Changes

Queen Elizabeth never married and had no heirs.  After her death in 1603, her cousin James Stuart, King James VI of Scotland, took the English throne as James I.  The King James Version of the Bible, first published in 1611, was the magnificent English translation funded by his reign.  This stunning work greatly influenced the development of the English language for centuries to come.  But unlike Elizabeth, James I fought frequently with Parliament.

Queen Elizabeth never married and had no heirs.  After her death in 1603, her cousin James Stuart, King James VI of Scotland, took the English throne as James I.  The King James Version of the Bible, first published in 1611, was the magnificent English translation funded by his reign.  This stunning work greatly influenced the development of the English language for centuries to come.  But unlike Elizabeth, James I fought frequently with Parliament.

Charles I became king in 1625 and conflicts worsened between the king and Parliament.  Charles I needed funding in 1628, but Parliament refused unless Charles signed the Petition of Right.  This important document would have limited the powers of the king in four significant ways.  The king could no longer imprison people without good reason, or force people to house soldiers in their private homes, or impose taxes without the consent of Parliament, or impose martial (military) law during peacetime.  The king’s power would be greatly weakened by this Petition, and Charles refused to sign it.

Charles I became the king in 1625 and conflicts worsened between King Charles I and Parliament.  Charles I needed funding in 1628, but Parliament refused unless Charles signed the Petition of Right.  This important document would have limited the powers of the king in four significant ways.  The king could no longer imprison people without good reason, or force people to house soldiers in their private homes, or impose taxes without the consent of Parliament, or impose martial (military) law during peacetime.  The king’s power would be greatly weakened by this Petition, and Charles refused to sign it.

Charles also refused to give religious freedom to Puritans in England and Presbyterians in Scotland.  This led to the religious English Civil War from 1642 to 1649, whereupon the Puritan leader Oliver Cromwell emerged victorious.  King Charles was then tried and publicly executed.  This was the first execution of a king by his own people in history, setting an example that future revolutions imitated.

Charles also refused to give religious freedom to Puritans in England and Presbyterians in Scotland.  This led to the religious English Civil War from 1642 to 1649, whereupon the Puritan leader Oliver Cromwell emerged victorious.  King Charles was then tried and publicly executed.  This was the first execution of a king by his own people in history, setting an example that future revolutions imitated.

An example of the harsh religious conflict in England under Charles I was the experience of the Puritan William Prynne (1600-69).  He wrote and distributed pamphlets, including his famous pamphlet Histrio Mastix (1632) that attacked stage-plays liked by Queen Henrietta Maria.  Prynne’s writings caused him to be tried before the monarch’s Star Chamber and, of course, he was convicted in that unfair tribunal. His sentence in 1634 was the extremely harsh life imprisonment and the cropping of his ears (removal of part of his ears to disfigure him).  But he continued to write pamphlets and thus in 1637 he was further punished by removing the remainder of his ears.  In 1640, the Long Parliament limited the absolute power of the monarch and freed Prynne, and he was even elected to Parliament himself in 1648.  But in December 1648 the English army (led by the Puritan Colonel Thomas Pride) led a coup that excluded more than 100 members of Parliament who sought to settle with Charles I, including the Puritan Prynne, from the House of Commons.  That was known as “Pride’s Purge.”  A “rump” Parliament then assembled without these excluded members, and allowed the execution of Charles I.  It is easy to see why some Puritans decided to come to America during this time rather than stay in England.

An example of the harsh religious conflict in England under Charles I was the experience of the Puritan William Prynne (1600-69).  He wrote and distributed pamphlets, including his famous pamphlet Histrio Mastix (1632) that attacked stage-plays liked by Queen Henrietta Maria.  Prynne’s writings caused him to be tried before the monarch’s Star Chamber and, of course, he was convicted in that unfair tribunal. (To this day the term a “Star Chamber” refers to an inherently unjust proceeding.)  The sentence of Prynne in 1634 was an extremely harsh life imprisonment and the cropping of his ears (removal of part of his ears to disfigure him).  But he continued to write pamphlets and thus in 1637 he was further punished by removing the remainder of his ears.  In 1640, the Long Parliament limited the absolute power of the monarch and freed Prynne, and he was even elected to Parliament himself in 1648.  But in December 1648 the English army (led by the Puritan Colonel Thomas Pride) led a coup that excluded more than 100 members of Parliament who sought to settle with Charles I, including the Puritan Prynne, from the House of Commons.  That was known as “Pride’s Purge.”  A “rump” Parliament then assembled without these excluded members, and this allowed the execution of Charles I.  It is easy to see why some Puritans decided to come to America during this time rather than stay in England.

After defeating Charles I, Oliver Cromwell initially founded the “Commonwealth” (1649-53), which was a republican form of government.  But like other future revolutionaries, Cromwell then decided simply to rule as a military dictator, which he did until his death in 1658.  Most revolutions simply replace one form of dictatorship with another.  The shining exception was the American Revolution, as its leader (George Washington) voluntarily gave up his power for the good of the people.

After defeating Charles I, Oliver Cromwell initially founded the “Commonwealth” (1649-53), which was a republican form of government.  But like other future revolutionaries, Cromwell then decided simply to rule as a military dictator, which he did until his death in 1658.  Most revolutions simply replace one form of dictatorship with another.  The shining exception was the American Revolution, as its leader (George Washington) voluntarily gave up his power for the good of the people.