Parliament in Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!

Basic Information

Name: Parliament of the Kingdom of Great Britain

Nickname: Real Politicians of London

Born: May 1st, 1707

Died: December 31st, 1800

Nationality: Great Britain

Hometown: Westminster Palace, Westminster, London

WORK & EDUCATION

Occupation: Governing, Making Laws, Legislating

Education: We're guessing it goes like this: Nanny, then Governess, then Eton or Harrow, then Oxford or Cambridge.

FAMILY & FRIENDS

Parents: Parliament of England and Parliament of Scotland

Children: Parliament of the United Kingdom

Friends: The King, The Ministry, The Cabinet

Foes: The King, The Ministry, The Cabinet


Analysis

Parliament is the legislative branch of government in what is now the United Kingdom (and was only Great Britain in 1775). The monarch's power is granted and managed by Parliament. Then as now, Parliament was composed of two houses. The House of Lords was and is composed of members of the British peerage (or nobility) who inherit their positions and the House of Commons was and is elected, with members representing various geographic areas.

The issue of representation was huge for the American colonies, because they weren't allowed to send members to Parliament, but Parliament could make laws that affected them. During the era of the American Revolution, the London-based parliament reserved the right to legislate for the entire British Empire and to overrule laws the colonists made for themselves. While George III and Lord North were certainly involved, Parliament was the group making most of the decisions that led to war.