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When Elisabeth died childless, she was succeded by James VI of Scotland who was called James I of England.

James wanted to join the Christian churches, but his wish was landed when the thirty years war started between Catholics and Protestants. When he died, his son Charles I became king. Charles was an evasive man who pursued his choices without feelings. At first he maneged to balance the budget and reorganized the government, but because of his disagreement with Parliament, he dissolved it.

Than he began to raise money with forced leans and judges who didn't agree were imprisoned. When he was compelled to call the Parliament for the need for money, the Parliament produced the "Petition of right". This petition estabilished that the king can't collect taxes without the approve of Parliament. In this way the Parliamente aquired the control over public money. And so Charles dissolved the Parliament in 1629 and he was able to govern without it for some years.

There was a rebellion in Scotland and the Parliament was called by Charles to finance a campaign against Scots. After that it was called again. So it abrogated the king's possibility which had permitted him to rule alone.

In 1641, a rebellion exploded in Catholic Ireland, but, because Charles was unable to rule alone, he couldn't control the army and so the First Civil War started. There were two parts: the "Roundheads" that supported Parliament against the "Royalists" that supported the king.

For two years the result of war was uncertain but owing to leadership of Oliver Cromweel who guided a special body soldiers called "Ironsides"; the king was at last defeated and after an injust trial condamned and executed in 1649. After the elimination of the king, the House of Lord was abolished; the Anglican Church was abolished and England was declared a republic (the Common Wealth).

Cromwell ruled with almost absolute power and his play proved more successful in foreign that in domestic offers. When he died his son Richard became king but he was unfit for the task and so was elected king Charles II. The first concern of king Charles II (1660-1685) was ti reasset the predominance of the Church of England. To this effect the test act was passed which excluded from public offices those who refused to take the sacrament according to the anglican rite. Charles also dissolved the Parliament and never again called it in the last 4 years of his reign. The first year of restoration were marked by tragic events. In 1665 the great plague which caused the death of 70.000 landeners in a population of 460.000 people.

In the folloween year the great fire of London destroyed most of the city. Charles II was successed by his brother James II. He was a Catholic and even more absolutist then his precedessor. He also began to put Catholics impositions of power in every brench of public life. This accelerated a secret plan to call in William of Orange, the champean of the Protestant husband of Mary, the James's doughter.

William of Orange landed in England in November 1688 with only a small force but with most of the English on his side. William and Mary were crowned king and queen in 1689. These events are usually referred to as "Glorious Revolution", glorious because it was bloodless. After Mary's death in 1694 William III reigned alone. During his reign a series of laws were passed such as the "Bill of Rights" (1689) which estabilished that the crown would not be able to rule the country without Parliament; "Toleration Act" which granted Puritans reasonable freedom of religion; "Act of Settlement" which established that within the royal family only Protestants could be heirs to the throne.

After William of Orange we have Anne Stuart. To protect her interests abroad Great Britain had entered the "War of the Spanish succession" with Holland and Prussia against France, Spain and Portugal. Peace was made with France and Spain and the Treaty of Utrecht was signed in 1713.

After Anne's death George I went to the throne. Since the time of the Glorious Revolution there were 2 parties that dominated English political life for 200 years: the "Whigs" represented the interests of the mercantile middle class; the "Tories" represented the old aristocracy. The Whigs were in power for most of the first half of the century. Their leader was Sir Robert Walpole that was criticized by his opponents and were accused of using corruption.

The Jeacobite rebellion was led by the Stuart that pretend to the throne.

A new European war broke out in 1756: Frederick II of Prussia and England against pratically all of the rest of Europe. This war was called "Seven Years War".

William Pitt the Elder became Prime Minister. France, whose fleet had been destroyed by British ships, was forced to sign the "Treaty of Paris", by which Great Britain gained important new lands.

At the beginning of the 18th century Britain had only a few commercial posts in India: Madros, Calcutta and Bombay controlled by the East India Company. At this time the situation changed for the better for Britain and many French fortresses fall to the British. There was the "Foundation of the British Empire". Come to the throne George III, the Great Britain saw a period of internal peace. This ended with the rebellion of the American Colonies and the War of American Indipendence (1776-83), lost by Great Britain.