STANDARD WHII.6c
English Civil War & Glorious Revolution
Objective
The student will demonstrate knowledge of scientific, political, economic,
and religious changes during the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth
centuries by
c) Assessing the impacts of the English Civil War and the Glorious
Revolution on democracy.
Essential Understandings
Political democracy rests on the principle that government derives power
from the consent of the governed. The foundations of English freedoms
included the jury trial, the Magna Carta, and common law. The English
Civil War and the Glorious Revolution prompted further development of the
Rights of Englishmen.
Essential Questions
 How did the English Civil War and the Glorious Revolution promote
the development of the rights of Englishmen?
Essential Knowledge
Development of the Rights of Englishmen
o Oliver Cromwell and the execution of Charles I
o The restoration of Charles II
o Development of political parties/factions
o Glorious Revolution (William and Mary)
o Increase of parliamentary power over royal power
o English Bill of Rights of 1689
Video on English Civil War
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STANDARD WHII.6c
English Civil War & Glorious Revolution
Political Changes
At their coronation, William and Mary vowed “to govern the people of
this kingdom of England . . . according to the statutes in Parliament
agreed on and the laws and customs of the same.” By doing so, William
and Mary recognized Parliament as their partner in governing. England
had become not an absolute monarchy but a constitutional monarchy,
where laws limited the ruler’s power.
Bill of Rights To make clear the limits of royal power, Parliament
drafted a Bill of Rights in 1689. This document listed many things that a
ruler could not do:
 No suspending of Parliament’s laws
 No levying of taxes without a specific grant from Parliament
 No interfering with freedom of speech in Parliament
 No penalty for a citizen who petitions the king about grievances
William and Mary officially consented to these and other limits on their
royal power.
Cabinet System Develops After 1688, no British monarch could rule
without consent of Parliament. At the same time, Parliament could not
rule without the consent of the monarch. If the two disagreed,
government came to a standstill.
During the 1700s, this potential problem was remedied by the
development of a group of government ministers called the cabinet.
These ministers acted in the ruler’s name but in reality represented the
major party of Parliament. Therefore, they became the link between the
monarch and the majority in Parliament.
Over time, the cabinet became the center of power and policymaking.
Under the cabinet system, the leader of the majority party in Parliament
heads the cabinet and is called the prime minister. This system of
English government continues today.
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STANDARD WHII.6c
English Civil War & Glorious Revolution
Identifying Supporting Ideas: Fill in the diagram describing relations between
Parliament and each English ruler listed.
1. King James I (1603-1625)
2. Charles I (1625-1649)
3. Oliver Cromwell (1649-1658)
4. Charles II (1660-1685)
5. James II (1685-1688)
6. William and Mary (1689-1702)
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STANDARD WHII.6c
English Civil War & Glorious Revolution
Using your RSG and additional reading, answer the following questions in
complete sentences.
1. Who was Oliver Cromwell and what was his relationship with Charles I?
2. What was the Restoration and how did it come about?
3. What is the cabinet system and how is it related to political parties?
4. Describe why and how the Glorious Revolution took place.
5. What three things increased the power of parliament over the monarchy?
6. What is the English Bill of Rights and how did it effect the English people?
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