England: Absolutism to Constitutional Monarch Flashcards
What was the Magna Carta, 1215?
King John was forced to recognize the rights of his feudal lords. It guaranteed all “free men” the right to a fair trial. It symbolized the beginning of English democracy
What is Parliament?
The British legislature
What is a legislature?
The branch of the government that makes the laws
What is divine right?
Divine right is the belief that the king represents God on earth and that the power of the king is equal to god?
Which English king signed the Act of Supremacy creating the Anglican Church?
Henry VIII signed the Act of Supremacy to break with the Catholic Church during the Protestant Reformation.
Who succeeded Elizabeth I when she died without an heir?
James I
How were the Stuart kings different than the Tudors?
They lacked diplomacy and wanted to rule as autocrats.
What caused the English Civil War?
Charles I was an arbitrary ruler, he put people in jail without a trial and dissolved Parliament.
Who supported King Charles I during the civil war?
The Cavaliers
Who supported Parliament during the civil war?
The Roundheads
What happened to Charles I at the end of the civil war?
He was beheaded by Parliament
How did the government of England change after the civil war?
Oliver Cromwell set up a Commonwealth
What were some features of Oliver Cromwell’s Puritan Commonwealth?
All citizens had to worship in Puritan churches, they had to wear Puritan clothes, woman could not wear make up, theaters were closed, sports were banned
Why did Cromwell hate the Irish?
Because they were Roman Catholics.
What was the Restoration, 1660?
Charles II was invited by Parliament to restore the monarch.
What was the Habeas Corpus Act of 1679?
Signed by Charles II, it protected citizens accused of crimes and prevent the king from keeping people in jail without trials.
What was the cause of the Glorious Revolution, 1688?
James II tried to rule as an absolute monarch. He also supported Catholicism in England?
How did the government of England change as a result of the Glorious Revolution, 1688?`
Parliament invited William of Orange and Mary (James’s oldest daughter) to rule England. They accepted the English Bill of Rights and became LIMITED OR CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHS.
Why was the Glorious Revolution “glorious”?
It was glorious because it was bloodless and it demonstrated that the Parliament was supreme over the king.
How is a Constitutional Monarch different from an Absolute Monarch?
A constitutional monarch has to follow the law and the an absolute monarch does not.
