Homework Flashcards
The loss of Normandy
John behaved terribly in Normandy. Some of his behaviour, such as the murder of Prince Arthur, disgusted his Barons.
● Important Barons such as Robert Fitzwalter and Eustace de Vesci watched with horror for five years as John took more and more money, but failed again again with poor tactics and in a way that lost him allies.
England’s money problem
● Between 1199 and 1204, John constantly asking for money upset the Barons.
● There was rise inflation, which meant the prices of items were going up but there was less money around for people to spend.
● John was selfish with the money too. Specifically, he once spent £700 on clothes for a Christmas feast
Heavy taxes
● John raised the amount of a wardship fine by 300%.
● He once fined a Baron £810 for getting married without permission.
● John kept asking for scutages. These were supposed to be an emergency tax. John asked for 11 in 15 years. Before John, 11 had been asked for in 44 years.
John falling out with the Pope
e Barons felt awkward about this.
● The Interdict upset them because Barons, like everyone, loved feast days and wanted to bury their loved ones in a churchyard, not a forest ditch.
● The Excommunication forced them to choose loyalty.
John = keep lands, no forfeit
Pope = go to heaven
The Battle of Bouvines in 1214
Before this battle, John had asked for £135,000 in a scutage from the Barons.
● John failed in the battle and lost all the money.
● The Battle of Bouvines, due to John’s above behaviour and actions, was the final straw for the Barons. They demanded John sign a document called the Magna Carta.
John approach to justice
● John was always using the justice system for his own benefit.
● He used something called arbitrary power. This meant making up decisions as he went along.
● John would decide legal cases based on who would pay him the most. Essentially, he was bribing people using the law system.
The Magna Carta
● In 1215, the Barons forced John to sign the Magna Carta.
● One feature was John promised fair trials. A second feature was John would always seek advice from a council of Barons.
● After John signed the document, he got the Pope to declare it illegal. This triggered the Barons’ decision to go to war against him.
