13th Century (1200s)

Question 1

What failures marked King John’s reign? (r.1199-1216)

Answer 1

• Who He Was:
  
  • Succeeded after Richard the Lionheart’s death.
• Failures:
  
  • Lost Normandy to France.
  • Lost in the First Barons’ War.
    Excommunicated by the Pope over a dispute regarding who would succeed as next Archbishop of Canterbury.

Question 2

What was the significance of the Magna Carta in English history? (1215)

Answer 2

• What It Was:
  
  • A famed royal charter signed in 1215.
• Significance:
  
  • Declared the monarch to be subject to the rule of law.
  • Established rights for the nobility and clergy.
  • Paved the way for constitutional rights.

Question 3

What triggered the First Barons’ War, and what was its outcome? (1215-1217)

Answer 3

• What It Was:
  
  • A conflict between King John and rebel barons over perceived violations of the Magna Carta.
• Outcome:
  
  • Ended in King John’s defeat.
  • Led to the reissue of the Magna Carta under John’s successor, Henry III.

Question 4

How did the Charter of the Forest complement the Magna Carta? (1217)

Answer 4

• What It Was:
  
  • A charter that granted rights of access to the royal forests to free men.
• Significance:
  
  • Complemented the Magna Carta by extending legal protections to the common people.

Question 5

What was a key challenge faced by King Henry III during his reign? (r.1216-1272)

Answer 5

• Who He Was:
  
  • Succeeded King John after his death.
• Challenges:
  
  • Faced the Second Barons’ War (1264–1267), led by Simon de Montfort.

Question 6

Who was Simon de Montfort? (1208-1265)

Answer 6

• Who He Was:
  
  • Baron leader of the rebellion against King Henry III.
  • Created the “first representative English Parliament” in 1265, which included knights and burghers.

Question 7

What was the significance of the Battle of Evesham? (1265)

Answer 7

• What It Was:
  
  • A decisive battle that ended the Second Barons’ War.
• Significance:
  
  • Simon de Montfort was killed.
  • The king’s authority was restored, but the battle led to lasting changes in the English Parliament.

Question 8

How did Edward I’s (Edward Longshanks) military campaigns shape his legacy? (r.1272-1307)

Answer 8

• Who He Was:
  
  • Known as Edward Longshanks due to his height.
• Military Campaigns:
  
  • Known for his military successes, particularly against Wales and Scotland.
  • His campaigns solidified his legacy as a strong and influential king.

Question 9

What is the “Model Parliament” of 1295, and why is it significant?

Answer 9

• What It Was:
  
  • Convened by Edward I, it was a highly representative assembly with “two knights from each county and two burgesses from each town.”
• Significance:
  
  • Set a precedent for the ideal structure and function of future English parliaments.

Question 10

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

Answer 10

• When It Was Founded:
  
  • Founded in 1209.
• Significance:
  
  • Established by émigrés from the University of Oxford fleeing persecution from local authorities.