Source: Absolutism vs Constitutional Packet 1 (Mr. D. Lopez)
Tags: English Civil War, Cavaliers, Roundheads, Oliver Cromwell, model army, republic, Commonwealth, Lord Protector, Charles II, Restoration, James II, Glorious Revolution, constitutional monarchy, limited monarchy, English Bill of Rights, William and Mary, 1689
Difficulty: Intermediate Prerequisites: Parts 1 and 2 of these study notes. You need to know the GERMS framework, divine right, the Petition of Right, and why Charles I's conflict with Parliament led to civil war in 1642.
This is the climax of the packet and the payoff for the unit's central question: why did England get rid of absolutism in 1688 while the rest of Europe kept it? The English Civil War (1642–1649) ended with the execution of Charles I, the first time a sitting king was tried and killed by his own people. Oliver Cromwell replaced the monarchy with a republic but became a military dictator himself. After Cromwell's death, the monarchy was restored under Charles II and then James II, but James II's Catholic absolutism triggered the Glorious Revolution of 1688. Parliament invited William and Mary to rule under a new English Bill of Rights, creating a constitutional monarchy. This section contains the most exam-relevant material in the entire packet.
The English Civil War ended with the execution of Charles I. Cromwell ruled as a Puritan military dictator, then died and his government collapsed. The monarchy was restored under Charles II (popular, moderate) and then James II (Catholic, absolutist, deeply unpopular). Parliament ousted James II in the bloodless Glorious Revolution of 1688 and established a constitutional monarchy through the English Bill of Rights of 1689, permanently limiting royal power.
English Civil War (1642–1649)
The armed conflict between supporters of King Charles I (Cavaliers) and supporters of Parliament (Roundheads). It ended with the king's trial and execution. In simple terms, England fought a war over whether the king or Parliament had ultimate authority, and Parliament won.
Cavaliers
The royalist army that supported Charles I during the English Civil War. Led by the king and the nobility.
Roundheads
The Parliamentary army, reorganised by Oliver Cromwell into the "model army." Named for their close-cropped hair, in contrast to the Cavaliers' long hair.
Model army (New Model Army)
Cromwell's reorganised Parliamentary army, in which soldiers were promoted based on military ability regardless of social class. This was revolutionary for the time, when military command was typically reserved for the nobility.
Oliver Cromwell (ruled 1649–1658)
Puritan leader who organised the model army, won the Civil War, oversaw the execution of Charles I, and eventually made himself Lord Protector of the Commonwealth. Believed God had chosen him to lead. Despite republican ideals, he governed as a military dictator.
Republic (Commonwealth)
The form of government that replaced the monarchy after Charles I's execution. In theory, it was a government without a king, run by Parliament. In practice, Cromwell dissolved Parliament and ruled alone.
Lord Protector of the Commonwealth
The title Cromwell gave himself in 1653 after dissolving Parliament. It made him the head of state in everything but name.
The Restoration (1660)
The reestablishment of the English monarchy after the collapse of Cromwell's Commonwealth. Charles II, son of the executed Charles I, was invited back from exile in France to become king.
Charles II (r. 1660–1685)
The "Restoration king." Believed in absolutism and divine right but avoided his father's mistakes by cooperating with Parliament. Popular for his "live and let live" attitude. Restored entertainments, holidays, and sports that Cromwell had banned.
James II (r. 1685–1688)
Charles II's brother and successor. A Catholic who gave government jobs to Catholics, suspended laws, raised taxes without Parliament, and attempted to restore absolute power. His unpopularity and the birth of a Catholic heir triggered the Glorious Revolution.
The Glorious Revolution (1688)
A bloodless coup in which Parliament invited William (Dutch) and Mary (James II's Protestant daughter) to replace James II as rulers of England. James fled to France without a fight. Called "glorious" because it achieved regime change without bloodshed.
Constitutional monarchy
A system of government in which laws limit a ruler's power. The monarch remains head of state but governs in partnership with Parliament and under the rule of law.
