This became known as the Glorious Revolution as James fled and no blood was shed. William and Mary became rulers, loyal to Parliament. Yet again Parliament won a battle of the king and from here it would continue to grow in power further limiting the monarchy.
Image Source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Prince_of_Orange_engraving_by_William_Miller_after_Turner_R739.jpg -
Sir Robert Walpole
Robert Walpole is conventionally considered the first English Prime Minister. He bacme Prime Minister in 1721. Ultimately this would end the aspirations towards absolute monarchy of future English monarchs as Walpole and his successors gradually gained more and more power; fiscally and poltically.
Image Source:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Robertwalpole.jpg
