Roots of Parliamentary power in England

1. Roots of Parliamentary power in England For centuries England had witnessed the gradual movement towards parliamentary power which accelerated during the 17th century and stood in sharp contrast to the absolutist trends on the continent.

2. The Evidence • James I • Charles I • Petition of Right • Short Parliament • Long Parliament • Cavaliers • Roundheads • Oliver Cromwell • Rump Parliament • Charles II • Clarendon Code • Declaration of Indulgence • Test Act • James II • William & Mary • Glorious Revolution • Bill of Rights • Toleration Act • Act of Settlement

3. John I: 1215, the barons of England forced King John to sign the Magna Carta, which guaranteed their rights and privileges • Edward I: As evidence of the growing power of the nobles in the 13th century, the Parliament was formed, which met with the king to discuss affairs of the kingdom • Hundred Year’s War: English Kings, in constant need of revenue, summoned the great nobles to raise funds. Nobles demanded rights in return for money and thus the parliamentary power of the purse was born • War of the Roses: In addition to decimating nearly every noble house, this civil war demonstrated the need for a strong central power and thus the rise of Parliament was curtailed • The Tudors: Henry VII, Henry VIII, and Elizabeth I followed popular domestic and foreign policies and outwardly appeared to consult Parliament but actually dominated it.

4. The Stuarts: Ruled claiming divine right, they followed unpopular foreign and domestic policies. James I avoided situations that would call for extra revenues thus rarely did he call Parliament into session. Charles I was more active and was in need of more money all the time. Confrontation between Charles I and Parliament led to the English Civil War • Oliver Cromwell: Cromwell was the leading force in Parliament and ruled as a dictator. Parliament without a king was short lived due to Cromwell’s policies • The Restoration: The bitter civil war of the 1640s and the unsettled political circumstances demanded a resolution which was to bring a Stuarts back

5. The Glorious Revolution: In 1688 the great aristocrats drove the King James II into exile and ended the major stage of parliamentary development by inviting Mary and William to come as co-rulers. • The new king and queen were asked to accept a Bill of Rights, which limited the monarch's arbitrary power and eventually vested authority in Parliament with kingship held as a revocable trust. • This partnership between crown and aristocracy was the first major turning point in ushering in modern parliamentary democracy