Limited monarchy
Another term for constitutional monarchy. A constitution restricts the powers of the monarch, who is obligated to obey the laws. The king is not free to do anything he wants.
English Bill of Rights (1689)
The document Parliament wrote after the Glorious Revolution, listing what a ruler could not do and restating citizens' rights. It is the legal foundation of England's constitutional monarchy and a direct ancestor of the American Bill of Rights.
American Bill of Rights
The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Many of its protections (trial by jury, no cruel punishment, no excessive fines, freedom of speech) trace back to the English Bill of Rights of 1689.
U.K. Constitution
Unlike the U.S., the United Kingdom does not have a single written constitution. Its constitution is the accumulated body of democratic traditions, customs, acts of Parliament, and decisions of the U.K. Supreme Court.
Charles I's invasion of Parliament triggered the war
Two armies formed:
Cavaliers: the king's supporters, led by Charles I and the nobility
Roundheads: Parliament's supporters, reorganised by Oliver Cromwell
Cromwell created the model army: soldiers promoted on ability, not birth
Cromwell was born into the gentry, not the nobility
By 1647 the Roundheads were winning
Charles I was captured, imprisoned, tried for treason, and convicted
Executed by public beheading on 30 January 1649
This was unprecedented: no ruling king had ever been tried and executed by his own people
The execution directly contradicted the doctrine of divine right
Beliefs
Strict Puritan; believed God had chosen him to lead England
Control of government
Initially governed alongside Parliament as part of a republic (Commonwealth)
Grew impatient with Parliament's slow reforms
In 1653, led soldiers into Parliament, dissolved it, and declared himself Lord Protector
Put his generals in charge of English regions; soldiers enforced his laws
Control of society
Instituted strict Puritan restrictions on daily life:
Shut down inns and theatres
Banned sports
Punished swearing
Banned work on Sundays (women doing unnecessary Sunday work were put in a stockade)
Forbade Sunday walks unless going to church
Imposed monthly fasting days (no food or drink)
Banned Christmas; soldiers patrolled streets to confiscate food being cooked for Christmas dinner
Control of religion
Allowed religious freedom for Protestants and Jews
Did not extend freedom to Catholics
Control of the military
Invaded Ireland after the Civil War, where supporters of Charles I had allied with the Irish
Destroyed much of the Irish countryside
Massacred women and children in two Irish cities (approximately 6,000 dead)
His Irish campaign permanently stained his reputation
Overall pattern: Cromwell believed he was saving England, but he became exactly what the Civil War was supposed to prevent: a ruler with absolute power who dissolved Parliament and governed by force. The people saw him as a feared military dictator who had betrayed the ideals of the revolution.
Cromwell's legacy: When Cromwell died in 1658, his son Richard briefly took over and failed. The Commonwealth collapsed. England invited Charles II back from exile in 1660.
Similarities:
Both believed God had chosen them to lead
Both dissolved Parliament when it opposed them
Both ruled with absolute power
Both controlled religion according to their personal beliefs
Both used military force to maintain control
Differences:
Charles I was a hereditary king who claimed divine right; Cromwell was a commoner from the gentry who rose through military leadership
Charles I was pro-Catholic; Cromwell was a strict Puritan
Cromwell promoted soldiers by ability regardless of class; Charles relied on the nobility
Cromwell's power came from the army; Charles's came from royal lineage
Beliefs
Believed in absolutism and divine right
Secretly wished absolutism could be restored in England by a future heir
Control of government
Avoided his father's mistakes by cooperating with Parliament
Understood that Parliament had given him the crown and could take it away
His Parliament consisted of Cavaliers and Anglicans (no Puritans)
Control of society
Restored entertainments, holidays, sports, and cultural life that Cromwell had banned
Suspended punishments against Catholics
Personally immoral (spending, parties, multiple affairs), yet enormously popular
His "live and let live" attitude was a relief after the Civil War and Cromwell's dictatorship
Control of religion
Issued a declaration suspending punishments against Catholics
Died without heirs in 1685
Overall pattern: Charles II was shrewd enough to learn from history. He held absolutist beliefs but governed pragmatically. His popularity came from giving the English people the freedom and stability they craved after decades of conflict.
