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1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta was an agreement signed by King John of England which greatly limited the power of the king. It was meant to avoid the king taking whatever he chooses and to put more order in royal affairs. Before this agreement, King John was able to do anything through his royal authority including taking land, throwing people in jail, and marking citizens for execution without proper cause. -
1215
Parliament Established
When the English Parliament was established, it immediately took power away from the king. In this case, parliament was established with the signing of the Magna Carta. Parliament was created as a second political power to combat the full authority of the monarch. Parliament was in charge of making new laws and made the line of power more separated. -
Petition of Right
The Petition of Right was a statement sent to Charles I from the English Parliament. The contents of the statement was mostly about Parliament changing some of Charles' laws like citizens would no longer have to quarter soldiers in their home. It also stated that Parliament would deny funding to Charles for things they did not believe in or support. -
English Civil War
The English Civil War was fought between supporters of the monarchy of King Charles I and the supporters of parliament. The first part of the war ended in a stalemate, with both sides showing weaknesses. After a few more years of fighting, Charles I lost the war and parliament grew stronger. This war shows the weakness of the monarchy and the support for the English parliament. -
James II Came to Power
James II was a key part of England becoming a limited monarchy. James had very open views about wanting all the power and not supporting parliament. This caused parliament to try and overthrow James because he was becoming a very controlling ruler. James was eventually taken out of power in the Glorius Revolution by William and Mary. This then led to more control for Parliament and a better English monarchy. -
Glorius Revolution
The Glorius Revolution was the peaceful replacement of James II by William and Mary. It marked the beginning of a constitutional monarchy in England. This means that the monarchy was restricted by rules and laws, thus limiting the power of the monarchy. -
Bill of Rights
The England Bill of Rights was passed in 1689. It largely limited the power of the monarchy and gave most rights to parliament. The Bill of Rights also created a seperation of power between the monarchy and parliament. Overall, the Bill of Rights brought strict limitations on the powers of the monarchy.
