English Bill of Rights Passed
1689 · Early Modern
The English Bill of Rights was passed in 1689. It set out certain basic civil rights and clarified who would be next to inherit the Crown. It also established the rights of Parliament, including regular parliaments, free elections, and freedom of speech. It also listed individual rights, including the prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment and the right not to pay taxes levied without the approval of Parliament.
Key Figures
William III of OrangeMary IIJames II of England
Locations
Houses of Parliament, Westminster
Topics
crownenglish bill of rightsparliamentfree electionscruel and unusual punishmentfreedom of speechhuman rights
Connected Events — 5 Connections
Established religious tests and anti-Catholic provisions that created the legal framework Lord George Gordon exploited in 1780, as the Bill of Rights barred Catholics from monarchy and reinforced Protestant supremacy that Gordon claimed to defend Gordon Riots in London
The English Bill of Rights established parliamentary supremacy and constitutional monarchy principles that became the foundation for the unified British Parliament created by the Acts of Union, providing the constitutional framework that made union legally and politically possible Acts of Union 1707
Established the precedent of limiting governmental power through enumerated rights, particularly influencing the structure and language of prohibitions against government overreach in the American Bill of Rights U.S. Bill of Rights Ratified
Locke published his Essay in the immediate aftermath of the Glorious Revolution that produced the Bill of Rights; the political settlement enabled his publishing Publication of Locke's Essay Concerning Human Understanding
Established constitutional precedent expanded by Magna Carta Drafted
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