1. Louis XIV was
an absolute
monarch in
France. And
Peter the Great
was an absolute
monarch in Russia.
But absolute
monarchy did not
develop in England.

2. In England, the power of the king
was limited.

3. In England, a constitutional monarchy
developed. A constitutional monarchy
is a political system in which political
power is shared between the king
and Parliament.

4. In 1215, English nobles forced King John
to sign the Magna Carta.

5. except according to the
The Magna Carta
was a document that
guaranteed that an
Englishman could not
be fined or imprisoned
except according to the
laws of the land. As
such, the law became
more powerful than
the king.

6. In addition, in England,
a parliament was
established.
Parliament is a
legislative
body. Parliament
limited the power
of the king.

7. In England,
Parliament
is made up of
nobles in the
House of Lords
and elected
representatives
in the House
of Commons.

8. Parliament claimed the right to approve taxes. In other words,
the power of the purse rested
in the hands of Parliament.

9. In addition, the British fought two
revolutions, the Puritan Revolution and
the Glorious Revolution, to establish
the supremacy of Parliament over the king.

10. The Bill of Rights
of 1869 confirmed
that English
monarchs could
not collect new
taxes or raise an
army without
Parliament’s
consent.

11. John Locke was
a British
philosopher.
He published
a book on
government.
He believed
that people
had rights.

12. He did not believe in a ruler’s absolute power. Locke believed
that people were born with the
right to life, property, and liberty.

13. Locke believed that the government
had a responsibility to protect these
rights! He did not believe in absolutism.

14. Constitutional Monarchy:
Compare and Contrast:
Absolute Monarchy:
Constitutional Monarchy: