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Coronation of James I of England
James's coronation is a symbol of the Stuarts reign in England beginning. The Stuarts wanted to make England an absolute monarchy; however, their family would cause England to become a limited monarchy. Parliament would gain power and the monarchy would lose power during the Stuart dynasty.
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Petition of Right Passed
This document required that henceforth there be no forced loans or taxation without Parliament's consent, no imprisionment without just cause, and troops should not be quartered in private homes. It gave Parliament significant power. Charles I signed it in order for Parliament to grant him more funds. But a year later he dissolved Parliament and did not call it back until 1640.
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The Long Parliament Began
This Parliament lasted from 1640 to 1660, it was reconvened after the Short Parliament. Now that Charles I had called them back, they were intent on changing his policy of personal rule and ignoring Parliament. They abolished the royal courts and prohibited the levying of taxes without Parliament's consent. They also decided that Parliament should be held at least every three years and the king could not dissolve it without Parliament's own consent.
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Outbreak of Civil War
Charles I invaded Parliament to arrest opponents, but they escaped. Parliament was shocked by this behavior and passed the Militia Ordianance which allowed Parliament to raise an army of its own. Thus the Civil War began, a fight between royalists (cavaliers) and parliamentarians (roundheads).
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Execution of Charles I
After being tried by a special court, Charles I was beheaded as a public criminal. After his execution, the monarchy was briefly ended until Charles II would return to the throne in 1660. His executation worried other nations; the people had the power to, and did, kill the king, something radical for the era and troublesome for other monarchs, as it showed how powerful Parliament had become.
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"Glorious Revolution"
This date is the day that James II leaves England for good, James II dissolved the Test Act and issued another Declaration of Indulegences, these and other actions outraged the Parliament. So Parliament invited James's Protestant daughter, Mary, and her husband, William, to come and take the English throne. James fled. This showed that the Parliament could take a large role in replacing monarchs and what could happen if monarchs did not listen to them.
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William and Mary become monarchs of England
In order to be proclaimed monarchs by Parliament, William & Mary recognized a Bill of Rights that restricted the power of the monarchy and assured the civil rights of the privileged English classes. English kings and queens would be obliged to obey the law and rule only through the permission of Parliament, who would now regularly meet every three years. The Bill also prevented a Catholic from becoming the ruler of England. This showed how England had become a limited monarchy.
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