Notes

Charles II was succeeded by his brother, James II, who was openly Roman Catholic and appointed many other Catholics to high government posts. This worried the English even more, since they feared he would restore Catholicism to England. James II also tried to repeal the Act of Habeas Corpus, which had been passed during the rule of Charles II and stated that a person could not be put in jail unless they had been charged with a specific crime. Finally, in 1688, seven members of Parliament decided it was time to make a change. They offered the English throne to James' older daughter Mary and her husband, William of Orange, who was a prince of the Netherlands. Both were Protestant. They agreed, and William landed in England with a large army. James II fled to France, and William and Mary were named joint rulers of England. Because not a single shot was fired or battle fought, this event was called the Glorious Revolution.

William and Mary also swore to rule according to laws created by Parliament in a Declaration of Rights. This declaration made Parliament even stronger and protected the rights of English citizens: the Crown could not tax the people or keep an army during times of peace. Parliament had the right to meet often and hold open debates, as well as being freely elected by the people. Citizens had the right to fair and speedy trials. From then on, England had a constitutional monarchy, and no king or queen could rule there without the consent of Parliament.