You're right in that i dont know all the history.. But wrong in saying Torrhen knelt unilaterally and not during time of war. He knelt because Westeros was invaded by dragons. Totally different than what Jon did. Sorry.
Here man.. They have books and google for this shit:
Torrhen Stark
Torrhen Stark, known as the King Who Knelt, was a head of
House Stark who reigned as King in the North until Aegon I
Targaryen invaded Westeros with his dragons. He was named Lord of Winterfell and
Warden of the North after submitting to Aegon during the War of Conquest.
Torrhen Stark - A Wiki of Ice and Fire
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Torrhen_Stark