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Charles I signs the Petition of Right
Parliament refused to allow Charles I to raise taxes for a war between England and Spain. In retaliation, Charles forced loans on property owners, and troops were quartered in private homes. The Petition of Right was Parliament's agreement to grant new funds if Charles did not impose more forced loans and prevented quartering. Through the signing, Charles recognized the authority of Parliament for the first time, although he did dissolve the legislative body until 1640. -
The Militia Ordinance is passed
Under the Long Parliament, Charles asked to raise revenue in order to subdue Scottish rebellion against the implementation of the Common Book of Prayer. Parliament, fearful of what Charles would do with an army, enacted the Militia Ordinance, thus granting Parliament the ability to form their own army. Parliament's decision to protect themselves served as a precursor to the Civil War as more individuals saw Parliament's decision as necessary to protect against the potential tyranny of Charles I. -
Oliver Cromwell, leader of the Roundheads, declares himself as the Lord Protector of England
Despite the foundation of Cromwell's leadership, which was meant to overthrow the despotic rituals of the monarchy, Cromwell himself ended up ruling England in a dictatorial manner. He dissolved Parliament after they told him to disband the army. After Cromwell's death, the British sought a return to Anglicanism, instead of Cromwell's Puritanism. In doing so, Parliament and the British people chose to return to monarchy, but they had decided that the power of the monarch would be limited. -
The Popish Plot is revealed
Titus Oates claimed that Charles II's Catholic wife was plotting with Jesuits to kill the king so that James II would ascend to the throne. Parliament then led efforts to exclude James from government. Charles ruled from 1681-1685 without calling Parliament into session. During this period of he coerced local corporations into electing loyalists into Parliament. This heightened tensions between Parliament and the monarchy, especially after James was named the king after Charles II's death. -
The Glorious Revolution occurs
William of Orange and Mary II were invited by Parliament to invade England to preserve the traditional liberties of Anglicanism, and essentially, Protestantism. In what was a bloodless coup, James II was expelled from England and the country's political scene shifted from being one focused on solely protecting the rights of Catholics, as James had done, to entering a period of greater religious toleration. -
The Bill of Rights is passed
William and Mary agreed to recognize a Bill of Rights that limited powers of the monarchy and guaranteed civil liberties for English privileged classes. Under this document, the monarchy were subject to the law and ruled by the consent of Parliament, which convened every three years. The Bill of Rights was revolutionary because it clearly outlined the restrictions of the monarchy, provided more power to Parliament, and led the way for what a republican form of government in Europe should be. -
Sir Robert Walpole's premiership
Limiting the powers of the monarchy did not stop with the 1689 Bill of Rights. Sir Robert Walpole, considered the first de facto Prime Minister of Great Britain, was crucial in maintaining Hanoverian succession for George I, sustaining the Whig party, who opposed absolutism, and defending the principles of the Glorious Revolution. Without Walpole, Great Britain may have seen a return to powerful monarchies if the power vacuum created by the death of Queen Anne.
