In an era dominated by the "Divine Right of Kings," England dared to create the first modern democracy. The years of 1642 through 1688 saw England undergoing a vast governmental change. Charles I, King of England from 1625 to 1649, touted the theory of the Divine Right of Kings, a medieval throwback proclaiming the king's absolute power over his subjects, limited only by his noblese oblige. This was during Louis XIV's time, when kings sought to secure absolute power and destroy all opposition. Unlike Louis, who succeeded in his quest for power, Charles I's inept handling of England's political, military, and religious affairs allowed for the creation of a highly effective opposition further solidified by the king's higher taxes and his ignoring the wishes of Parliament. Charles' failure to split the opposition via social class and economic prosperity finally led to a popular revolt led by Parliament on 2 January 1642.

First Civil War 1642-1646

Battle of Edgehill, 23 October 1642
Battle of Turnham Green, 13 November 1642
Capture of Bristol, 26 July 1643
Scotland joins Parliament against Charles II, January 1644
Battle of Marston Moor, 2 July 1644
Creation of the New Model Army, January-March 1645
Battle of Naseby, 14 June 1645
Charles I surrenders to Scottish forces, 5 May 1646

Interlude, 1646-1648

The Scottish give Charles to Parliament for 400,000 pounds, January 1647
Charles escapes to the Isle of Wight, November 1647
Parliament renounces its allegience to Charles, January 1648

Second Civil War 1648-1651

The Scots, who are now loyal to Charles, invade England, July 1648
Battle of Preston, Oliver Cromwell defeats the Scots, 17-19 August 1648
Trial and execution of Charles I, 30 January 1649

The Commonwealth, 1649-1660

Cromwell made Lord Protector of the Commonwealth, February 1649
Irish Rebellion, 1649-1650
Naval Reform, 1649-1652
First Anglo-Dutch War, 1652-1654
Creation of Army Military Districts, 1655
Richard Cromwell succeeds his father as Lord Protector, 3 September 1658
Restoration of the Monarchy, May 1660

The Reign of Charles II, 1660-1685

Second Anglo-Dutch War, 1665-1667
Third Anglo-Dutch War, 1672-1674
Death of Charles II, 6 February 1685

The Uneasy Truce, 1685-1687

James II, a Catholic and absolutist, ascends the throne, 6 February 1685
Monmouth's Rebellion, 6 July 1685
James attempts to restore Catholicism in England

Third Civil War: Glorious Revolution and the Primacy of Parliament

Invasion of England by William III of the Netherlands, November 1688
James is defeated with little bloodshed and flees to France, 11 December 1688
William and his wife Mary (daughter of James II) declared joint rulers of England, establishing the primacy of Parliament over the monarchy.
Parliament passes the Mutiny Act, which established Parliamentary control over the military, April 1689

Back to Battle of Winceby Historical Overview

Back to Table of Contents #5
© Copyright 1995 by One Small Step, Inc.