The Monarchs of Europe Section 3

Monarchy in England
Preview
• Main Idea / Reading Focus
• The Tudors and Parliament
• The Stuarts and Parliament
• The English Civil War
• The Monarchy Returns
The Monarchs of Europe Section 3

Monarchy in England
Main Idea
In contrast to the absolute monarchies of Spain and France, the
English monarchy was limited by Parliament; following a civil
war, Parliament became even more powerful.

Reading Focus
• How did the Tudors work with Parliament?
• What led the first two Stuart kings to clash with Parliament?
• What were the causes and results of the English Civil War?
• What happened when monarchy returned to England?
The Monarchs of Europe
The Tudors and Parliament
Henry and Elizabeth
• Two prominent members of
Tudor dynasty, Henry VIII and
daughter Elizabeth I, ruled
when absolutism common on
European continent
• In England, Parliament placed
curbs on absolute monarchy
• Both father, daughter had to
learn to work with Parliament to
fulfill goals
Section 3
Henry and Parliament
• Henry VIII created Protestant
Church in England to divorce
first wife
• Had Parliament pass laws
ending power of pope in
England
• In 1534 Act of Supremacy
named king as head of Church
of England
The Monarchs of Europe Section 3

Edward, Mary, Elizabeth

• After Henry’s death and short reign of son Edward, Mary I became
queen
• Often called Bloody Mary, briefly made England Catholic again
• 1558, Mary died; Elizabeth crowned queen
• Returned England to Anglican Church with Parliament’s help

Tension
• Tension developed between Parliament, queen
• Parliament pressured her to marry so she would have heir to throne
• Elizabeth refused, knowing marriage would limit her freedom
• Still managed to talk Parliament into approving funds she needed
The Monarchs of Europe Section 3

Elizabeth in Charge

Major reason for Elizabeth’s good relationship with

Parliament, her willingness to let members speak
minds without fear of punishment
• Close ties shown in fact that she called Parliament into
session 10 times in 45-year reign
• Elizabeth clearly in charge, but had difficulty keeping
subjects from questioning her actions
– Earl of Essex rebelled against authority
– Asked publicly, “Cannot princes err? Cannot subjects receive
wrong? Is an earthly power or authority infinite?”
– Essex tried, executed as a traitor
– Not the last to question Elizabeth’s authority
The Monarchs of Europe Section 3

Recall

What did Henry VIII and Elizabeth I work

with Parliament to do?

Answer(s): to pass laws to help the monarch

achieve desired results
The Monarchs of Europe Section 3

The Stuarts and Parliament

• The Tudors’ success with Parliament not repeated
• Relative of the Scotland Tudors succeeded Elizabeth

James I Clashes with Puritan Reform

• James I, first of Stuart Parliament • Seen as threat to
dynasty to rule in James’s power;
England • From Scotland, church leadership
considered outsider supported him
• View of absolute
• James rarely got all • Refused to pass
monarchy caused
conflict with money he wanted Puritans’ requests for
from Parliament
Parliament reform
• Previous wars, own • Puritans wanted • Did agree to
spending left him low reform of Church of publication of King
England
on funds James Bible
The Monarchs of Europe Section 3

Charles I Defies Parliament

When James I died in 1625, his younger son was crowned king as
Charles I.

Issues of Money Petition of Right

• Popular at first, but married
Catholic princess
• Involved England in military
adventures overseas
• 1628, summoned Parliament to
request money
• Parliament refused until Charles
signed Petition of Right
• Petition of Right a direct challenge
to absolute monarchy
• Placed limits on king’s power
• Could not levy taxes without
Parliamentary approval
• Parliament later refused to give
Charles money again
• He taxed English people on own,
forced bankers to lend him money
• Parliament was furious
• Charles dismissed Parliament
• 1629, decided to rule without
consulting Parliament again
The Monarchs of Europe Section 3

Find the Main Idea

Why did the Stuarts have trouble with

Parliament?

Answer(s): Both wanted to rule as absolute

monarchs.
The Monarchs of Europe
The English Civil War
Conflict Continued
• Conflict continued between king
who believed in absolute
monarchy, Parliament that saw
itself independent
• Conflict led to war, king’s death
Limited King’s Powers
• Having been ignored 11 years,
Parliament took opportunity to
further limit king’s powers
• Demanded Parliament be called
at least every three years
Section 3
Parliament Reconvened
• 1640, Charles I finally
reconvened Parliament to ask for
more money
• “Long Parliament” did not disband
for several years
Grudging Acceptance
• Parliament also ruled king could
no longer dismiss Parliament
• Charles accepted new rules; but
awaited right time to overturn
The Monarchs of Europe Section 3

War with Parliament

Strategy
• Charles’ moment came when radical Puritan group in Parliament moved to
abolish appointment of bishops in Anglican Church
• King, whose power connected to power of church, was outraged

Charles Tries Power Grab

• Charles decided to arrest Puritan leaders for treason
• Led troops into House of Commons, but men had already escaped
• Charles had tipped hand on intentions to take back power

Civil War Begins

• Some members of Parliament decided to rise up against king
• Charles I called for support of English people
• 1642, English Civil War began
The Monarchs of Europe Section 3

