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Jun 15, 1215
Formation of Parliament
Parliament developed with the intention of regulating the king’s powers. It began by regulating the king’s ability to tax, and eventually the king would become reliant upon Parliament for funding, as Charles I was amidst the religious war with Scotland. This development was essential to the eventual formation of a Parliamentary monarchy as it revealed the early desire to limit the power of the king to prevent corruption and, of course, Parliament was ultimately who challenged the king and demand -
Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta was the first document that ever called the monarch’s absolute authority into question. It began to establish the authority of Parliament and it was used to argue against the divine right of kings. If the English subjects upheld the theory of diving right, Parliament never would have been able to check the powers of the king, for it would be deemed un-Christian. The Magna Carta worked to ensure that subjects’ rights were granted and upheld. It limited the king’s levying of taxes, -
English War with Spain
Parliament would not finance the war with Spain, so the king had to raise money by levying new tariffs, collecting discontinued taxes, unfairly taxing property owners. He also housed soldiers in his subjects’ homes. These actions were unjust expansions of power. Parliament was not consulted on the new taxes, and King Charles’ actions challenged the authorities of local property owners and nobles. This contributed to the establishment of a Parliamentary monarchy because Parliament became motivate -
Petition of Right
Parliament refused to grant King Charles I any more funds until this document was signed. It demanded that no taxes should be levied without the consent of Parliament, no subject should be illegally imprisoned, and troops could not be housed in private homes. The demands strengthened Parliament and took power away from the king. Charles had to sign to obtain more funding for his war, but he did not regard it. His disregard was another usurpation of power that Parliament would attack to justify t -
English War with Scotland
King Charles came into religious conflict with Scotland and they went to war. After some losses, the king was forced to call on Parliament for funding. Parliament refused to fund the war until the king had responded to their list of grievances. Charles refused to agree to the list until defeat in the Battle of Newburn, after which the English could not persist in effort without more funding. The king was forced to relinquish some of his power and simultaneously increase the power of Parliament. -
The Grand Remonstrance
The Grand Remonstrance was a list of Parliament’s grievances against the king, embodying all the corruption that was present in dealing with his subjects, such as levying unjust taxes without the consent of Parliament, and other major issues such as refusing to acknowledge Parliament and making rash military decisions without their consent. Parliament refused to cooperate with the king until he accepted the grievances and promised to reform his rule and the corrupt church. The document was also -
English Civil War
The English Civil War took place between the Cavaliers, who supported King Charles I, and the Roundheads, who supported Parliament. The Roundheads were victorious over the Cavaliers because Parliament had allied with Scotland and allowed their army to be under Oliver Cromwell’s rule. Their victory established the supremacy of Parliament over the king. Following their victory, Parliament removed any king-supporters from their council.