Beliefs
Catholic (which horrified Protestant Parliament)
Wanted to return to the absolutism of Charles I
Control of government
Gave major government positions to Catholics
Randomly suspended laws when they suited him
Raised taxes without asking Parliament
Stationed troops outside London for his own protection due to unpopularity
Control of the economy
Raised taxes without Parliamentary consent
Control of religion
Promoted Catholicism in a Protestant country
In 1688, his second wife gave birth to a Catholic son, raising the prospect of a permanent Catholic monarchy
The trigger: Parliament feared a repeat of Charles I's absolutism and a Catholic dynasty. They acted quickly, inviting James II's Protestant daughter Mary and her Dutch husband William to take the throne.
Parliament invited William and Mary to oust James II
James fled to France when he realised he had no support
No blood was shed, hence "Glorious" and "bloodless"
William and Mary vowed to be partners in government with Parliament
What the monarch could NOT do:
Suspend Parliament's laws
Raise taxes without Parliament's approval
Interfere with freedom of speech in Parliament
Penalise citizens who voice grievances to the king
What Parliament gained:
Power to control spending
The right to bar Catholics from the monarchy
The principle that no monarch could rule without Parliament's consent (and vice versa)
Free elections
Citizens' rights restated:
Trial by jury
No excessive fines
No cruel or unusual punishment
No imprisonment without being charged with a specific crime
Freedom of speech in Parliament and for the people
No armies raised in peacetime
Freedom of the press
Freedom of assembly
Right to bear arms
Right to a fair trial
Due process of law
Religious freedom: Limited. Only members of the Church of England could hold public office. Catholics had no freedom of religion.
The English perspective: The English felt they had not done anything radical. They believed parliamentary cooperation with the Crown was England's traditional order, and that a few Stuart kings had tried to disturb it by importing absolutist ideas from the European continent. The Glorious Revolution simply secured what had always been.
Modern legacy: Today the monarchy is a living symbol of the UK, but Parliament makes the laws. The Prime Minister, chosen by Parliament, runs the government. The monarch's role is largely ceremonial and advisory.
The English Bill of Rights (1689) is one of the most influential documents in the history of democratic governance. Its provisions, including no taxation without representation, trial by jury, no cruel punishment, and freedom of speech, were adopted almost directly into the American Bill of Rights (the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution). The concept of constitutional monarchy established here still governs the United Kingdom and many other countries descended from the British Empire.
Students often think the Glorious Revolution involved fighting. It did not. James II simply fled when he realised he had no support. That is why it is called "bloodless."
Cromwell is sometimes remembered as a hero of democracy. While he fought against royal absolutism, he dissolved Parliament and ruled as a military dictator with strict controls over everyday life. He replaced one form of absolute power with another.
The English Bill of Rights is sometimes confused with the American Bill of Rights. The English version came first (1689) and limited royal power. The American version (1791) limited government power more broadly. Many specific protections are shared, but they are separate documents from different centuries.
Students sometimes assume the Glorious Revolution ended the English monarchy. It did not. It kept the monarchy but permanently subordinated it to Parliament and the rule of law.
⚠️ The execution of Charles I (30 January 1649) was unprecedented. Be ready to explain why it was shocking: no ruling king had ever been tried and executed by his own people, and it directly contradicted divine right.
⚠️ Know the specific provisions of the English Bill of Rights. The packet lists them in detail, and exam questions are likely to ask what the monarch could not do and what rights citizens gained.
⚠️ The comparison between Cromwell and Charles I is an explicit worksheet question in the packet. Key similarities: both dissolved Parliament, both ruled with absolute power, both believed God chose them. Key differences: Cromwell was a commoner and a Puritan; Charles was a hereditary king and pro-Catholic.
