Parliament Triumphs in England

Parliament Triumphs in EnglandMr. Divett

A Contrast to Absolutism

• English political power shifted away from monarchs.

• Parliament expanded its influence.

Cooperation With Parliament

• Henry VIII got Parliament to legalize his actions.• Parliament approved the Act of Supremacy.

Cooperation With Parliament

• Henry VIII spent a lot on war.• To raise new taxes he had to work with

Parliament.• Parliament got used to being a part of

important decisions.

Cooperation With Parliament• Queen Elizabeth also cooperated well with

Parliament.• Parliament tended to side with the monarchy,

but they liked to be a part of big decisions.

James Stuart

• James Stuart of Scotland (James I) inherited the throne after Elizabeth.

• He inherited a bunch of problems.

• He also tried to say he was more powerful than Parliament.

The Stuarts Challenge

• The House of Commons did not like this.

• James fought with Parliament on several issues.

End of Parliament

• Parliament did not want to talk about taxes.

• James dissolved Parliament and collected taxes on his own.

Dissenters

• James also fought with dissenters.• The Puritans disagreed with the Church of

England and wanted to get rid of Catholic practices.

Charles I

• Charles I was much like his dad.

• He taxed heavily and imprisoned his enemies without trial.

Parliament Reconvenes

• In 1628 Charles I called Parliament together again.

• He needed money.• Parliament tried to get him to sign the Petition

of Right.• This said that the king couldn’t raise taxes

without the consent of Parliament.• The King also couldn’t imprison for no reason.

Petition of Right

Charles Signs and Ignores the Petition

• Charles signs it.• Then he ignores it for 11 years.• He dissolves Parliament again and rules with

out them during those 11 years.

Scottish Revolt

• Charles’ Archbishop, William Laud, enforced strict Anglican rules.

• Charles and Laud tried to impose an Anglican prayer book on Scotland and they revolted.

Laud

Parliament Again

• Charles needed money to suppress the Scottish Revolt.

• He called Parliament together again.• This time they turned on him!

The Long Parliament

• Started in 1640• Lasted (on and off) until 1653• Triggered the greatest English Revolution

Actions of the Long Parliament

• They tried and executed Charles I’s chief ministers, which included Archbishop Laud.

• They said only Parliament could dissolve Parliament.

Charles I on Trial

Charles Fights Back

• In 1642 he stormed the House of Commons with troops.

• He arrested the most radical leaders.• Those who escaped formed their own army.

Civil War

• Civil war ensued.• It lasted from 1642 to 1651.

Cavaliers

• Army of Charles I• Long hair• Plumed hats• Rich nobles

Roundheads

• Parliament’s army• Poor people from the country• Short hair, and thus they were called

roundheads

Oliver Cromwell

• Leader of roundheads• Puritan• Skilled general• Defeated Cavaliers in several decisive battles

Cromwell

Royal Execution

• Charles I was tried and found guilty.• Charles was said to be “a tyrant, traitor,

murderer, and a public enemy”.• He had no fear of dying• He said “I am a martyr of the people”.• He said a prayer and gave the cue for his own

death.

First Royal Execution

• The world was shocked by the execution of Charles I.

• Never before had a king been tried and executed by his own people.

• This showed kings that their power was limited in England.

Abolition of Monarchy

• House of Commons abolished:– Monarchy– The House of Lords– The Church of England

Cromwell and Commonwealth

• They declared England a republic, named the Commonwealth.

• Cromwell was the leader.• They were met with harsh opposition.

Commonwealth Coat of Arms

Challenge

• Charles II would have been the heir to the throne.

• He had supporters.• They attacked England by way of Ireland and

Scotland.

Fighting With Parliament

• Parliament exiled Catholics to barren Ireland• Levellers wanted poor people in Parliament• Cromwell made himself “Lord Protector”• This was basically a dictator

Cromwell Dissolves Parliament

Dissolves the Long Parliament

Puritans

• Enacted laws mandating Sabbath Day observance

• Closed Theaters• Spoke out against gambling and pubs• Encouraged education• Invited Jews back into England after 350 years

of exile

End of Commonwealth

• Cromwell died in 1658• People were tired of stringent Puritan beliefs• Parliament invited Charles II back to England• End of “kingless decade”• Start of Restoration

Charles II

• Popular with the people• Reopened theaters and pubs• Reestablished the Church of England• Tolerated other religions• Accepted Petition of Right• Learned from his dad’s mistakes

Charles II

James II

• Charles II’s brother• Took over the throne in 1685• Was Catholic• Suspended laws• Appointed Catholic leaders

James II

Bloodless Conquest

• Mary (James’ daughter) and husband William III of Orange were invited to be rulers of England in 1688

• They landed with their army• James fled to France• This bloodless rise to power was called the

Glorious Revolution

William and Mary

William III to Claim Throne

Bill of Rights

• William and Mary were forced to accept acts passed by Parliament before being crowned

• These are called the English Bill of Rights• Parliamentary rights included:– Superiority of Parliament over monarchy– “Power of the purse”– Barring of Catholics from holding throne– Barring of monarchs from interfering with

Parliamentary laws

Bill of Rights

• Citizen’s rights:– Trial by jury– Habeas corpus– No excessive fines– No unjust punishment– No imprisonment without conviction

Toleration Act

• Passed in 1689• Insured religious toleration for protestants

including Puritans and Quakers• Still only members of Church of England could

hold office• Catholics still had no religious freedom

Result of the Glorious Revolution

• Limited monarchy- a legislative body limits monarch’s power

• This was radical compared to the rest of Europe

• Inspired thinkers including John Locke

Constitutional Government

• After the Glorious Revolution, England evolved into a constitutional government.

• This included the addition of political parties, the cabinet, and the prime minister.

Political Parties

• Emerged in the late 1600’s• Tories- aristocrats, wanted to preserve old

traditions, have royal powers, and have a superior Anglican church

• Whigs- supported religious toleration, and powerful Parliament

Cabinet

• Evolved in 1700s• Germans George I and George II inherited the

English throne• They spoke no English• They needed a cabinet to help them rule• They met in a small room, hence the name

“cabinet”• US adopted it

Prime Minister

• The head of the cabinet became known as the Prime Minister

• Later on the Prime Minister became more powerful than the monarch

David Cameron, Current UK Prime Minister

Oligarchy

• British government was not quite a democracy• They were an oligarchy, or a government

ruled by a few people• Only the upper classes could vote and hold

office

Current British Political System