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Jun 15, 1215
Signing of the Magna Carta
King John was forced to sign the Magna Carta by a gathering of his feudal barons, and when he did, it marked the first time in England that a king was forced to accept limitations to his powers. The Magna Carta set the precedent that the actions of English monarchs could not be completely arbitrary and that the English people had rights that could not be violated. -
Petition of Right
The Petition of Right was a document that sets out specific freedoms that the English monarch is prohibited from infringing upon. Like the Magna Carta, it sets specific boundaries that the monarch cannot touch. Charles I was forced to accept this document in order to get Parliament to grant him funds for the Thirty Years' War, so it shows that English kings did absolutely not have absolute power. -
The Long Parliament
Charles I shows up again, and it won't be the last time. The Long Parliament of 1640-1648 passed a number of greviences against Charles, along with a number of laws upholding freedoms of the people and limiting the judicial supremacy of the royal courts. However, the main piece that led to limited monarchy was the bil that required Parliament to meet at least once every three years, whether summoned by the king or not. This removed the dependency of Parliament on the monarch. -
English Civil War
The English Civil War pitted armies loyal to King Charles I against armies loyal to Parliament as both sides struggled for control of the country. -
Execution of Charles I
The execution of Charles I formally dissolved the English monarchy and allowed Oliver Cromwell to set up his own government, supposedly a republic. Parliament at this point had all the power, while the royalty had none. However, Cromwell's rule was just as tyrannical as that of Charles I -
Restoration of the Monarchy
Charles II took the English throne after the death of Oliver Cromwell and the collapse of the English Commonwealth. He ruled justly and fairly, and made sure not to provoke Parliament like his father had. He could have resorted to the tactics his father used, but he saw the devastation that resulted from those policies, so he decided to respect the power of Parliament and did not really test them. -
Glorious Revolution
Parliament got fed up with James II trying to run the country like he was Louis XIV in France, so they invited William of Orange and his wife to come take the English throne, which they did with little resistance. They ruled with Parliament, and set the precedent for future English monarchs to follow in regards to ruling for the public good, not their own personal whims.
