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Constitutional Monarchy in England

Constitutional Monarchy in England. The Tudors. The Tudor dynasty ruled England from 1485-1603 Henry VIII Elizabeth I The Tudors respected and consulted Parliament and the two sides worked well together

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Constitutional Monarchy in England

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  1. Constitutional Monarchy in England

  2. The Tudors • The Tudor dynasty ruled England from 1485-1603 • Henry VIII • Elizabeth I • The Tudors respected and consulted Parliament and the two sides worked well together • In 1603, Elizabeth died without an heir; throne passed to her cousin, a member of the Stuart family

  3. King James I • 1566 – 1625 • First king of a “United Kingdom” of “Great Britain” (England, Scotland, & Ireland) • Clashed with Parliament over money and foreign policy, wanted more control as king • Eventually dismissed Parliament

  4. King James I & Religion • Persecuted Puritan religious dissenters, causing many of them to flee England (including the Pilgrims who settled in Massachusetts • James also ordered a new translation of the Bible (The King James Version) that reinforced the practices of the Church of England

  5. The Gunpowder Treason • Plot by Catholics to blow up King James and Parliament in order to place a Catholic on the throne • November 5, 1605 Remember, remember the fifth of November Gunpowder, treason and plot. I see no reason, why the gunpowder treason Should ever be forgot. • The plot failed, leading to a crackdown on Catholicism

  6. Guy Fawkes • 1570 – 1606 • Former soldier assigned to carry out the Gunpowder Plot, but was caught in the act • Tortured into confession • Sentenced to be hung, drawn, & quartered, Fawkes deliberately jumped from the scaffold and broke his own neck • Continues to be a sort of “folk hero” in England for his willingness to take action against a government he did not support

  7. King Charles I • 1600 – 1649 • Tried to diminish the power of Parliament and establish himself as an absolute monarch • Violated the Magna Carta and imprisoned his political enemies without trial • By 1628, however, England was broke and Charles was forced to convene Parliament and ask for an increase in tax rates to keep the country running

  8. Charles & Parliament • Parliament demanded that Charles agree to not imprison anyone without cause and to respect Parliament’s right to control the tax rate in exchange for raising taxes; Charles agreed • As soon as the new taxes were approved, Charles dissolved Parliament again, this time for 11 years

  9. Descent into War • In 1640, a Scottish rebellion forced Charles to reconvene Parliament once again • Parliament quickly moved to arrest and execute Charles’ top advisors and declared that the king no longer had the power to dissolve Parliament • Parliament also raised its own army to stand against the king’s, forcing England into civil war

  10. The English Civil Wars • 1642-1649 • Cavaliers (pro-king) vs. Roundheads (pro-Parliament) • Roundheads were led by Oliver Cromwell, a Puritan • King Charles was captured by Roundheads and given a chance to accept a constitutional monarchy, but refused • Charles I was tried, convicted of treason, and beheaded in 1649 – the first European king to be executed by his own people

  11. The Commonwealth • After executing Charles, the House of Commons (the lower house of Parliament) abolished the monarchy, the House of Lords (the upper house of Parliament), and the Church of England • Oliver Cromwell was named Lord Protector, the country’s new leader • When Catholic Ireland and Calvinist Scotland rebelled; Cromwell put down these rebellions harshly • Cromwell quickly became a tyrant, losing the support of the people • After Cromwell died in 1658, Parliament softened and invited Charles II (Charles I’s son) to return and resume the throne in 1660

  12. The Strange Tale of Cromwell’s Head • After the restoration of the monarchy, Cromwell’s body was dug up, publicly hung, and then decapitated. • The head was publicly displayed on a pole for 25 years, before being stolen and traded by private collectors until 1960

  13. King Charles II • 1630 – 1685 • Catholic sympathizer • His reign is known as “The Restoration Period” • Despite having many (illegitimate) children, he left no legitimate heir at his death, so he was succeeded on the throne by his brother James

  14. King James II • 1633 – 1701 • Had converted to Catholicism and tried to diminish the power of the Church of England • Maintained a standing army with many Catholic officers • Openly promoted the idea of the “divine right” of kings • His oldest daughter, Mary, was a Protestant, but once James produced an heir by his second (Catholic) wife, Parliament became worried that the monarchy might become Catholic for the long-term

  15. The Glorious Revolution • Parliament secretly negotiated with James’ Protestant daughter Mary and her husband William III of Orange to replace James as rulers • In 1688, fearing execution, James abdicated and fled to France

  16. William III & Mary II • William III (1650 – 1702) • Mary II (1662 – 1694) • In order to take the throne, had to agree to the conditions laid out by Parliament in the English Bill of Rights • William ruled while Mary managed the Church of England • Granted the charter which founded the College of William & Mary in the Virginia Colony in 1693 • Mary died from smallpox with no children, so the Stuart dynasty ended upon William’s death

  17. The English Bill of Rights • Parliament is superior to the king • Parliament must be allowed to meet regularly • House of Commons controls the treasury (taxes) • King can not dismiss or interfere with Parliament • King can not suspend laws • King can not be Catholic • King can not maintain a standing army • King can not quarter soldiers in people’s private homes

  18. The English Bill of Rights • Citizens get trial by jury • No cruel or unusual punishment • Writ of Habeas corpus – no one can be arrested and imprisoned without being charged with a crime • Citizens have the right to bear arms

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