Royalists and Roundheads

• Without Parliament’s funding, king relied on contributions to pay army
• Wealthy nobles called Royalists for allegiance to Charles
• Parliament could back its army by voting for funding
• Supporters of Parliament called Roundheads for short, bowl-shaped haircuts
• Roundheads included Puritans, merchants, some from upper classes

Roundhead Forces King Surrenders

• Parliament member Oliver
Cromwell led Roundhead forces
• Rose to leadership as army general
• 1644, led victory in which 4,000 of
king’s soldiers died
• Cromwell soon became
commander of Parliament’s army
• Royalist army outmatched by
Cromwell’s troops
• 1646, king surrendered
• Cromwell dismissed members of
Parliament who disagreed with him
• Those left made up what was called
the Rump Parliament
The Monarchs of Europe Section 3

Trial and Execution

Eventually Rump Parliament charged king with

treason, put him on trial
• During trial, Charles defended self with great
eloquence, refused to even recognize Parliament’s
authority to try him
• In the end, Charles sentenced to death for treason
• January 30, 1649, publicly beheaded in front of own
palace
• To some he was martyr; to others tyrant who got what
he deserved
The Monarchs of Europe Section 3

England under Cromwell

Commonwealth
• England’s government changed completely for the next 11 years
• House of Commons abolished House of Lords, outlawed monarchy
• Became commonwealth, government based on common good of all people

Lord Protector
• 1653, Cromwell given title Lord Protector of England, Scotland, Ireland
• Skilled leader, but demanded complete obedience
• Clamped down on social life, closed theaters, limited other entertainment

Foreign Issues
• Cromwell also had to deal with foreign issues
• Led military expeditions to Scotland, Ireland
• Economic policies led to war with Dutch over trade; also warred on Spain
The Monarchs of Europe
A Defender of Absolutism
Questions of Rule
• Cromwell, the king’s death, war
troubled many English people
• One was Thomas Hobbes,
Royalist who fled to France
during Cromwell’s rule
• Hobbes wrote classic work of
political science, Leviathan
Section 3
Leviathan
• In Leviathan, Hobbes described
humans as being naturally
selfish, fearful
• Hobbes argued that people
needed all-powerful monarch to
tell them how to live
• Views sparked controversy
when England trying to find
balance in government
The Monarchs of Europe Section 3

Identify Cause and Effect

What were some effects of the English Civil

War?

Answer(s): temporarily ended monarchy and

House of Lords, restricted English social life in
certain ways
The Monarchs of Europe Section 3

The Monarchy Returns

Hobbes’s ideas reflected the fact that many people were unhappy
under Cromwell, especially when he dismissed Parliament to rule alone
—like a king. Attitudes were changing so much that a return to
monarchy became possible.

The Restoration The New King

• 1658, Cromwell died; son took
place; Richard Cromwell lacked
father’s leadership abilities
• His government collapsed
• Eventually Parliament reconvened,
voted to bring back monarchy—
event known as the Restoration
• Spring 1660, Parliament invited son
of Charles I to be new king
• Parliament laid out certain
conditions which Charles accepted
• Was crowned as Charles II
• People shouted their good wishes

Pepys: “Great joy all yesterday at London, and at night more bonfires that ever,
and ringing of bells…every body seems to be very joyfull in the business…”
The Monarchs of Europe Section 3

The Reign of Charles II

• Charles had to address many issues—conflict with Dutch continued;
religious tensions remained; role of Parliament still being developed
• Charles supported religious toleration for Catholics, but Parliament
insisted on laws to strengthen the Church of England
• Restoration years, mixture of positive, negative events

Positive and Negative

• Charles reopened theaters, flowering of English drama resulted
• Habeas Corpus Act passed, guaranteeing someone accused of a
crime had right to appear in court to determine if should be held,
released
• 1665, bubonic plague returned; following year Great Fire of London
• After fire, Charles supported public construction projects
The Monarchs of Europe Section 3

James II
Later in Charles’s reign the question of who would succeed him
remained. His brother James was next in line, but he was a Catholic.

Not Popular Glorious Revolution

• James married to Catholic
princess, whose Catholic son
would outrank James’s Protestant
daughters from first marriage
• 1685, Charles died, James
crowned king
• Many wondered if another
destructive war would follow
• James not popular; believed in
right to rule as absolute monarch
• English did not tolerate that belief
• 1688, group of nobles invited
James’s daughter Mary, husband
William to become king, queen
• William and Mary both
Protestants, lived in Netherlands
• James fled to France
• Parliament gave throne to William
III, Mary II as joint rulers; transfer
became known as the Glorious
Revolution
The Monarchs of Europe
Changes in Government
Bill of Rights
• With Glorious Revolution,
Parliament had essentially
crowned new king, queen
• More important, a document
William and Mary had to sign
before taking throne—the
English Bill of Rights
• Document prevented monarch
from levying taxes without
consent of Parliament, among
other provisions
• U.S. Bill of Rights based on this
document
Section 3
Constitutional Monarchy
• Bill of Rights central to
England’s growth as
Constitutional Monarchy,
term for monarchy limited by
law
• Document’s approval came
after decades of dramatic
changes in English government
• England had rejected concept
of absolute monarch who ruled
by divine right, for monarchy
ruled by law
The Monarchs of Europe Section 3

Describe

What happened during the Glorious

Revolution?

Answer(s): William and Mary were given the

English throne by Parliament.