1. Constitutional Monarchy in England

2. The Tudors The Tudor dynasty ruled England from 1485-1603 Henry VIII
Elizabeth I
The Tudors respected and consulted Parliament and the two sides worked well together
In 1603, Elizabeth died without an heir; throne passed to her cousin, a member of the Stuart family

3. King James I
1566 – 1625
First king of a “United Kingdom” of “Great Britain” (England, Scotland, & Ireland)
Clashed with Parliament over money and foreign policy, wanted more control as king
Eventually dismissed Parliament

4. King James I & Religion
Persecuted Puritan religious dissenters, causing many of them to flee England (including the Pilgrims who settled in Massachusetts
James also ordered a new translation of the Bible (The King James Version) that reinforced the practices of the Church of England

5. The Gunpowder Treason
Plot by Catholics to blow up King James and Parliament in order to place a Catholic on the throne
November 5, 1605
Remember, remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason, why the gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.
The plot failed, leading to a crackdown on Catholicism

6. Guy Fawkes
1570 – 1606
Former soldier assigned to carry out the Gunpowder Plot, but was caught in the act
Tortured into confession
Sentenced to be hung, drawn, & quartered, Fawkes deliberately jumped from the scaffold and broke his own neck
Continues to be a sort of “folk hero” in England for his willingness to take action against a government he did not support

7. King Charles I
1600 – 1649
Tried to diminish the power of Parliament and establish himself as an absolute monarch
Violated the Magna Carta and imprisoned his political enemies without trial
By 1628, however, England was broke and Charles was forced to convene Parliament and ask for an increase in tax rates to keep the country running

8. Charles & Parliament
Parliament demanded that Charles agree to not imprison anyone without cause and to respect Parliament’s right to control the tax rate in exchange for raising taxes; Charles agreed
As soon as the new taxes were approved, Charles dissolved Parliament again, this time for 11 years

9. Descent into War
In 1640, a Scottish rebellion forced Charles to reconvene Parliament once again
Parliament quickly moved to arrest and execute Charles’ top advisors and declared that the king no longer had the power to dissolve Parliament
Parliament also raised its own army to stand against the king’s, forcing England into civil war

10. The English Civil Wars 1642-1649
Cavaliers (pro-king) vs. Roundheads (pro-Parliament)
Roundheads were led by Oliver Cromwell, a Puritan
King Charles was captured by Roundheads and given a chance to accept a constitutional monarchy, but refused
Charles I was tried, convicted of treason, and beheaded in 1649 – the first European king to be executed by his own people

11. The Commonwealth
After executing Charles, the House of Commons (the lower house of Parliament) abolished the monarchy, the House of Lords (the upper house of Parliament), and the Church of England
Oliver Cromwell was named Lord Protector, the country’s new leader
When Catholic Ireland and Calvinist Scotland rebelled; Cromwell put down these rebellions harshly
Cromwell quickly became a tyrant, losing the support of the people
After Cromwell died in 1658, Parliament softened and invited Charles II (Charles I’s son) to return and resume the throne in 1660

12. The Strange Tale of Cromwell’s Head
After the restoration of the monarchy, Cromwell’s body was dug up, publicly hung, and then decapitated.
The head was publicly displayed on a pole for 25 years, before being stolen and traded by private collectors until 1960

13. King Charles II 1630 – 1685 Catholic sympathizer
His reign is known as “The Restoration Period”
Despite having many (illegitimate) children, he left no legitimate heir at his death, so he was succeeded on the throne by his brother James

14. King James II
1633 – 1701
Had converted to Catholicism and tried to diminish the power of the Church of England
Maintained a standing army with many Catholic officers
Openly promoted the idea of the “divine right” of kings
His oldest daughter, Mary, was a Protestant, but once James produced an heir by his second (Catholic) wife, Parliament became worried that the monarchy might become Catholic for the long-term

15. The Glorious Revolution
Parliament secretly negotiated with James’ Protestant daughter Mary and her husband William III of Orange to replace James as rulers
In 1688, fearing execution, James abdicated and fled to France

16. William III & Mary II William III (1650 – 1702) Mary II (1662 – 1694)
In order to take the throne, had to agree to the conditions laid out by Parliament in the English Bill of Rights
William ruled while Mary managed the Church of England
Granted the charter which founded the College of William & Mary in the Virginia Colony in 1693
Mary died from smallpox with no children, so the Stuart dynasty ended upon William’s death

17. The English Bill of Rights
Parliament is superior to the king
Parliament must be allowed to meet regularly
House of Commons controls the treasury (taxes)
King can not dismiss or interfere with Parliament
King can not suspend laws
King can not be Catholic
King can not maintain a standing army
King can not quarter soldiers in people’s private homes

18. The English Bill of Rights
Citizens get trial by jury
No cruel or unusual punishment
Writ of Habeas corpus – no one can be arrested and imprisoned without being charged with a crime
Citizens have the right to bear arms