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Jun 15, 1215
King John Signs Magna Carta
The Magna Carta basically said that the Church should be free from royal iinterference and that no taxes should be levied without the consent of Parliament.
I believe that this was important because it reduced the power of the King and allowed for the formation of a Parliament. This gave less power to the king and more to the Parliament (limited monarchy). The document became the basis for English citizens' rights. image source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John,_Magna_Carta.jpg -
Petition of Right
The petition of right was a statement of civil liberties sent by the English Parliament to Charles I. This was Parliament's refusal to finance the king's unpopular foreign policy that had caused the government to take on many loans.
This document was important because it showed that Parliament was trying to use its power by telling the King what to do. The petition was an important safeguard of civil liberties, which is the idea of a limited monarchy. -
King Charles I executed
King Charles I was not a good king. Self righteous and arrogant, it was little surprise that he had alienated himself from his subjects and Parliament.
I think this event was important because it really showed that a king has to be held to the same laws and cannot do as he pleases. The people were not happy with him, so King Charles I had to be killed. This shows that power is drifting from the king and England is becoming a limited monarchy. -
Habeas Corpus Act 1679
The Habeas Corpus Act 1679 was an act that passed during King Charles II's reign. The act tried to define and strengthen the writ of habeas corpus, which questions the lawfulness of a prisoner's imprisonment. The act is stored in the parliamentary archives.
I believe that this act was important because it gave the people more power and took away power from the king, who was really able to do what he wanted. This is an example of limited monarchy because people were able to question their rights -
The Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution was essentially the overthrow of King James II of England.
This event was very important because it resulted in a shift of power. Althought the monarchy was still of central importance, Parliament had become a facet of political life as well. This is limited monarchy because the king has less power than before. -
The Bill of Rights of 1689
The Bill of Rights of 1689 was a document that limited the power of British monarchs. It was presented by Parliament to King William II and Queen Mary II. The bill specified how monarchs would succeed to the throne and stated that no Roman Catholic could rule the country.
This event was very important because it served to assert the role of Parliament in England (thus to create limited monarchy) and is considered one of the most important documents in British law. -
The Act of Settlement of 1701
This act was designed to secure the Protestant succession to the throne and strengthen the guarantees for ensuring a Parliamentary system of government. This act also strengthed and reinforced the Bill of Rights.
This was a very important document because it further restricted the powers of the Crown. Under the Act, parliamentary consent had to be given before a king engaged in war or left the country, thus limiting the power of the King (limited monarchy).
