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Primary sourceDocument7 June 1628

Petition of Right

Edward Coke (drafting committee) · 7 June 1628

A 1628 parliamentary document forcing Charles I to agree to limits on forced loans, arbitrary imprisonment and martial law.

Charles I was forced to ratify this document limiting his power, and his later evasion of it deepened the constitutional crisis of his reign.

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Scan of the handwritten Petition of Right manuscript on aged parchment. Ornate decorated initial letters begin with the words 'To the King's most Excellent Majestie' at top. Dense brown ink script fills most of the page, with a larger decorated 'H' initial starting the lower paragraph.
Petition of Right, ratified by Charles I, 7 June 1628.

About this source

What it is

The Petition of Right is an English constitutional document passed by Parliament on 7 June 1628, drafted by a committee led by Sir Edward Coke. It set out protections against forced loans, imprisonment without trial, and billeting of soldiers, and was ratified by Charles I after being passed by the Commons and Lords.

Why it matters

Charles had imprisoned people without trial for refusing forced loans and used martial law to billet troops on civilians, actions that united opposition across society. The Petition forced him to accept limits on royal power, alongside Magna Carta and later the Bill of Rights, and marked a turning point in the growing distrust between Charles and Parliament that would help lead to civil war. It still influences law today, including parts of the US Constitution.

Look closer

  • What specific royal actions is the Petition trying to stop?
  • Why did Charles need Parliament's money badly enough to accept these limits?
  • What happened afterwards that shows whether Charles kept to this agreement?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Charles I on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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