The Development of English Civil Rights

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 (English nobles held only 8% land by 1086)

– Consolidated power to himself by weakening Norman nobility

• 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– Eventually became Parliament

Skipping ahead 350 years…

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

without heirs• Crown passed to her

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

monarch– Fought w/ Parliament over

taxes, war• Parl wanted no wars on Cont.

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

James I (1603-1625)

• Gunpowder Plot (1605)– Guy Fawkes, a catholic

soldier, was discovered in Parl. basement w/ explosives

– James I suppressed Catholics after finding evidence of Catholic plot

• English culture flourished under his rule– Shakespeare; Ben Johnson;

Francis Bacon cont. work

Guy Fawkes, discovered

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– Also sought to bring Catholic

& Anglican churches closer– 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

• After initial success, Royalists begin losing

• 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 = 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 are partners w/ Parl, not absolute monarchs

• Sign Bill of Rights that limit 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