English Civil War

Why did Parliament and the King go to war with each other?

 ·          Parliament and the King had political problems

 o    King believed he had divine right to be an Absolute Monarch …and acted like it

 o    Parliament believed he was a tyrant because they believed tradition and the Magna Carta made him a Constitutional Monarch, and tried to force him to be one.

What type of government did England have after the Civil Wars had ended?

 ·          Constitutional Monarchy – King had power, but not total power. Parliament could make laws in cooperation with the King. Parliament controlled taxes, and the finances of the Military. King’s power was limited. Advantages: Less likely to have tyranny. People have SOME say in who is in the government, but there are also always experienced people (Nobles and the Monarch) who can’t really be removed easily.

Disadvantage: Harder to get things done, Kings are genetic rolls of the dice, sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you get Charles I. Monarchies are “unfair.”