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James I Takes the Throne
James I strongly believed in the divine right of kings, so Parliament became extremely limited when James took the throne. His levying of impositions, the corruption during his reign, and his choice to end the war with Spain made people suspicious of his rule and began a period of anti-monarchical sentiments in England.
Photo Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/James_I_of_England#/media/File:James_I,_VI_by_John_de_Critz,_c.1606..png -
England Enters War with Spain
England re-entered war with Spain after Parliament pressured King James. However, this led to problems in Charles I's reign. To finance the war, Charles went behind Parliament's back; he levied taxes and duties and even imprisoned land owners who didn't pay forced loans. This made noblemen feel like they had no political power, which would cause Parliament to stand up against the king. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Charles_I_of_England#/media/File:Anthonis_van_Dyck_072.jpg -
Parliament Issues the Petition of Right
Fed up with Charles I's taxation, Parliament refused to provide funds for the war unless Charles recognized the Petition of Right, which prohibited forced loans and taxation without Parliament's consent. It also forbid imprisonment without just cause and troops being held in private homes. Parliament had the leverage to assert its rights against the monarchy and laid groundwork for the English Bill of Rights.
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Petition_of_Right.jpg -
Scottish Rebellion
When Charles tried to put Scotland under the episcopal system, the Scots rebelled. This began a period of great tension between Parliament & the monarchy; when Parliament demanded that Charles address their grievances in exchange for war funds, Charles dismissed Parliament. Charles struggled in the war, however, & had to reconvene Parliament. The war made people question a king's adequacy as a military ruler.
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:LongParliament.jpg -
Militia Ordinance
In response to Charles raising his own army after his invasion of Parliament, the House of Commons fought back against the king with the Militia Ordinance. The ordinancegave Parliament the right to raise its own army. The country entered a civil war between the king's supporters and Parliament's supporters. For the first time, the king's power was being militarily threatened by his own people.
Source:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:English_Civil_War -
Test Act is Passed
When the monarchy was restored, Parliament again used need for war funding as leverage, this time against Charles II. They passed the Test Act as an attempt to limit the monarchy by targeting the heir to the throne, the Catholic Duke of York (James II). The Test Act required all civil and military officials to swear against the transubstantiation, which James wouldn't be able to do.
Source:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/James_II_of_England#/media/File:JamesStuart,Duke_of_York.jpg -
James II's son is born
This was the final straw and resulted in the Glorious Revolution. The English couldn't bear to have another Catholic king, but since James II had a son, there was no way for his Protestant daughter Mary to take the throne. In an act of rebellion, the English replaced James with William and Mary, who recognized the English Bill of Rights & began a constitutional monarchy in England.
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/WilliamIIIofEngland#/media/File:KingWilliamIIIbyCorneliusJohnson.jpg
