England's Monarchy 1603-1642

Elizabeth's death in 1603 ended Tudor rule in England. Since she had no children, she was succeeded by her first cousin king James of Scotland who ruled in England as James (1603-1625). James Iespoused the divine right of kings and the belief that the king’s power comes directly from God, and therefore ruled under an absolute monarchy.
James I's successor, Charles I(1625-1649), experiencedfrequent conflicts with the English Parliament related to the issue of royal and parliamentary powers, especially the power to impose taxes.in 1628 king Charles I signs the Petition of Rights whichprohibited taxation without parliament’s consent. He provoked opposition by ruling without Parliament from 1629 to 1640, unilaterally levying taxes, and adopting controversial religious policies (many ofwhich were offensive to the Scottish Presbyterians and the English Puritans). In 1642, the conflict between King and Parliament reached its climax and the English Civil War began.
The war culminatedin the execution of the king in 1649, the overthrow of the monarchy, and the establishment of a republic known as the Commonwealth of England. In 1653, Oliver Cromwell, the most prominent military andpolitical leader in the nation, seized power and declared himself Lord Protector (effectively becoming a military dictator, but refusing the title of king). Cromwell ruled until his death in 1658,when he was succeeded by his son Richard. The new Lord Protector had little interest in governing; he soon resigned.[57] The lack of clear leadership led to civil and military unrest, and for a populardesire to restore the monarchy. In 1660, the monarchy was restored when Charles I's son Charles II (1680-1685) was declared king. A new parliament was created, the cavalier parlament which restoredthe Anglican Church as the official church of England. Charles II was succeeded by his brother James II (1685-1688) who favored Catholics and caused the reaction of the parliament.
 As a result, a...