England after John Flashcards
John died in 1216. Who did he leave as his heir, and what did he put in his will?
- Left his 9 y/o son Henry as his heir.
- In his will, he entrusted the care of his kingdom to 13 Barons.
- The most important Baron was William Marshal, who John appointed to care for Henry, and rule as Protector of England until Henry was old enough to rule himself.
Which Baron did John appoint in his will to care for Henry and rule as Protector of England?
William Marshal.
Name 4 things William Marshal did as Protector of England.
- Had Henry crowned in Gloustershire (London was still in rebel hands).
- Had Henry pay homage to the Pope, putting England under the Church’s protection.
- Took charge of England’s finances and the war against the rebels; retook land in London and Lincoln. Prince Louis returned to France.
- Resissued the Magna Carta (now approved by the Church), giving the rebel Barons no legitamate reason to continue their war.
What state was the English government in in 1216?
Government was in the hands of William Marshal, the Protector, and the 13 loyal Barons.
At the time, England could have used a strong, powerful heir, but this was not the case as John’s son and only heir, Henry, was only 9.
The government was arguably stabler once Magna Carta was reintroduced, as it strengthened the loyal Barons’ positions by giving them more influence.
What state was England in, financially, in 1216?
- The 3rd crusade and Richard’s ransom had cost England a lot of money.
- John’s loss of Normandy and the civil war had further worsened the economic state of the country.
- By 1216, royal income had fell to 1/3 of its value in 1199.
- Heavy taxes were therefore imposed on all members of society.
By 1216, how had the lives of ordinary people been affected by the events of the preceding years?
- People had been taxed for years, paying for the crusade and Richard’s ransom, as well as John’s heavy taxing to fund *retaking* Normandy.
- Even taxes which seemingly would have only pressurised Barons would have affected Knights, too, and, inevitably, therefore impacted on peasants.
- John’s financial manouvres had also caused inflation, meaning prices were higher.
- Due to the dire financial state of the country, heavy taxes were imposed on all members of society during and after 1216.
- Although little changed for most, Magna Carta benefitted freemen, e.g. by allowing them to freely travel in and out of the country to conduct trade.
When did the Barons’ war end?
1217, when Louis had to give up his claim to be the King of England by signing the Treaty of Lambeth.
William Marshal had slowly managed to get most barons to switch sides to Henry, and attack Louis.
