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Jun 15, 1215
The Magna Carta
This document was created by the people of England, who forced the current monarch, King John, to sign it. It stated that all English people had freedoms that could not be removed or disrupted, even by the King. It is largely considered to be the first instance of the absolute power of a ruler being lessened. -
Dec 14, 1241
The Creation of the Parliament
Created to support and advise the King, the members of Parliament would over time use their authority to weaken and strip away power from the various monarchs. -
The Petition of Right
This was put into action by Parliament in response to King Charles I's abuse of power. Among other things, The Petition of Right prevented the King from instating new taxes or fees without the prior approval of the Parliament, thus weakening his power over the people and country immensely. -
The Execution of Charles I
After his countless abuses of power, King Charles I was apprehended by the people of England and executed for his crimes. As the first English King to be killed in such a manner, his death showed that the power of the King was not absolute, and it could be challenged by the people at any time. -
The Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution occurred when Parliament peacefully rose up and dethroned King James II, who had been ruling over the country with near absolute power. After that, in 1689, Parliament replaced him with William III and Mary II. They cooperated with Parliament much more than previous monarchs, bringing with them a period of far less absolute rule. -
Two Treatises of Government
Published by John Locke, this book argued against the concept of absolute monarchy, and brought the multitude of issues it raised to light for many people. -
The Bill of Rights
Proposed by Parliament and signed by William and Mary, this bill solidified the destruction of absolute monarchy in England. It stated that the Parliament now held more power than the rulers, and laid out a number of restrictions and limitations on the rulers' powers. With this, the English government had fully transformed.
