REVOLUTION IN ENGLAND
The English Civil War and the Glorious Revolution
THE TUDORS AND PARLIAMENT
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The Tudor monarchs
required Parliament to
justify their actions and
approve taxation policies
to finance their spending.
A feeling of trust
developed between
Parliament and the Tudor
monarchs.

They became accustomed to
being consulted on
important matters.
THE STUARTS
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On Queen Elizabeth’s
deathbed she named James
VI, King of Scotland, to be the
next King of England.
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King James I, as he was
coroneted, belonged to a
family known as the Stuarts.
The Stuart monarchs
inherited the problems of the
kingdom which were hidden
by the Tudors.
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They were also not skillful at
dealing with Parliament.
The result was a “century of
revolution” in England.
ENGLAND, IRELAND, AND SCOTLAND
THE ROYAL CHALLENGE

Desiring the power wielded
by other European
monarchies, James tried to
install absolute power over
England.
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James lectured Parliament
about the divine rights of kings.
“Kings are called gods because
they sit upon God’s throne on
Earth.”
Leaders in the House of
Commons fiercely resisted
the king’s claim to absolute
power.
THE ROYAL CHALLENGE
James repeatedly clashed with Parliament over
money and foreign policy.
 He also faced disputes with Protestants in his
kingdom who differed with the Church of England.
 One group, called Puritans, sought to “purify” the
church of Catholic practices.
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Puritans called for simpler services and a more
democratic church without bishops.
James rejected their demands, vowing to “harry
them out of this land or else do worse.”
THE GUNPOWDER PLOT
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In November 1605, a conspiracy of
Catholics to topple the English
government became known as the
Gunpowder Plot.
Guy Fawkes, one of the thirteen
conspirators, was planning on blowing
up barrels of gunpowder underneath
the opening of Parliament.
Fawkes was discovered and the plot
was revealed.
The conspirators were then found
guilty and executed for high treason.
JAMES’S CONTRIBUTIONS

During these disputes,
James was able to
achieve two noteworthy
things:

James called for a new
translation of the Bible.
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This translation is known as
the King James Bible.
James also oversaw the
establishment of a new
English colony in the New
World, Jamestown.
PARLIAMENT RESPONDS
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When James died in 1625, his oldest
surviving son, Charles, became King of
England, Scotland, and Ireland.
Charles continued his father’s policies
towards Parliament and continued to
act as an absolute monarch.

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He would imprison his foes without trial
and squeezed the nation for money.
Parliament demanded that Charles
sign the Petition of Right, which would
prohibit the king from raising taxes
without the consent of Parliament.
Charles refused to do so and then
dissolved Parliament in 1625.
PARLIAMENT RESPONDS
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For 11 years, Charles ignored the petition and ruled
England without Parliament.
His Archbishop of Canterbury, William Laud, try to enforce
stricter Anglican rules.

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Many people thought that he was trying to revive Catholic
practices.
In 1637, when Charles and Laud tried to impose the
Anglican prayer book on Scotland, the Calvinist Scots
revolted.

To get funds to suppress the Scottish rebellion, Charles had to
finally summon Parliament in 1640.

When it met, however, Parliament launched its own revolt.
THE LONG PARLIAMENT
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The 1640 Parliament became known
as the Long Parliament because it
lasted on and off until 1653.
The Long Parliament tried and
executed agents of the king, including
Archbishop Laud.
It also forced Charles to sign a bill
stating that only Parliament can
decide to dissolve itself.
Charles lashed back. In 1642, he led
troops into the House of Commons to
arrest the most radical leaders.
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The leaders escaped out the back door
and soon raised their own army.
The clash now moved to the battlefield.
THE ENGLISH CIVIL WAR
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At first, the odds seemed
in favor of the Cavaliers,
or supporters of Charles I.
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Many Cavaliers were
wealthy nobles, proud of
their plumed hats and
fashionably long hair.
They expected a quick
victory.
THE ENGLISH CIVIL WAR
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The Cavaliers fought the
Roundheads, the forces of
Parliament which were composed
of country gentry, town-dwelling
manufacturers, and Puritan clergy.
The Roundheads were led by Oliver
Cromwell, a Puritan general.
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Cromwell organized the forces of
Parliament into the “New Model
Army,” a skilled fighting force.
After a series of decisive battles, the
Roundheads defeated the Cavaliers.

