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The Magna Carta is a document signed at Runnymede by King John. It declared the sovereign to be subject to the rule of law and documented the liberties held by “free men,” it provided the foundation for individual rights in Anglo-American jurisprudence. -
A council made up of barons, clergy, knights and representatives of towns summoned by Edward I by following the conditions of Magna Carta -
The Act of Supremacy recognized Henry VIII as " the Supreme Head of the Church of England " and it became a treason to deny it -
The Book of Common Prayer , primarily prepared by the Archbishop of Canterbury , Thomas Cranmer , became compulsory with the Act of Uniformity. It was viewed as a compromise between old and new ideas but it caused opposition from both conservatives and the more extreme reformers (Protestant Reformation). -
In 1559 Elizabeth I re-introduced the Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity : the Act of Supremacy declared Elizabeth the supreme head of the church , while the Act of Uniformity wanted to regularise divine worship and the administration of the sacraments in the English church. -
This document stated that the king (Charles I) could not imprison without trial or impose taxes without the consent of the Commons. They created this document because they were fed up of Charles ruling by completely avoiding parliament. -
In 1640 Charles I summoned the Short parliament because he needed money to fight a rebellion in Scotland , but the parliament refused so Charles dismissed it after only 3 weeks and created the Long Parliament. -
The Long Parliament succeded the Short Parliament and became one of the great institutions of English history because it represented the change in wealth from the Church and the aristocracy to a rising middle class (the King's powers reduced more and more). -
The Rump Parliament was composed by 121 members (all the Presbyterian and Royalist sympathisers were expelled) , condemned to death Charles I (1649) and declared a republic (the "Commonwealth"). -
With this act England had control of the sea tradings -
This document excluded the dissenters from public offices. -
Nobles took back their place at the top of the society and formed the Cavalier Parliament. It ordered the bodies of the regicides to be exhumed and hanged. -
This document imposed the use of the Book of Common Prayer. -
This document required all public employees to conform to the Church of England. -
It introduced more religious tolerance by granting freedom of worship to dissenting Protestants but excluded Catholics and Unitarians (so there wasn't that much tolerance). -
This document re-issued freedoms that had been stated by Magna Carta and the Petition of Right : for example the king could not levy taxes , raise an army and suspend laws without the consent of the parliament. -
The Act of Settlement stated that Anne and her heirs would succeed William and excluded Catholics from the throne (William and Mary had no children). -
With the Act of Union England and Scotland were joined together in the United Kingdom of Great Britain with a single parliament in Westminster.