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James I, the son of Mary, Queen of Scots, believed strongly in the divine right of king, as is reflected in his rule. Instead of going to parliament for money he imposed duties and taxes as a way to finance his needs. He rebuffed the the Puritans in their search of religious freedom, causing them to depart from England to found the Massachusetts Bay Colony in North America. -
During James I's rule, Puritans in England requested the ability to worship freely instead of having to conform to the Anglican Church. James did not approve their request and instead enhanced the strength of the Anglican church in England. This was one of the first signs of the struggles with an absolute monarchy, and led to the departure of Puritans from England, to form the 13 colonies in North America. -
Between 1629 and 1640, Charles I (James I's heir) refused to call Parliament so that it wouldn't impose on his rule. After the Petition of Right in 1628, Charles agreed to terms laid out by Parliament stating that he was no longer allowed to rule without Parliament's judgement, and then instead he dissolved Parliament until 1640 after the Scots defeated the British army at the Battle of Newburn. -
During Charles I's rule, a civil war in England broke out between the supporters of the monarchy, and the supporters of Parliament, but it truly originated from conflicts of religion. After Parliament refused to let Charles control the English army, he attempted to invade Parliament to arrest his opponents. Failing, he fled England in search of his own army. -
Oliver Cromwell took power after Parliament's victory against King Charles I. He ruled through military control and promoted a Puritan England, and he prioritized religious conformity over political liberty. England got to see an absolute ruler who was not a monarch and not claiming "divine right," and still presided over England like Kings before him. -
Between 1681 and 1685, King Charles II ruled without the help of Parliament. He persecuted many who plotted his and his brother James's downfall as Catholic rulers of England. He bullied local corporations into electing Parliament members who would be submissive to his will, and by the time he died he had left his brother/successor a friendly Parliament. -
William and Mary take rule after Parliament prevents the ascendant of James II's son because he would have been Catholic. They create a Bill of Rights, so that the power of the English monarchy would then be limited, as well as regulated by common laws. They wouldn't rule without Parliament, and it put an end to England's absolute monarchs.