English Civil War/Puritan Revolution (1642)
In 1603, Queen Elizabeth I died. Her cousin, James Stuart, the King of Scotland, became king of England.
For the first time, one person ruled both countries. James I immediately ran into trouble with
Parliament. He believed in the Divine Right of Kings. He believed that God gave him the power to
rule over England. He also spent a lot of money. Parliament refused to give him all the money he
wanted. Finally, James I got the Puritans angry at him. Puritans wanted to “purify” or make the Church
of England m o r e pure. To them, this meant that everything that looked Roman Catholic in the
Church of England should be changed. James I did not like the Puritans. Many left England. The
Pilgrims, who landed in Massachusetts in 1620, were Puritans.
In 1625 James I died and his son Charles I became King. He believed in the same things as his father
and he too had issues with Parliament. England went to war with France and Spain and Charles I asked
Parliament for more money. Parliament refused. He closed down Parliament and then reopened it.
Parliament forced him to sign the Petition of Rights which was like the Magna Carta. A year later in
1629, he closed down Parliament for 11 years. Charles I, became an absolute ruler. This was against all
the ideas of democracy that existed in England.
In 1 642 a civil war began when the Puritans started a revolt. One side was the ROUNDHEADS, who
were members of Parliament, Puritans, and the middle class. Their leader was Oliver Cromwell. On
the other side were the CAVALIERS. They backed the king. They included Catholics, nobles arid rich
landowners. In 1649, the Roundheads captured King Charles I. He was put on trial. A jury found him
guilty of treason and cut off his head. Oliver Cromwell rules England for 9 years (1649-1658).
Cromwell was a dictator who could do whatever he wanted. When Cromwell died in 1658, Charles I
son, Charles II, became King of England.
Vocab.
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The Glorious Revolution 1689
In 1660, Charles II, son of the beheaded Charles I, returned to England. He was welcomed by a
country tired of civil war and Puritan rule. Charles II was smart. He told Parliament that he
would agree to the Magna Carta and to the Petition of Right. He also said that he would not take
power away from Parliament. He was made King. The people of England thought their problems
with their king were over. They were wrong!
Charles II made secret agreements with King Louis XIV of France. Charles agreed to become Roman
Catholic. The Protestants in Parliament became upset. Then Charles II died 1685, his brother,
James II became King. James was a Catholic who believed in the Divine Right of Kings. Parliament
decided to get rid of James II and a revolution took place in 1688, called the Glorious Revolution.
This revolution was very different from the English Civil War. There was no war in the Glorious
Revolution. Nobody was killed. Instead, Parliament gave the English crown to William and Mary, the
Protestant rulers of Holland (Mary was James II’s Protestant daughter). William and Mary accepted.
When they arrived in England, King James II left the country.
William and Mary signed the English Bill of Rights in 1689. They agreed that all future Kings and
Queens had to be members of the Anglican Church (Church of England started by Henry VIII).
They also agreed to obey the laws and leave Parliament alone. The Glorious Revolution ended the
wars between Parliament and the English kings. Divine Right of Kings ended in England forever.
To this day, Parliament became supreme over English Kings and Queens.
Vocab.
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1. How did James Stuart become King of England?
2. Why did King James I have trouble with Parliament?
3. Explain the differences between the Roundheads and the Cavaliers in the English Civil War. Which side
won?
4. Oliver Cromwell is the only persons to rule England for the last 900 years who was not a king. Explain how
this happened.
5. What were the causes of the Glorious Revolution?
6. Why were William and Mary asked to rule England?
1. How did James Stuart become King of England?
2. Why did King James I have trouble with Parliament?
3. Explain the differences between the Roundheads and the Cavaliers in the English Civil War. Which side
won?
4. Oliver Cromwell is the only persons to rule England for the last 900 years who was not a king. Explain how
this happened.
5. What were the causes of the Glorious Revolution?
6. Why were William and Mary asked to rule England?
1. How did James Stuart become King of England?
2. Why did King James I have trouble with Parliament?
3. Explain the differences between the Roundheads and the Cavaliers in the English Civil War. Which side
won?
4. Oliver Cromwell is the only persons to rule England for the last 900 years who was not a king. Explain how
this happened.
5. What were the causes of the Glorious Revolution?
6. Why were William and Mary asked to rule England?
1. How did James Stuart become King of England?
2. Why did King James I have trouble with Parliament?
3. Explain the differences between the Roundheads and the Cavaliers in the English Civil War. Which side
won?
4. Oliver Cromwell is the only persons to rule England for the last 900 years who was not a king. Explain how
this happened.
5. What were the causes of the Glorious Revolution?
6. Why were William and Mary asked to rule England?
1. How did James Stuart become King of England?
2. Why did King James I have trouble with Parliament?
3. Explain the differences between the Roundheads and the Cavaliers in the English Civil War. Which side
won?
4. Oliver Cromwell is the only persons to rule England for the last 900 years who was not a king. Explain how
this happened.
5. What were the causes of the Glorious Revolution?
6. Why were William and Mary asked to rule England?