12th Century (1100s)

Question 1

Which prior king inspired Henry I’s reforms and reign? (r.1100-1135)

Answer 1

• Who He Was:
  
  • Successor after his brother, William II, died.
• Inspiration:
  
  • Admired Edward the Confessor; modeled his reforms and reign after his example.

Question 2

What was the Charter of Liberties and who issued it? (1100)

Answer 2

• A royal charter aimed at reducing royal abuses of power and the selling of clergy titles.
• Issued by Henry I in 1100.

Footnote: Precursor to Magna Carta; helped secure Henry’s throne after William II’s death.

Question 3

Who was King Stephen of Blois and how did he contribute to civil unrest in England? (r.1135-1154)

Answer 3

• Who He Was:
  
  • Nephew of Henry I who seized the throne after William Adelin’s death.
• Significance:
  
  • His reign was marked by brutal civil war and succession conflicts, known as The Anarchy.

Footnote: Stephen’s weak claim and poor control led to one of the most unstable periods in English history, The Anarchy.

Question 4

What was The Anarchy, and what were its causes? (1138-1153)

Answer 4

• What It Was:
  
  • A civil war between supporters of King Stephen and those of Empress Matilda over legitimate succession to the throne.
• Causes:
  
  • Stephen’s contested claim to the throne after Henry I’s death.
  • Notably violent and chaotic period in English history.

Question 5

What was the Treaty of Wallingford? (1153)

Answer 5

• What It Was:
  
  • Peace agreement in which Stephen recognized Henry II (Matilda’s son) as his heir.
  • Ended The Anarchy.

Footnote: Ended The Anarchy without further bloodshed and ensured Plantagenet succession.

Question 6

What was the White Ship Disaster, and how did it affect the English succession? (1120)

Answer 6

• What It Was:
  
  • A shipwreck that led to the death of William Adelin, the only male heir to Henry I.
  • Sparked a succession crisis

Footnote: The disaster directly led to The Anarchy, as no male heir remained.

Question 7

Who was Henry II and what kingdoms did he securely rule over as contrasted to the precarious reign of his predecessor? (r.1154-1189)

Answer 7

• Who He Was:
  
  • Successor to Stephen after his death.
  • Husband to Eleanor of Aquitaine.
• What He Ruled:
  
  • Controlled the vast Angevin Empire.
  • Ruled all of England, parts of France, Ireland, and Wales.

Footnote: His empire was the largest ruled by an English king before the union with Scotland.

Question 8

What was the Constitution of Clarendon, and how did it impact church-state relations? (1164)

Answer 8

• What It Was:
  
  • Royal edict elevating royal control above church authority in legal matters.
  • Limited clerical privileges in royal courts.
• Impact:
  
  • Increased tensions between the monarchy and the Church.

Footnote: Sparked the Becket crisis and deepened crown–church tensions.

Question 9

Who was Thomas Becket, and what led to his conflict with Henry II? (c.1120-1170)

Answer 9

• Who He Was:
  
  • Lord Chancellor to the king and Archbishop of Canterbury.
• Conflict:
  
  • Feuded with Henry II over the Constitution of Clarendon, which restricted religious privileges.

Footnote: His murder by royal knights turned him into a martyr and saint; famously depicted in Shakespeare’s Richard II.

Question 10

What is the quote famously associated with Thomas Becket’s assassination?

Answer 10

• “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?”
  
  • Attributed to Henry II, interpreted by knights as a command to assassinate Becket.

Footnote: The quote’s ambiguity remains one of history’s most debated incitements.

Question 11

Who was Richard the Lionheart, and what is he chiefly remembered for? (r.1189-1199)

Answer 11

• Who He Was:
  
  • Successor to and son of Henry II.
• What He Is Remembered For:
  
  • Famed Crusader King in the Third Crusades.
  • Spent much of his reign abroad, notably in the Crusades.

Footnote: Despite his martial fame, he spent less than one year in England during his reign.

Question 12

When was the University of Oxford founded, and why is it significant?

Answer 12

• When It Was Founded:
  
  • Sometime in the late 12th century.
• Significance:
  
  • The oldest university in England.
  • Leading university for centuries.

Question 13

Who was Empress Matilda? (c.1102-1167)

Answer 13

• Who She Was:
  
  • Daughter of Henry I and mother of the next king of England, Henry II.
  • Fought to claim the English throne during The Anarchy.

Footnote: Though never crowned, she paved the way for the Plantagenet dynasty through her son’s ascension to the throne.

Question 14

What legal reforms is Henry II known for?

Answer 14

• Known for creating the common law system: royal courts, itinerant judges, and jury trials.

Footnote: Created the foundations of English law still in use today.