parliament frq

FRQ

England developed a Parliamentary monarchy that shaped future political development in Europe. Beginning with the succession of James I up through the Glorious Revolution, the role of Parliament in English Politics underwent considerable changes, such as being disregarded by the king of "divine right," James I and his son Charles I, then completely dissolved under the military dictatorship of Oliver Cromwell, and finally restored after James II was forced to abdicate his throne and William of Orange assumed his place. Throughout these different stages, Parliament's power and control over English politics varied greatly depending upon the ruler in power. James I's belief in "divine right" of kings, which meant God had chosen him to be ruler, led him not to rely on Parliament. Rather than depend on Parliament, James I and his successor, Charles I looked for other ways to acquire funds such as illegally levying taxes. Parliament was rarely called on during this period. In response to Charles illegal taxation, Parliament passed the Petition of Right which stated that, to pass any law the ruler must consent to Parliament. In order to continue ruling without Parliament, Charles used Ship Money to collect taxes as revenue. He might have been able to rule indefinitely without Parliament if not for his religious policies which provoked war with Scotland and forced Charles to call Parliament into session. This session, known as the Long Parliament was determined to limit the power of the king. It resolved that Parliament would meet at least every three years. Parliament later split with Charles I and declared war on him. Both James I and Charles I fought to suppress Parliament during their reigns and claimed absolute power due to the "divine right" of kings. After the execution of Charles I, Oliver Cromwell governed under a military dictatorship. He removed all Presbyterians from Parliament which created a Rump Parliament that voted to execute Charles and abolish the monarchy. Cromwell was frustrated by the pettiness and dawdling of Parliament. When the House of Commons attempted to disband his expensive army, Cromwell responded by disbanding Parliament all together. He wanted to create a political structure to replace that of monarch and Parliament but failed and by the time of his death, the English were ready to end the republican political experiments and return to their traditional institutions. Cromwell's military dictatorship resulted negatively for Parliament which was disbanded during his rule. After the death of Cromwell, the monarchy was restored under Charles II and the Cavalier Parliament was formed. The reign of Charles II's brother, James II, who's goal was absolutism, faced united opposition. When he gave birth to a Catholic son, members of Parliament formed an alliance and invited William of Orange and James I's daughter, Mary to invade England and preserve the parliamentary government. They chased James out of power without any bloodshed, an event that came to be known as the Glorious Revolution. William and Mary were then declared joint rulers and recognized the Bill of Rights which limited the power of the monarchy and affirmed Parliament's right to make laws and levy taxes. With the Bill of Rights recognized during the rule of William and Mary, Parliaments power, which had constantly been suppressed, was finally restored. The Parliamentary government developed in England laid the foundation for subsequent political progress in Europe. Parliament's role in English politics went through various stages between the reign of James I and the Glorious Revolution. First it was ignored during the reign of James I and Charles I, both believers in the “Divine Right” of kings, then fully disbanded by Oliver Cromwell who governed through a military dictatorship, and finally restored by the Bill of Rights recognized by Mary and William. Parliament held different degrees of power and control over English politics throughout these various stages, depending largely on the ruler in power.