In England during the 16th century, an institution began to develop from the relationship between the king and gentry. The Parliament, as it was known, was considered the only legislative body that could approve the king's actions. Without this parliamentary consent, kings did not possess the prerogative, for example, to raise taxes, form a standing army, and even go to war. Parliament began as a weak assembly of men under Henry VII, progressed to a more powerful legislative body under Elizabeth I, and transformed to an all-powerful government under the reign of Charles I. Many forms of Parliament existed in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, such as the Reformation Parliament, the Long Parliament, and the Rump Parliament. All had long-lasting effects on the monarchies and the government of England. The role of Parliament in English politics in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries...