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Bill of Rights (1689)
1) The king traditionally called the House of Lords and the Commons into session. Traditionally, these bodies had no existence aside from his convening them. In other words, they depended on the king for their existence. So what was the big problem William and Parliament had to surmount in reaching a settlement? Where did Parliament's legitimacy come from if James, the legitimate king, had not summoned them?
2) According to the Bill of Rights, how did William and Mary obtain the throne? What gave Parliament the right to depose James? Conversely, what gave Parliament the right to give the throne to William?
3) In what ways did Parliament seek to protect its powers with regard to the king?
4) What individual rights did Parliament guarantee? How many of these are in our own Bill of Rights?
5) Why was the system erected by the Bill of Rights unstable? How was it also a radical system?
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by Hugh Dubrulle, 2001
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