Charles I, the king of England, was an absolutist. Absolutism is the belief that the king should have all the power. Parliament, which represented the people of England, did not agree. Charles, who was selfish, money hungry, and divisive, rejected Parliament and the law, even going so far as to dissolve Parliament, which ultimately led to the English Civil War.
The English people worried that Charles was secretly Catholic. The Archbishop of Canterbury, who was appointed by Charles, seemed to be, as was Charles’ wife and children. He certainly did not appear willing to help the Protestant cause on the mainland. When Charles I finally gave in to Parliament’s wishes to help these other Protestants, Parliament would not approve the taxes to fund a military endeavor. He then implemented a system of forced loans to pay for his army. The English Civil War began in 1642 after Charles I seized power from Parliament. When the king ran out of money, he was forced to call Parliament back. Soon, Parliament made Charles sign a treaty preventing him banning Parliament again. They were at each others throats soon after. The Calviliers were the supporters of the king. They were few in number, lightly armored, and rode horses. On the other side were the Roundheads, supporters of Parliament. These soldiers were the majority and wore more armor that the Calviliers. Roundheads were called by that name because of their domed helmets. In the end, Charles was caught and executed, ending the war in 1651.
Because of his attempts to seize power, Charles I was beaten in battle and killed, showing that the people had power over the king. Through victory of the English Civil War, Parliament established its permanent position in English government. But this is not the end of the struggle for power between Parliament and the rulers.