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Period: to
Decline of Absolutism
In this period, the monarchy was continuously hated and broken down, as the Stuart line of kings continued to oppress citizens politically and religiously. Eventually, this lead to the rise of Parliament, which would eventually be the main form of governance in England. -
James VI is crowned James I of England
James I was the son of Mary, Queen of Scots, and as such wished to enact a period of pure-Catholicism in England. James would begin a long trend of the Stuart monarchs, where he would only consult Parliament once every so many years, which caused public unrest and distrust. -
Charles I is crowned after James I
While unable to gain funds for the war against Spain, Charles resorted to taking Parliament's responsibilities into his own hands. This involved levying new tariffs and duties, attempting to collect discontinued taxes, and forcing English property owners to pay forced loans - imprisoning those who refused to pay. This caused further divide between the monarchy and the subjects. -
Imposition of the English Episcopal System on Scotland
Archbishop William Laud, with the approval of Charles I, began trying to impose England's religion over all of the surrounding nations, namely Scotland. At least under James I, he allowed Scotland to live fairly distanced from England, but now they were forced to conform. This caused a Scottish rebellion, one which Charles was not nearly well enough prepared for, resulting in his defeat in 1640. -
The Long Parliament
After Charles' failure to impose his religion on the Scots, the Long Parliament was created, and they seized power from the monarch whether he wanted them to or not. The House of Commons began by executing both Strafford and Laud, two religious officials under Charles. They also made it so that Parliament would be the commander-in-chief of England's army, resulting in Charles' invasion of Parliament in 1642, creating an even further divide in politics and a sort of Civil War. -
The Puritan Republic of Oliver Cromwell
After the execution of Charles I as a public enemy, England sought to be a Parliament-controlled country, however, Oliver Cromwell took the mantle of leader immediately and began a righteous path of war through Scotland. Parliament attempted to disband his army to prevent the war and subsequent crimes, but he disbanded Parliament immediately instead, ruling as Lord Protector. By the time of his death, England restored both the Anglican Church and the monarchy. -
The Glorious Revolution
When invited to "invade" England in order to overthrow James II's son, William of Orange brought his army to England was crowned the rightful monarch of England. In return, William and Mary recognized and English Bill of Rights, which limited powers of the monarchy and guaranteed civil liberties to all citizens of England. These enactments would further the weakening of the monarchy, and allow for Parliament to assume further control at a later date. -
The Age of Walpole
By royal support and popular demand, Robert Walpole headed the English government, and enacted a number of reforms to allow Parliament to become a popular way of managing the country. The central government now refrained from interfering with private affairs and political influence of nobles, so the nobles were willing to serve as local administrators, judges, commanders, etc. With the favor of the middle and upper classes, Parliament was now a reigning power, and the monarchy was second.
