The Development of the English Monarchy

World History - Libertyville HS

English History, 1067-1215• William the Conqueror

(1035-1087)– French (Norman) became King

after Battle of Hastings (1066)– Brutally suppressed English

nobility (Native English nobles held only 8% land by 1086)

• Around 1215, nobles rebelled vs. King John– Barons angry at his attempts to

further expand power of throne (high taxes, unsuccessful wars)

Magna Carta (1215)

• Barons forced King John to sign the Magna Carta (“Great Charter”)– First limit on King’s power– Protected nobles’ privileges– Guaranteed due process

(notice & hearing)– Created a Royal Council of

barons to check king’s power– Required all taxes to be

approved by Royal Council

Parliament• Royal Council gradually evolved

into Parliament • Over centuries, became an elected

body of lords and commoners– Relations between king & parliament

depended upon strength of king– Strong king could control or ignore

parliament– Weak king forced to work with and

be challenged by parliament• By 1341, it was established that no

law could be made, nor any tax levied, without the consent of both Houses and the king

Stuart Dynasty (1603-1688)• Elizabeth I died in 1603,

without heirs• Crown passed to her Scottish

cousin, James I (r. 1603-1625)– Presbyterian king of Scotland– Wanted to be an absolute

monarch, like continental kings (no limits, from Parl.)

– Fought w/ Parliament over taxes, war• Parl wanted no wars on Cont.

(30 Years War)• Religious conflict (Parl=Puritan

vs king = Presbyterian)

Charles I (r. 1625-49)• Protestant, but married

Catholic princess from France

• Believed self to be appointed by God as king– Fought vs. Parl. for money to

fight in 30 Years War– When he didn’t get $$, he

dissolved Parl. • Ruled for 11 years, 1629-40• Levied taxes w/o Parl.

approval• Jailed nobles w/o due process

English Civil War, 1642-49• 1640-42: b/c of rebellion in

Ireland, Charles needed $$$; brought Parl. back into session– Parl. ignored $ request and

passed laws limiting king’s power

– Charles tried to have Parl. arrested; Parl. fled, but commoners attacked King!

• Civil war started: Royalists vs. “Roundheads”

English Civil War, 1642-49• Royalists

– Supporters of King Charles– Generally nobility, Catholics,

Irish, Scottish• Roundheads

– Supporters of Parliament– Generally commoners, Puritans

• Oliver Cromwell– Leader of Roundheads– Puritan (strict Anglicans)– Creates “New Model Army”, a

professional army– Royalists fought in traditional

manner (peasant levies, etc)

English Civil War, 1642-49

• King Charles captured• Parliament debated what

to do…– New Model Army marched

on Parliament and arrested those that wanted to negotiate with Charles

– Only let 75 members in to vote to try King for treason

– Tried and sentenced to death by “Rump Parliament”

• Executed on 1/30/1649

Cromwell’s Commonwealth of England• Cromwell became “Lord

Protector” until his death in 1658– Essentially a military dictatorship– Parliament did not meet

• Cromwell spent his time subduing Ireland & Wales

• Also passed morality laws outlawing the theater, comedies

• In 1660, the Parl. invited Charles’ son to become king of England (already ruling as king of Scotland)

Charles II (r. 1660-1685)• Charles II agreed to habeas

corpus law– Every prisoner has the right to

be brought before a judge to determine if wrongfully arrested

– All prisoners have right to a trial (no indefinite imprisonment w/o trial)

• Attempted religious tolerance of Catholics, but that was blocked by Parl.

• Known as the “Merry Monarch” b/c he liked to party

James II

• Charles II died w/o an heir so his brother, James, became James II– James was… Catholic!– James flaunts his religion to a

horrified Parl, nation– Also thought he was an

absolute monarch– Dissolved Parl when it spoke

out against him• James then had a son

– Line of Catholic English kings frightened a protestant Parl.

The “Glorious Revolution” (1688)• Parl. invited James II’s

daughter, Mary, and her husband, William of Orange (Dutch guy) to become king and queen of England

• Bloodless revolt– William & Mary showed up,

James II fled to Ireland (later to Spain)

William & Mary• Constitutional Monarchy

– W & M were partners w/ Parl, not absolute monarchs

• Signed Bill of Rights that limited the power of the monarchy– No suspension of Parl. laws– No taxes w/o Parl. approval– No limits on speech, in Parl.– Safety for people to complain against

King• Est. Cabinet (link between Parl.,

monarch)– Prime minister runs gov’t– Center of policy making, gov’t in

England, even today