⚠️ The Glorious Revolution answers the unit's central question: England got rid of absolutism because repeated abuses by Stuart kings (James I, Charles I, James II) pushed Parliament to permanently limit royal power through law.
⚠️ The connection between the English Bill of Rights and the American Bill of Rights is a likely exam topic. Many protections (trial by jury, no cruel punishment, no excessive fines, freedom of speech) appear in both.
True or false: The Cavaliers supported Parliament during the English Civil War. (False, they supported the king. The Roundheads supported Parliament.)
Fill in the blank: Cromwell gave himself the title ________ after dissolving Parliament in 1653. (Lord Protector of the Commonwealth.)
True or false: The Glorious Revolution of 1688 involved significant bloodshed. (False, it was a bloodless coup.)
Fill in the blank: The 1689 document that permanently limited royal power was the ________. (English Bill of Rights.)
True or false: Under the English Bill of Rights, Catholics could hold public office. (False, only members of the Church of England could hold public office.)
Q: Why was the execution of Charles I in 1649 considered so shocking across Europe?
A: No ruling king had ever been tried and executed by his own people. The execution directly contradicted the doctrine of divine right, which held that the king's authority came from God and could not be challenged by ordinary humans.
Q: What did Oliver Cromwell have in common with King Charles I?
A: Both believed God had chosen them to lead. Both dissolved Parliament when it opposed them. Both exercised absolute power over England. Both controlled religion according to their personal beliefs, and both used military force to maintain their authority.
Q: How was Oliver Cromwell different from King Charles I?
A: Cromwell was a commoner from the gentry who rose through military ability, while Charles was a hereditary king. Cromwell was a strict Puritan; Charles was pro-Catholic. Cromwell promoted soldiers by merit regardless of social class, while Charles relied on the traditional nobility. Cromwell's authority came from his army; Charles's came from royal bloodline and divine right.
Q: What caused the Glorious Revolution of 1688?
A: James II was a Catholic who gave government jobs to Catholics, suspended laws, raised taxes without Parliament, and attempted to restore absolute power. When his second wife gave birth to a Catholic son in 1688, Parliament feared a permanent Catholic monarchy and a return to the abuses of Charles I. They invited James's Protestant daughter Mary and her husband William to take the throne. James fled to France.
Q: How does the English Bill of Rights limit the power of the monarch?
A: The monarch cannot suspend Parliament's laws, raise taxes without Parliamentary approval, interfere with freedom of speech in Parliament, or penalise citizens who voice grievances. Parliament controls spending, bars Catholics from the monarchy, and must consent to the monarch's rule. Citizens are guaranteed trial by jury, no excessive fines, no cruel punishment, and no imprisonment without being charged.
Q: What is the connection between the English Bill of Rights and the American Bill of Rights?
A: The English Bill of Rights (1689) established protections such as trial by jury, no cruel punishment, no excessive fines, and freedom of speech. Many of these protections were adopted into the American Bill of Rights (the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1791). The English document is a direct ancestor of the American one.
The English Bill of Rights connects forward to American colonial history and the U.S. Constitution. The concept of "no taxation without representation," which Parliament fought for against the Stuart kings, becomes the rallying cry of the American Revolution over a century later. The idea of a constitutional monarchy also connects to modern comparative government: the UK model (monarch as symbolic head, Parliament as governing body) contrasts with the American model (elected president, no monarch) and both trace their roots to the events in this packet.
English Civil War 1642, Cavaliers, Roundheads, Oliver Cromwell, model army, New Model Army, Lord Protector, Commonwealth, republic, execution of Charles I, Restoration 1660, Charles II, James II, Glorious Revolution 1688, bloodless coup, constitutional monarchy, limited monarchy, English Bill of Rights 1689, William and Mary, American Bill of Rights, Magna Carta, U.K. Constitution, parliamentary sovereignty, divine right rejected, world history honors, absolutism in England