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