First Barons War Flashcards
Cause 1 of the first barons war?
government:
- johns personal cruelty
- johns heavy taxes
Johns personal cruelty
- imposed heavy fines on Barons if suspected of disloyalty with little to no evidence
- charged Robert de Vaux £1,000 for no reason
- starved the wife and son of William de Briouze because they fell out
- suspected of strangling his own nephew, Arthur of Brittany, because he was a rival to Johns claim to the throne
Johns heavy taxes
- collected scutage for military service:
- collected every year instead of when
necessary - amount due was increased each time
- collected every year instead of when
- increased inheritance tax from £100-£1,000
Cause 2 of the first barons war?
Religion:
- johns arguement with the Pope
Johns argument with the Pope
In 1207:
- john fell out with innocent III over the Archbishop of Canterbury
- Innocent wanted Stephen Langton, John wanted John de Gray
- John refused to make Stephen Luton Archbishop of Canterbury so innocent excommunicated him
- Innocent also placed an interdict on England, closing down all its churches
In 1213:
- john finally relented and swore homage to innocent III, accepting Langton
Cause 3 of the first Barons war?
War:
- Johns failures in France
Johns failures in France
- in 1204, he lost Normandy (which kings of England had held since 1066)
- Lost regions in France: Anjou, Poitou
- In 1214, he lost the battle of Bouvines, this ended all hopes of reclaiming the Angevin lands in France
- hus military nickname was ‘softsword’
Method 1 of the first barons war?
Communication:
- 1213, Westminster
- 1215, Runnymede
1213, Westminster
25th August, Stephen Langton, read aloud Henry I’s Coronation charter to a meeting of Baron and called for John to renew it.
It was regarded as an example of a good king making sound promises to rule fairly
1215, Runnymede
15th of June, Baron laid out grievances in Magna Carta, it was drafted by Stephen Langton, it was made up of 63 promises John was to make:
Examples of clauses:
- john stops interfering in church affairs
- Inheritance tax returns to £100
- Council of 25 Barron and bishops oversee Johns decision-making
- No free months should be imprisoned without a trial by jury
Method 2 of the first barons war?
War:
- 1215, before Magna Carta
- 1215-17, after Magna Carta
1215, before Magna Carta
Barrons gathered together, calling themselves ‘ the army of God’
They were led by Robert FitzWalter, they captured London, Lincoln, and Exeter
They wanted to force John to agree to the meeting at Runnymede
1215-17, after Magna Carta
John immediately went back on Meghan and Carter after signing, he asked innocent III to annul it
Innocent believed Magna Carta was “ not only shameful and demeaning but illegal and unjust”
Barons were forced to go to war with John for a second time now known as ‘the first Barons war’
Short term significance of the first barons war?
Very little:
- firstly, the original Magna Carta was very limited in scope
- Secondly, John never intended to adhere to Magna Carta anyway
Firstly, the original Magna Carta was very limited in scope (explain)
Many of the demands about taxation and inheritance were focused solely on the concerns of the upper classes (barons and bishops)
The majority of the population were vileins (peasants)
Most people were not affected by the terms of Magna Carta
Secondly, John never intended to add her to Magna Carta anyway (explain)
John wrote to innocent III who declared that the barons had been unjust in their rebellion and that Magna Carta was therefore null and void
As a result, the barons went to war with John as what is now as the first Barons war
Long term significance of the first barons war?
Colossal:
- firstly, Magna Carta became more and more relevant overtime
- Secondly, it became an inspirational symbol to later movements
Firstly, Magna Carta became more and more relevant overtime (explain)
When the charter was re-drafted in 1225, (by Stephen Langton) it’s applied to all Freeman not just the nobility
Langton threatened to excommunicate anyone who opposed this revision
Many of the clauses from Magna Carta are still a part of UK law today
Secondly, it became an inspirational symbol for later movements (explain)
Many later protest looked back to Magna Carta as the first step in acquiring greater write some freedoms for ordinary people
Examples:
- Suffragettes referred to it in their magazine
Magna Carta is viewed as the foundation stone of modern democratic rights and liberties
