King John's succession

Question 1

Who was the Pope during King John’s reign?

Answer 1

Pope Innocent III.

Question 2

What did interdict mean?

Answer 2

The withdrawal of church services from an individual or country.

Question 3

What did excommunication mean?

Answer 3

The exclusion of an individual from the church and all its services.

Question 4

Why did King John fall out with the Pope?

Answer 4

They didn’t agree on the candidate for the new Archbishop of Canterbury.

Question 5

How did John punish those that he felt were undermining his right to chose the archbishop? (3)

Answer 5

He refused to allow Stephen Langton into the kingdom.
He expelled Canterbury monks from their monastery.
He seized the land held by Italian clergy in England.

Question 6

How were the personalities of Pope Innocent III and King John similar?

Answer 6

They were both very stubborn.

Question 7

How did the interdict impact the lives of people in England? (4)

Answer 7

Blessings were not given for the dying.
Sermons could only be preached in a church courtyard.
Marriages could not take place in a church.
Christian burial was forbidden, souls wouldn’t go to heaven.

Question 8

How did people adapt to life under the interdict?

Answer 8

Churches coped with the interdict by holding services outside their doors.

Question 9

How did John react to the interdict? (2)

Answer 9

He punish people he blamed for the interdict.

John seized the land and revenue of people he blamed and used the money to come to an agreement with the pope.

Question 10

Why did the Barons have a difficult decision to make after John’s excommunication?

Answer 10

They had to decide who to follow, the church or King John.

Question 11

When was John excommunicated?

Answer 11

1209.

Question 12

What was England threatened with in 1213?

Answer 12

Invasion by Prince Louis of France.

Question 13

What did John have to agree to for the interdict and excommunication to be lifted? (4)

Answer 13

Churchmen who had fled England during the quarrel were allowed to return.
Stephen Langton would be allowed to come to England as Archbishop of Canterbury.
John had to pay the Pope £27,000.
If John broke the agreement he would lose his right to appoint people to the Church offices forever.

Question 14

What did John do that made him appear weak?

Answer 14

He surrendered the kingdoms of England and Ireland to the pope, this made him a vassal to the pope.

Question 15

What does arbitrary power mean?

Answer 15

Using power based on a personal whim or prejudice.

Question 16

How did John use arbitrary power against his Barons?

Answer 16

John used their debts to increase his power over them.

Question 17

Why was there little chance of the Barons getting justice against John?

Answer 17

John was the king and therefore the highest authority in terms of justice.

Question 18

What were the key features of the plot against John in 1212? (2)

Answer 18

Some of John’s barons were in a plot with Prince Llewelyn of wales to kill John.
John marched north to re-establish his control as King and then relaxed some of his demands for taxes.

Question 19

How did the defeat at the Battle of Bouvines in Normandy in 1214 add to the anger felt towards John? (2)

Answer 19

He had charged scutage, heavy taxes and feudal fines on the barons and knights.
This money was ultimately wasted.

Question 20

What was the overall impact of his failure to regain Normandy? (4)

Answer 20

John failed as a warrior.
John had permanently lost his revenues from Normandy.
John could not reward the Barons with land in France.
The Barons plotted a rebellion against him.

Question 21

What was the Magna Carta?

Answer 21

A written document that outlined the limits on the King’s power.

Question 22

What were the main features of the rebellion against King John in 1215? (3)

Answer 22

They confronted John at Bury St Edmunds and tried to force him to adopt the Great Charter.
John initially refused and said that he would give a decision in April.
John attempted to stall for more time but the Barons ran out patience and captured London

Question 23

Why did the Barons want Magna Carta put in place? (3)

Answer 23

John’s high financial demands had put a lot of pressure on the Barons.
The Barons were losing power as John was bringing in ‘new man’
John’s use of arbitrary power to treat his barons badly.

Question 24

What were John’s fears surrounding the signing of the Magna Carta?

Answer 24

He feared that if he didn’t sign it quick enough, greater restrictions would be put on him.

Question 25

What were two features of what was included in the Magna Carta? (2)

Answer 25

The English church was to be free from interference by the King.
The King could not imprison, outlaw or arrest anyone unless it was done according to law.

Question 26

What gave John the opportunity to break the agreement of Magna Carta after only three months?

Answer 26

The Pope declared the Magna Carta illegal because John was forced to sign it.

Question 27

Why was Prince Louis of France invited by the Barons to become King of England? (2)

Answer 27

John renounced the Magna Carta.

He had a distant claim to the throne of England.

Question 28

What happened during the siege of Rochester? (4)

Answer 28

Rochester Castle had a strong strategic position and John knew he needed it.
In October he attacked it and cut off access.
He destroyed it and undermined it foundations causing it to collapse.
John quickly moved north and captured other castles on route.

Question 29

What were the events of Prince Louis’ invasion? (2)

Answer 29

Louis landed in May 1216 and took control of Rochester castle.
Next he moved onto london and then to Winchester.

Question 30

What were the reasons for there being a problem with the succession of King John? (2)

Answer 30

Fears that rebels would crown Louis as King.

Henry was only 9 years old and needed a Lord Protector, William Marshall.

Question 31

What did William Marshall do while protector? (3)

Answer 31

He took charge of the government finances and the campaigns against the rebels.
He reissued a revised version of the Magna Carta.
He quickly had the young King Henry III crowned to make sure the Barons would show loyalty to him as a rightful King.

Question 32

Why was England in a poor condition by 1216? (3)

Answer 32

England was in the middle of a civil war.
The kingdom was bankrupt as taxes could not be collected during the civil war.
Land was captured in the north by the Scottish King anf in the west by Llewelyn.