Why is the Glorious Revolution considered one of the turning points in the history of Europe and the Americas?
Carmen Miller
In 1688, William of Orange, the king of the Netherlands, came to England and overthrew King James II. His invasion was on the grounds that James II, who was Catholic, was oppressing the Protestant citizens of England. As the Netherlands was protestant at the time, in the letters he exchanged with the Lord Mayor of London, William said that he would defend the religious freedom of his fellow Protestants. This overthrow was later called the Glorious Revolution. It was one of the first revolutions of its kind and because of its widespread effects, is considered an important turning point in European and American …show more content…
At the time in absolute monarchies, citizens had no right to petition, and anyone who spoke out against the king could be jailed or killed. This freedom of petition, and the free speech that went with it became an essential part of democratic government in the Americas. The first amendment in the American bill of right preserves the right of the citizens to “freedom of speech...and the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances” (US bill of rights). The English bill of rights was the first system of laws where freedom of petition was considered an essential right. However, most democracies later included free speech and petition as a fundamental freedom for citizens, such as the United States and France after their revolutions. The Glorious Revolution and the new Bill of Rights it created are undoubtedly a crucial turning point in history. Thanks to the Glorious Revolution, important ideas such as limited power for the ruler, another body to authorize the ruler’s decisions, and more freedom for the citizens became models for the future in Europe and part of the grounds for the American Revolution and the democratic government that
Carmen Miller
In 1688, William of Orange, the king of the Netherlands, came to England and overthrew King James II. His invasion was on the grounds that James II, who was Catholic, was oppressing the Protestant citizens of England. As the Netherlands was protestant at the time, in the letters he exchanged with the Lord Mayor of London, William said that he would defend the religious freedom of his fellow Protestants. This overthrow was later called the Glorious Revolution. It was one of the first revolutions of its kind and because of its widespread effects, is considered an important turning point in European and American …show more content…
At the time in absolute monarchies, citizens had no right to petition, and anyone who spoke out against the king could be jailed or killed. This freedom of petition, and the free speech that went with it became an essential part of democratic government in the Americas. The first amendment in the American bill of right preserves the right of the citizens to “freedom of speech...and the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances” (US bill of rights). The English bill of rights was the first system of laws where freedom of petition was considered an essential right. However, most democracies later included free speech and petition as a fundamental freedom for citizens, such as the United States and France after their revolutions. The Glorious Revolution and the new Bill of Rights it created are undoubtedly a crucial turning point in history. Thanks to the Glorious Revolution, important ideas such as limited power for the ruler, another body to authorize the ruler’s decisions, and more freedom for the citizens became models for the future in Europe and part of the grounds for the American Revolution and the democratic government that