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Cavalier Parliament
English history
Quick Facts
- Date:
- May 8, 1661 - January 24, 1679
- Related People:
- Charles II
Cavalier Parliament, (May 8, 1661—Jan. 24, 1679), the first English Parliament after the Restoration of Charles II to the throne. It was originally enthusiastically royalist in tone, but over the years its membership changed and it became increasingly critical of many of Charles’s policies. The Cavalier Parliament is best known for the harsh laws it enacted against Roman Catholics and Protestant Dissenters.