Monday, April 20, 2009

The English Bill of Rights and Its Impact

The English Bill of Rights came to being in 1688 during the Revolution. The Bill was written up by Parliament after the fleeing of King James II. His successors were presented the Bill in 1689. The English Bill of Rights was a very important step for England and it has impacted many Declaration of Rights today, including the very important American Constitution. The purpose of this blog is the view how the English Bill of Rights came into being and how it has affected so many civilizations.

"William of Orange led an invasion of England that is sometimes called the Glorious Revolution. William and Mary served as joint monarchs."(Blashfield, 53) William and Mary were asked to invade England to remove James II from the monarchy. This led King James to flee from England which in turn led to the Bill of Rights.

Due to the fleeing of King James II, and his abuse of power that led to his desertion, the Bill of Rights was drawn up between Parliament and William of Orange for him to agree to when he would accept the crown. When William and Mary, his wife, were crowned in 1689 they swore an oath to reign based on "statutes in Parliament agreed upon, and the laws and customs of the same." John Locke was a major contributor to the Bill of Rights. (Mc Nall 467)

The English Bill of Rights played a huge role in the making of the Constitution of the United States of America. Most of our rights found in the Constitution have some from the English Bill of Rights. We need to keep in mind all the people who fought so hard for our rights in our country and in England.

In conclusion, the English Bill of Rights was drawn up in 1688 after the fleeing of James II from England. It is easy to see how the Bill impacted many others, including the grand Constitution of America. The purpose of this blog was achieved and we viewed how the English Bill of Rights came into being and how it has affected so many civilizations.


Blashfield, Jean F. England. New York: Children's P, 2006.

Mc Nall. Civilization Past and Present. Scott Foresman and Company, 1969.

Sunday, April 12, 2009