King Henry VIII 1491-1547, who created five problems for his successors, especially for King Jame I

• The problem of royal personality
• The problem of royal control and sovereignty
• The problem of royal finances
• The problem of religion
• The problem of foreign policy

Act in Restraint of Appeals 1533

Henry gave the parliament the right to debate and legislate religion.

English kings could only tax his subjects with Parliament's permission.

The conflict between Catholicism and Protestantism, then came the settlement. The Church of England was Protestant in doctrine, Catholic and ritual in hierarchy.

King James I 1566-1625

Anne of Denmark 1574-1619

Well, kind of a mess...

King Charles I 1600-1649, Princess Henrietta Maria 1609-1669

• dissolved the parliament and ruled without it for 11 years.
• implemented "Thorough" (the actual name of the program) to trim government expenses
• raised and levied myriad kinds of taxes
• Being inflexible as to religion

The Bishops' Wars 1637-1642, Scottish Rebellion

The First English Civil War 1642-1646, war between the Parliament and the king

• Militia and aristocratic army for the king vs. The New Model Army raised by the Parliament commanded by Thomas Fairfax (1612-1671) and led by Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658)

The King lost the war and was charged high treason (not against himself, but the English constitution and the English people) in 1649.

The king was sentenced to death. For the first time in English history, the English people had judicially and publicly murdered their king.

Within weeks, the Parliament abolished the monarchy and the House of Lords, therefore the establishment of the republic, but not democracy. The Republic had been worked out and by in the interests of a very small oligarchy of landed gentry and urban merchants.