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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
A royal charter signed by King John than granted subjects power at his own expense. This provided all English people will certain inherent rights and liberties that could not be infringed upon by any ruler, and as such became a significant hindrance to any attempt to establish absolute monarchy in England. -
Jan 20, 1265
Creation of Parliament
The Magna Carta had already established certain limits to the power of the English monarchy. In addition to this, monarchs used to call meetings called Great Councils in order to gain advice and the opinions of different classes of people. These Great Councils eventually developed into what is now known as the English Parliament (though there is no consensus as to the date of its creation). -
Petition of Right
An expansion to the Magna Carta, this document set out to establish specific liberties that could not be infringed upon by the monarchy. For example, it restricted non-Parliamentary taxation and the use of martial law. This was passed after disputes between Parliament and King Charles I in the years following the Thirty Years' War, and as such limited the king's power. -
English Civil War
This was a nine-year war fought between the Parliamentarians (Roundheads) and the Royalists (Cavaliers) primarily over how England should be governed. The war ended on September 3, 1951 and resulted in a decisive Parliamentarian victory, the execution of the sitting monarch, King Charles I, and the time period known as the Commonwealth, when England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland were ruled as a republic. -
Habeas Corpus Act 1679
An act passed by Parliament in 1679 during the reign of King Charles II, this promoted more individual liberty for all citizens. This prevented citizens from being imprisoned unlawfully or arbitrarily, forbade double jeopardy, and provided speedy trials. -
Convention Parliament of 1689
The Convention Parliament transferred power from James II, a near-despot, to William III and Mary II in 1689. Unlike their predecessor, they were extremely cooperative with Parliament and helped bring forth more freedom and liberty for all. -
Bill of Rights 1689
It officially established England as a constitutional, or limited, monarchy. This, along with the Petition of Right and Habeas Corpus Act, helped form the English Constitution. This document set limits on the powers of the monarchy, established rights of Parliament and the individual, and condemned James II, a monarch who sought absolute power. The ideas in this document reflected those of John Locke and gave Parliament more power than the monarchy.