By 1647, the king was in the hands of
the revolutionary forces.
EXECUTION OF A KING
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Eventually, Parliament set up a court to put the king on
trial.
It condemned him to death as “a tyrant, traitor, murderer,
and public enemy.”
On a cold January day in 1649, Charles I was beheaded.
The execution sent shockwaves throughout Europe.
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For the first time, a monarch had been tried and executed by
his own people.
The parliamentary forces had sent a clear signal: In England,
no ruler could claim absolute power and ignore the rule of the
law.
EXECUTION OF A KING
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Which dynasty ruled England after the Tudors?
Identify two impacts of the rule of James I.
Who were the Puritans?
What was the Gunpowder Plot?
Which two groups fought during the English Civil War?
Who was Oliver Cromwell?
What was the main outcome of the English Civil War?
THE COMMONWEALTH
After the execution of Charles I, the House of
Commons abolished monarchy, the House of
Lords, and the official Church of England.
 It declared England a republic, known as the
Commonwealth, under the leadership of Oliver
Cromwell.
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CHALLENGES TO THE COMMONWEALTH
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The new government had many
threats.
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Charles II, the uncrowned heir to
the throne, attacked England by
way of Ireland and Scotland.
Cromwell led forces into Ireland
to crush the uprising.
He then took harsh measures
against the Irish Catholic
majority.

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In 1652, Parliament passed a law
exiling most Catholics to barren
lands in the west of Ireland.
Any Catholic found disobeying
the order could be killed on
sight.
CHALLENGES TO THE COMMONWEALTH

The Commonwealth also faced challenges from
within.
A
group called the Levellers wanted political power to
be spread evenly among the different socioeconomic
classes in England.
 Female Levellers also demanded the right to petition
Parliament.

As the threats to the Commonwealth grew,
Cromwell took the title Lord Protector in 1653
and then ruled the country through the army.
PURITAN SOCIETY
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Puritan society tried to eliminate the excesses life and build a new
world order.
Strict laws were passed regulating activities on the Lord’s Day, theaters
were closed, and dancing, gambling, and drinking were discouraged.
Puritans also felt that all Christians should be able to read the Bible.
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They encouraged education for all people.
By mid-century, families from all classes were sending their children to
school, girls as well as boys.
Marriage laws were also relaxed so that women could marry for love
and not for business / family interests.
Religious toleration in England also spread for other Protestant groups.
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Jews were welcomed back to England, after more than 300 years in exile.
END OF THE COMMONWEALTH
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Oliver Cromwell died in 1658.
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Shortly after his death the
Puritans lost power in England.
People were tired of their strict
military rule.
In 1660, a newly elected
Parliament invited Charles II
to return to England from
exile.
England’s “kingless decade”
ended with the restoration of
the monarchy.
THE RESTORATION OF THE MONARCHY
Due to his charm and flashing wit, Charles II was a
popular ruler.
 He reopened theaters and taverns and presided over
a lavish court.
 He restored the official Church of England but
tolerated other Protestant groups in his kingdom.
 Charles signed the Petition of Right (limited the
power of the king to tax) but also shared his father’s
belief in the power of an absolute monarchy.
 Additionally, Charles harbored Catholic sympathies.
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THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON (1666)
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During the reign of Charles II, a
massive fire destroyed much of
London.
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The Great Fire of London began at a
baker’s shop.
Houses in London were made of
combustible materials and fires were
commonplace.
The main way to fight fires was to
collapse nearby houses and create
firebreaks.
 There were serious delays in
implementing this technique in the
Great Fire.
THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON (1666)
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Strong winds helped to fan the
flames.
Firebreaks became ineffective
and the fire burned
continuously for four days.
The fire eventually died down
when the winds faltered and
larger firebreaks could be
made.
THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON (1666)
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The Great Fire consumed
more than 13,200 houses,
82 parish churches, and 373
acres of the city.
100,000 Londoners were
made homeless.
Londoners blamed the
Catholics and French for
starting the fire.
Sir Christopher Wren was
appointed to rebuild the city
anew.
ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL
A NEW CLASH WITH PARLIAMENT
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Charles’ brother, James II,
inherited the throne in
1685.
Unlike Charles, James
flaunted his Catholic faith
and appointed Catholics to
high offices.
Protestants grew fearful
that James was going to
restore the Roman Catholic
Church in England.
THE GLORIOUS REVOLUTION
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In 1688, alarmed
parliamentary rulers invited
James’ protestant daughter,
Mary, and her Dutch
Protestant husband, William
III of Orange, to become
rulers of England.
When William and Mary
landed with their army late in
1688, James II fled to France.
The bloodless overthrow of
the king became known as
the Glorious Revolution.
ENGLISH BILL OF RIGHTS
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Before they could be crowned, William and Mary had to accept a series
of acts passed by Parliament known as the English Bill of Rights.
The Bill of Rights ensured the superiority of Parliament over the
monarchy.
The English Bill of Rights:
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Required the king to regularly summon Parliament.
Gave parliamentary control over the treasury.
Forbade royal interference in Parliamentary debates or suspending laws.
Barred any Roman Catholic from sitting on the throne.
Established the basic rights of the English citizenry.
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This includes the principle of habeas corpus, that no person could be held in prison
without first being charged with a specific crime.
LOOKING AHEAD
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The Glorious Revolution did not create a democracy
in England, but a type of government called limited
monarchy.

In a limited monarchy, the power of the king is limited by
a constitution or legislative body.
At a time when the rest of Europe was subjected to
absolute monarchs, England stood as an exception.
 Many of these events in England will impact her
growing American colonies.
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