Parliament Power
What is Parliament’s main job?
To help make laws for the country.
What is a dynasty?
A dynasty = one ruling family + many generations of leaders.
Why did Charles I need to summon Parliament after trying to rule without them?
He needed money to fight Scotland.
Why did many common people support Parliament instead of the king?
They wanted fair government and feared the king’s growing power.
Why did Parliament become alarmed when James II appointed Catholics to power?
England was mostly Protestant and feared Catholic rule.
Parliament exists to limit whose power?
The king or queen.
What early actions by Charles I showed he did not want to share power with Parliament?
Shutting down Parliament and raising taxes on his own.
Why did the Scots rebel against Charles I’s reforms?
He tried to force bishops and a new prayer book onto a Calvinist nation.
Why did Oliver Cromwell gain so much influence during the war?
His leadership helped create victories that shifted control to Parliament.
Why was the Battle of Naseby a turning point in the Civil War?
It destroyed Charles's main army and shifted momentum.
What document from 1215 first limited the king’s power?
Magna Carta.
Charles I believed ruling without Parliament was justified. Based on the information given, why did he think this was acceptable?
He believed his authority came directly from God.
What was the Petition of Right?
A document Parliament forced Charles I to sign in 1628 that said the king could not collect taxes without Parliament’s approval and could not imprison people unfairly.
Why did many people in England support Charles II coming back to rule after Cromwell died?
Because he promised to respect Parliament and allow religious toleration.
Why did Parliament invite William and Mary to rule instead of fighting James II?
They wanted a peaceful solution and Protestant rulers.
Why was it a problem for England if one person — the king — made all the decisions without Parliament?
Because Parliament existed to protect the people’s rights, approve taxes fairly, and prevent abuse of power.
The Stuarts claimed Divine Right, but Parliament pointed to earlier English traditions like Magna Carta. How did these two beliefs directly contradict each other?
Divine Right = king answers only to God; Magna Carta = king must follow the law.
Who were the Covenanters?
a group of Scots who rebelled against Charles I in 1638 because they were Calvinists and opposed his attempt to force bishops and a new prayer book on them
How did Charles II’s rule differ from Oliver Cromwell’s rule?
Charles II restored the monarchy
What actions by Parliament during Long Parliament show they no longer feared the king?
Impeaching and executing his advisors — even Archbishop Laud.
How did the idea of Parliament limiting the monarch’s power differ from the Stuart belief in Divine Right?
Parliament believed kings must follow laws and share power; the Stuarts believed kings were chosen by God and should rule alone.
Based on the information, argue why the Stuart family may have unintentionally helped strengthen Parliament even though they believed in absolute monarchy.
Their refusal to share power, religious decisions, and confrontational leadership pushed Parliament to assert more authority and limit the monarchy more than ever before.
Why did the Covenanters’ invasion of England push the country toward civil war?
It exposed Charles’s military weakness and forced him to rely on Parliament.
One of the many decisions that King James II made was to issue the "Declaration of Indulgence." What was it and what year was it issued? Why was it controversial?
A document issued in 1687 which guaranteed freedom of religion to everyone including Catholics. Parliament was worried about a Catholic monarch taking over England, so they didn't trust James to rule.
How did the Glorious Revolution permanently change the relationship between monarch and Parliament?
It made Parliament the source of authority and forced monarchs to follow laws.