Chapter 8 Section 1 Flashcards
Common Law
A legal system based on custom and court rulings.
William the Conqueror
He was the Duke of Normandy, and he claimed the English throne. After he raised an army and won the backing of the pope, he sailed to England and triumphed over Harold, who was chosen to rule, at the Battle of Hastings. He became king of England on Christmas Day 1066.
Jury
A legal group of people sworn to make a decision in a legal case.
King John
Son of Henry II, he was clever, cruel, and untrustworthy ruler. During his reign, he faced three powerful enemies: King Phillip II of France, Pope Innocent III, and his own English nobles. He lost his struggles with each.
Magna Carta
When King John angered his own nobles with oppressive taxes and other abuses of power, he was forced to sign the Greater Charter in 1215; it limited royal power and established certain rights of English freemen.
Due process of law
The requirement that the government act fairly and in accordance with established rules in all that it does.
Habeas Corpus
Principal that a person cannot be held in prison without first being charged with a specific crime.
Parliament
The legislature of England that helped unify England as it acquired a larger role in government.
Louis IX
He became King of France in 1226. A deeply religious man, he persecuted heretics and was in two Crusades against the Muslims. Within 30 years of his death, the Church declared him a saint.
Domesday Book
A census taken in 1086 which listed every castle, field, and pigeon in England.
Anglo-Saxons
When the Anglo-Saxon king Edward died, and William took the throne, his French-speaking nobles dominated England. However, the country’s Anglo-Saxon population survived and over the next 300 years, there was a gradual blending of Norman French and Anglo-Saxon customs, languages, and traditions.
Estates General
Set up by Philip IV in 1302, this legislative body is made up of representatives of the three estates, or classes of French society: clergy, nobles, and townspeople.
Capetian Kings
In 987, Hugh Capet, the count of Paris, was elected by nobles to fill the vacant French throne. Hugh and his heirs slowly increased royal power and first they made the throne hereditary, passing it from father to son. The Capetian dynasty lasted for 300 years, making the kingdom more stable. They also won the support of the Church.
