5448 AM · 1688 CE · world history
The Glorious Revolution
The English parliament invites William of Orange, and the king's power is bounded by law.
Fearing a restoration of Catholicism and the arbitrary rule of James II, the parliamentary men call his son-in-law William of Orange to England. He lands with an army, James flees to France, and the change of power costs almost no fighting. William and Mary take the crown together with the Bill of Rights: the king may not suspend laws, levy taxes or keep an army without parliament's consent, and elections are to be free. A toleration act for Protestant congregations is passed as well. A model of limited monarchy takes shape, to be cited throughout the eighteenth century.
§Sources
Documents of the period
- documents and chronicles of the period
Scholarship
- studies in European history
Basis: documents and evidence.