Triumph of Parliament

Chapter 1.5

#1

Who ruled England from 1485-1603?The Tudor Dynasty (Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth).

#2

What was the Protestant Reformation?Christians launched protests against the church.

#3

3. How was the Church of England formed?Henry VIII broke with Rome (Catholic Church) to form the Church of England.

#4Why did the throne pass to the Stuarts?Elizabeth I died in 1603 without a direct heir. The throne passed to her relatives the Stuarts, the ruling family of Scotland.

#5How did James I behave? Define absolute monarch.He behaved like an absolute monarch, a ruler with complete authority over the government and the lives of the people.

#6What did Parliament insist Charles I do before giving him money?Before voting for any funds, Parliament insisted that Charles accept the Petition of Right.

#7What did the Petition of Right prohibit the king from doing?It prohibited the king from raising taxes without the consent of Parliament and banned imprisonment without just cause.

#8How did the Long Parliament trigger a political revolution? How did Charles react?In 1640, Charles needed funds to combat a rebellion in Scotland, so he summoned Parliament. When it met, however, Parliament launched its own revolt. It further declared that the Parliament could not be dissolved without its own consent.

#8 continued...The Long Parliament, which lasted until 1653, triggered the greatest political revolution in English history. In a mounting struggle with the king, Parliament tried and executed the king’s chief ministers.

English Civil WarCharles lashed back. In 1642, he led troops into the House of Commons to arrest its most radical leaders. They escaped through a back door and soon raised their own army. The clash then moved to the battlefield.

#9

When was the English Civil War?1642 to 1649.

#10Who supported Charles in the war? Who supported Parliament?Wealthy nobles supported Charles. Rural landowners, town-dwelling manufacturers, and Puritan clergy backed Parliament.

#11

Who was Oliver Cromwell? Parliament’s forces were led by a skilled general named Oliver Cromwell.

#12What happened by 1647?In a series of decisive battles, Cromwell’s army defeated the king’s troops. By 1647, Charles I was in the hands of parliamentary forces.

#13Two years later, what happened to Charles? Why did this send shock waves throughout Europe?Two years later, Parliament set up a court to try the king. It condemned Charles to death as “a tyrant, traitor, murderer, and public enemy.”

#13 continued...

The king’s execution sent shock waves throughout Europe. For the first time, a ruling monarch had been tried and executed by his own people. The parliamentary forces had sent a clear signal that in England, no ruler could claim absolute power and ignore the rule of law.

#14What did the House of Commons/Parliament do after the execution?The House of Commons abolished the monarchy, the House of Lords, and the official Church of England. Parliament also declared England a republic, known as the Commonwealth, with Cromwell in charge. A series of threats led Cromwell to impose military rule in 1653.

Before going on to #15...

Parliament exiled Catholics to barren land in the west of Ireland. Puritans gained influence throughout the government and society.

#15In 1660, why did Parliament restore the monarchy?Oliver Cromwell died in 1658. Soon after, the Puritans lost their grip on England. Many people had tired of military rule and strict Puritan ways. In 1660, a newly elected Parliament restored the monarchy by inviting Charles’s son to rule.

#16What did James II do that alarmed parliamentary leaders?He suspended laws at whim and flaunted his Catholic faith. He even appointed Catholics to high office.Many English Protestants feared that James would restore the Roman Catholic Church.

#17Describe the Glorious Revolution. Who were the new rulers?In 1688, alarmed parliamentary leaders invited James’s Protestant daughter, Mary, and her Dutch Protestant husband, William III to become rulers of England.

#17 continued...When William and Mary landed with their army late in 1688, James II fled to France. This bloodless overthrow of the king became known as the Glorious Revolution.

#18What did the new rulers have to accept?William and Mary had to accept several acts passed by Parliament in 1689 that became known as the English Bill of Rights.

#19What did the English Bill of Rights say? The Bill of Rights ensured the superiority of Parliament over the monarchy. It required the monarch to summon Parliament regularly and gave the House of Commons the “power of the purse.” A king or queen could no longer interfere in parliamentary debates or suspend laws.

#19 continued...The Bill of Rights restated the traditional rights of English citizens, such as trial by jury. It abolished excessive fines and cruel or unjust punishment. It affirmed the principle of habeas corpus.

#20

Define habeas corpus.No person can be held in prison without first being charged with a specific crime.

#21What is a limited monarchy?The Glorious Revolution and the English Bill of Rights did not create a democracy. They established a type of government called a limited monarchy, in which a constitution or legislative body limits the monarch’s powers. English rulers still had much power, but they had to obey the law and govern in partnership with Parliament.