ENGLAND’S PATH TO A CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY 16 th and 17 th Century

Elizabeth I  Excercised great personal power.  Victory over the Armada  Shakespeare  Sole weakness? Succession

James VI—James I  Cousin of Elizabeth I  Well educated with the 35 years of Monarchal experience.  “Breeches”  Scotish Accent/Lack of majesty  Belief in Divine Right of Kings

Role of Commons  Power of the purse  Exertion of strength  Desire to be sovereign from king James I.  Charles I—attempts to govern without it!

Charles I  Problems with “Puritans”  Puritan dominance in Parliament  “No Bishop No King” James I  Illegal levies without Parliamentary consent  Represented French style Abolutism

Long Parliament  Need for Charles to call Parliament and act.  “The Long Parliament ”  Rebellion in Ireland 1641  Parliament unwilling to grant funds

Civil War!  English Civil War:  Roundheads v. Cavaliers  Cromwell’s New Model Army  Where does power lie?  King Charles tried and executed for Treason.

Interregnum  Separation of two monarchal periods  Changes in power of Parliament  “Republican” government of Cromwell  Lord Protectorate

Restoration  Invitation by Parliament for Charles II (son) to come back from exile and rule.  Parliament was restored  Good relationships between Charles II and Parliament  Secret deal with Louis XIV

James II  Openly catholic  James II bears a son  Catholic Dynasty?

Glorious Revolution  Replacement of a king without blood  Destruction of Divine Right of Kings  William and Mary  Sovereignty in England is equally divided  Declaration of Rights: cornerstone of the British Constitution

Declaration of Rights  Law was to be made in Parliament  Couldn’t be suspended by crown  Parliament had to be summoned tri-annually.  Judicial independence  Rights of citizens

John Locke  Defender of the Glorious Revolution  People set up governments to protect inalienable rights  Those Gov’t’s that don’t protect these rights are tyrannical.  People have a natural right to rebel under a tyranny.

Consequences?  Formation of a Cabinet form of government  Crafting of the English Constitution  Clarification of Sovereignty  Robert Walpole first “Prime Minister”