England, Absolutism, and Revolutions

1. England, Absolutism, and Revolutions

2. Where’s England? It’s northwest of mainland Europe, but not as far north as Scandinavia. View up close

3. Absolutism • Absolute rule occurs where rulers do not share power with other branches of government. • These rulers have often thought they ruled by “Divine Right of Kings,” the belief that complete power was their god given birth right. • Louis XIV of France thought this, and several English monarchs felt this way too.

4. Parliament in England • Beginning in the 1200’s nobles started rebelling in England and forcing the monarchs to give over some power. • By the time of the English revolutions in the 1600’s, the king did not hold all of the power and had to contend with Parliament to a degree. • Parliament in England is similar to what we call our Congress.

5. James I • He became King when Elizabeth I died in 1603. • He believed in Divine Right of Kings but realized he needed the support of Parliament, or they would not grant him money. • It was his son who would prove to be the greater problem in England.

6. Charles I • He was the son of James I. • In 1628 Charles wanted money from Parliament who refused to approve it, since he wouldn’t sign the Petition or Right, limiting the king’s power. • In 1640 he needed money again and agreed to Parliament’s demands with the intention of overturning the new rules.

7. Charles I Continued • In 1642 Charles tried to have key members of Parliament arrested, but the plan backfired on him. • Those members escaped, and as much of Parliament rose up against Charles, the English CivilWar began. • Parliament’s supporters, the Roundheads, defeated the King and his supporters, the Royalists.

8. Oliver Cromwell • Having led the Roundheads in the revolution, he took over England as “Lord Protector.” • He dismissed all but his supporters from Parliament, put Charles I on trial, and Charles was convicted and beheaded in 1649. • Then, Cromwell dismissed all of parliament! Hadn’t the revolution been about replacing a snobby absolute monarch wanna be?

9. Charles II • Cromwell, the dictator, died in 1658. • He’d been so bad that within two years of his death, England invited the royal family to come back. • Charles II, son of Charles I, became king and did some good things: • Religious tolerance • Habeas Corpus Act – accused got to appear in court • Reopened theatres

10. James II • When Charles II died in 1685 his brother, James II became king. • Big Problems: • He was Catholic, his wife was Catholic, and his heir, their young son would be a Catholic King. • Because England was majority Protestant by this time, even supporters left him when his son was born. They’d thought rule would pass to one of James II’s Protestant daughters, so they’d been tolerating him.

11. Glorious Revolution • This revolution occurred when Parliament removed a monarch they didn’t like (James II) with one they did like (his daughter) without shedding any blood. • Parliament invited James II’s Protestant daughter, Mary, and her husband, William of Orange, to invade. • James II fled with his second family, and Wm. and Mary agreed to a new English Bill of Rights, making England a constitutional monarchy (limited by law).