The Petition Itself
The Petition of Right of 1628 is one of England's most famous Constitutional documents. It was written by Parliament as an objection to an overreach of authority by King Charles I. During his reign, English citizens saw this overreach of authority as a major infringement on their civil rights.
The Petition of Right contained four main points:
No taxes could be levied without Parliament's consent.
No English subject could be imprisoned without cause--thus reinforcing the right of habeas corpus.
No quartering of soldiers in citizens homes.
No martial law may be used in peacetime.
Each of these four points enumerated specific civil rights that Englishmen felt Charles I had breached throughout his reign. Although he'd never been that popular as the monarch, his abuse of