English Kings v. Parliament in the 1600s and 1700s

The English Civil War, the Restoration, and The Glorious Revolution

1588

Queen Elizabeth I (Protestant Queen of England) defeats the Spanish Armada sent by Phillip II (Catholic King of Spain) to overthrow her and end England's interference in the Spanish Netherlands.

1603

Queen Elizabeth I (a well liked queen) dies without an heir.

Her cousin James VI, King of Scotland, becomes James I, King of England.

James I is less well liked and fights with Parliament over money.

1625

King James I dies and his son, Charles I, becomes king.

Charles I dissolves Parliament when they refuse to give him money to fight wars against Spain and France.

1628

Charles I recalls Parliament. Parliament refuses to give Charles I money

unless he signs the Petition of Right, which limited some of the powers of the King.

Charles I signs this document, but then proceeds to ignore it.

1641

Parliament enacted laws in an attempt to limit the power of the King.

1642

Charles I tried to arrest the Parliament’s leaders, but they escaped.

An angry mob of Londoners assembled outside the palace.

Charles I flees from London.

1642

Beginning of English Civil War. At first both King and Parliament have

victories.

1644

Oliver Cromwell (MP) takes over as general of Parliament’s army.

Institutes the New Model Army, in which rank is awarded based on merit rather than social status.

The new army begins winning the war.

1647

Cromwell’s army defeats the King’s army and takes Charles I prisoner.

1649

Cromwell and Parliament put King Charles I on trial.

They find him guilty of treason and have him beheaded in front of his palace.

This was the first time that a king of any country had faced a public trial and execution.

1649

Cromwell immediately faced a rebellion in Ireland, which had been under English rule since Henry VIII.

He sent an army there to crush the rebellion. He then took Irish homes and land and gave

them to English soldiers. Between 1649 and 1849 over 600,000 Irish

people died from fighting, plague, and famine.

1653

Oliver Cromwell took over as the leader of England

He sent Parliament home, and ruled as a military dictator.

Cromwell was a Puritan who outlawed sports, music, dance, and theater.

1658

Oliver Cromwell died, leaving his weak son to take over rule of England.

1660

Parliament asks the oldest son of Charles I, Charles II (who had been living in exile in France) to return and rule England.

This was called ‘The Restoration’. Charles II restored the Monarchy to England,

as well as sports, music, dance, and theater.

1679

Parliament passed the Habeas Corpus law, which guaranteed a prisoner the right to appear before a judge.

This meant that a person could no longer be imprisoned simply for opposing the king.

1685

Charles II dies, leaving his son James II to rule.

James II is a Catholic, which Puritans in Parliament do not like.

1688

Parliament asks William of Orange (from The Netherlands) and his wife Mary (James II’s daughter), who were Protestants, to overthrow James II.

William led his army to London and James II fled to France.

This is known as the ‘Glorious Revolution’.

1689

William and Mary rule as partners with Parliament.

They sign the English Bill of Rights into law. This new system became known as a

Constitutional Monarchy. They later developed a Cabinet which acted in

the ruler’s name, with the Prime Minister essentially becoming the ruler of England.

1694

Mary dies and William rules alone until 1702.