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The sharing of power between the King of England and the Parliament caused continual conflict, some of it religious in nature.  The religious disagreements between the Church of England, the Puritans, the Quakers and other Christian faiths caused many to flee to the new colonies in America to establish religious communities free from persecution in England.  But note that many of these Christian denominations, such as the Puritans, did not believe in religious freedom for others any more than the Church of England did.

The sharing of power between the King of England and the Parliament caused continual conflict, some of it religious in nature.  The religious disagreements between the Church of England, the Puritans, the Quakers and other Christian faiths caused many to flee to the new colonies in America to establish religious communities free from persecution in England.  But note that many of these Christian denominations, such as the Puritans, did not believe in religious freedom for others any more than the Church of England did.

After the founder of the Church of England (King Henry VIII) died in 1547, there were three noteworthy monarchs: Elizabeth I, James I and Charles I.  Queen Elizabeth took the throne in 1558, about a decade after King Henry VIII, and remains the most popular English monarch in history.  She ruled for nearly 45 years, until her death in 1603, and had two remarkable accomplishments:  she deftly managed Parliament and many religious conflicts, and she crushed the massive Spanish Armada that attempted to invade England in 1588.  A Protestant who was formally excommunicated by the Catholic Church, Elizabeth obtained the “Religious Settlement” from Parliament in 1559 that funded the Church of England and set many rules for it (like the ability of its clergy to marry) that remain to this day.  Queen Elizabeth’s successful rule is known as the “Elizabethan Age.”

After the founder of the Church of England (King Henry VIII) died in 1547, there were three noteworthy monarchs: Elizabeth I, James I and Charles I.  Queen Elizabeth took the throne in 1558, about a decade after King Henry Vhttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/Button_reflink.pngIII, and remains the most popular English monarch in history.  She ruled for nearly 45 years, until her death in 1603, and had two remarkable accomplishments:  she deftly managed Parliament and many religious conflicts, and she crushed the massive Spanish Armada that attempted to invade England in 1588.  A Protestant who was formally excommunicated by the Catholic Church, Elizabeth obtained the “Religious Settlement” from Parliament in 1559 that funded the Church of England and set many rules for it (like the ability of its clergy to marry) that remain to this day.  Queen Elizabeth’s successful rule is known as the “Elizabethan Age.”

 

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 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. (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.

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 also the cropping of his ears (removal of part of his ears to disfigure him).   

 

But Prynne, even with his ears cropped, continued to write pamphlets.  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.  He was then even elected, without ears, to Parliament in 1648.  But in December 1648 the English army led by the Puritan Colonel Thomas Pride) held a coup that excluded more than 100 Charles-friendly members of Parliament from the House of Commons.  That was known as “Pride’s Purge.”  The remaining “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.