English Constitutional Monarchy

Background (1215-1603)

Magna Carta, 1215 CONTRACT between king and aristocracy [list of demands by nobles] - king forced to accept goal  limit king’s power: king must ask for consent to tax

Model Parliament, 1295 King Edward I brought his military leaders and nobility together as a Parliament to ask their consent to new taxes Established the principle of parliamentary “power of the purse” A radical new idea for any monarch to ask for anything!

The Elizabethan “Bargain” Parliament: legislative group of commoners and nobles power to tax debate/amend disputed bills Monarch: prerogative [right/choice] on foreign policy

The Early Stuarts (1603-1649)

The Stuart Monarchy

James I [r. 1603-1625] wanted absolute power disagreed w/ idea that monarch and Parliament work TOGETHER defender of Anglican Church [Protestant] angered Puritans [mostly rich landowners below level of nobility] Puritan gentry formed an important and large part of the House of Commons It was NOT WISE to alienate them!

Gunpowder Plot, 1605 An attempt by some provincial Catholics to kill King James I and most of the Protestant aristocracy. Blow up the House of Lords during the state opening of Parliament. Guy Fawkes

Executions of the Gunpowder Plotters

King James Bible, 1611

Charles I [r. 1625-1649] Pro-ceremonies and rituals. Uniformity of church services imposed by a church court. Anglican Book of Common Prayer for both England AND Scotland. Seen as too pro-Catholic by the Puritans.

The Petition of Rights, 1628 needed Parliament consent to spend taxpayer £ [fought lots of wars] to get £, Charles I agreed: No imprisonment without due cause No taxation without Par.’s consent No putting soldiers in private homes No martial law during peacetime Charles signed it  ignored it  dissolving Parliament

The Civil War (1642-1649)

Royalists (Cavaliers) Parliamentarians (Roundheads) Civil War (1642-1649) Royalists (Cavaliers) Parliamentarians (Roundheads) House of Lords N & W England Aristocracy Large landowners Church officials More rural House of Commons S & E England Puritans Merchants Townspeople More urban

Playskool Version of the English Civil War Roundheads Cavaliers

Oliver Cromwell [1599-1658] constitutional Parliament fails led army  defeated royal forces [captured King Charles I] seizes control of gov’t - new Parliament [anti-monarchy] King Charles put on trial - guilty of treason  beheaded constitutional Parliament fails rules under martial law Military dictator

Regicide  Beheading of Charles I, 1649 1st ever monarch publicly tried and executed!!!

The Restoration (1660-1688) Parliament could no more exist without the Crown than the Crown without Parliament. This was the most important lesson of the English Civil War!

King Charles II [r. 1660-1685] Eng. want return to monarchy - Charles II king - end martial law restored Anglican Church accepted habeas corpus no children - succeeded by his brother

King Charles II [r. 1660-1685] 1673  Test Act Parliament excluded all but Anglicans from civilian and military positions. [to the Anglican gentry, the Puritans were considered “radicals” and the Catholics were seen as “traitors!”] 1679  Habeas Corpus Act Any unjustly imprisoned persons could obtain a writ of habeas corpus compelling the govt. to explain why he had lost his liberty.

King James II [r. 1685-1688] Was a bigoted convert to Catholicism without any of Charles II’s shrewdness or ability to compromise. Alienated even the Tories. Provoked the revolution that Charles II had succeeded in avoiding!

King James II [r. 1685-1688] strongly supported Catholicism angered Protestants in Parliament Camped a standing army a few miles outside of London. Surrounded himself with Catholic advisors & attacked Anglican control of the universities. Claimed the power to suspend or dispense with Acts of Parliament. 1687  Declaration of Liberty of Conscience He extended religious toleration without Parliament’s approval or support.

The Glorious Revolution 1688

The “Glorious” Revolution: 1688 Par. wants to overthrow James offered throne jointly to James’ daughter Mary [Protestant] & her husband, William of Orange approached London w/ an army  James fled power exchanged w/ no fighting [“Glorious”]

English Bill of Rights [1689] settled all major issues between King & Par model for the US Bill of Rights

The Seesaw of King & Parliament: 1603-1689

English Bill of Rights [1689] Main provisions: The King could not suspend the operation of laws. The King could not interfere with the ordinary course of justice. No taxes levied or standard army maintained in peacetime without Parliament’s consent. Freedom of speech in Parliament. Sessions of Parliament would be held frequently. Subjects had the right of bail, petition, and freedom from excessive fines and cruel and unusual punishment. The monarch must be a Protestant. Freedom from arbitrary arrest. Censorship of the press was dropped. Religious toleration.