p&tp part one: challenging authority & feudalism Flashcards
chapter 1: constraints on kingship (MC stuff), chapter 2: the origins of parliament (Simon de Montfort stuff), chapter 3: medieval revolt & royal authority (Peasants' Revolt)
chapter 1: what was the structure of the feudal system?
- king at top of this system
- king gave land to barons
- barons gave king money & men to fight in wars
- knights given land if they promised to fight when needed
under feudal system king had final say; kings supposed to listen to Great Council but rarely did
chapter 1: who was the king meant to listen to in the feudal system?
the Great Council (a group of trusted advisors), but they rarely did
chapter 1: what was a Medieval king meant to do?
- defend the people by leading the army well
- keep country peaceful
- successfully deal w any rebellions
- maintain good relations w Church & Pope
chapter 1: why was Christianity an important part of Medieval life?
- believed kings appointed by God
- Church v powerful
- Church led by Pope in Rome but controlled in England by bishops & other members of the clergy
- Church owned large amounts of land & set rules on everything from marriage to inheritance
chapter 1: why did King John fall out w the Pope?
- Pope wanted Stephen Langton to be Archbishop of Canterbury, but John wanted someone who’d be less loyal to Pope; wanted someone who’d listen to him instead
- Pope retaliated by cancelling all church services, incl. marriages & funerals
- made barons (& everyone else) v unhappy as thought they’d go to hell
chapter 1: how did King John do in battle?
- not very good
- lost vast areas of territory in France that England once ruled over
- this earned him nicknames ‘lackland’ & ‘softsword’
- as result, John struggled to raise enough money to govern & defend country
chapter 1: why might King John be remembered as a good king?
- religious tolerance
- fair justice system; always made sure to be there at trials & that they were fair
chapter 1: why were the barons unhappy w King John?
- worried about invasions from foreign countries bc of fall out w Pope; didn’t maintain good relations w Pope
- had to pay scutage - high tax on those barons who didn’t fight for John when he asked
- John repeatedly ignored demands of Great Council which meant barons felt their views not respected
- John’s poor battle record meant he lost land in France
chapter 1: what did the barons do as a result of their dissatisfaction?
- fed up w John
- raised army against him & occupied London
- John realised he’d need to listen to them, as he needed their support to stay in power, so met w them on 15th June 1215 to negotiate way in which country should be governed
chapter 1: where did the barons & King John meet to sign the Magna Carta?
Runnymede, 1215
chapter 1: what were some key terms of the Magna Carta?
we grant to all freemen the liberties written below:
- a baron’s heir shall inherit his lands on payment of £100 to the king
- no scutage shall be imposed on barons except w the common counsel of the realm
- no freeman shall be arrested or imprisoned w/o proper trial & according to law of the land
- English Church shall be free to make its own appointments
- all merchants shall have safety, in staying & travelling in England, for buying & selling goods, free from evil tolls
- group of 25 barons will be created to monitor king & ensure he commits to MC (Clause 61)
chapter 1: what are the stages/events of the First Barons’ War?
- John quickly went back on word, saying he’d been forced to sign MC
- Pope agreed, stating MC invalid
- war started in England between barons & king; barons had support of French who sent troops & money to help barons
- Siege of Rochester late 1215 gave John upper hand after he & his men able to storm Rochester Castle
chapter 1: what is the timeline of events after the Magna Carta was signed? (not incl. first barons’ war)
- may 1216: barons promised French Prince Louis the English throne, he arrived on the coast; he takes control of England, & has support of Scottish King
- 2 june 1216: Prince Louis announced (but not crowned)) King of England
- Oct 1216: King John dies
- 28 Oct 1216: John’s young son Henry becomes King Henry III; MC reissued & Henry III agrees to conditions
chapter 1: what were the short term impacts of the Magna Carta?
- King John went back on word, meaning it had no immediate impact on society
- peasants & villeins still not free; nothing changed for ordinary people at time
- only politically powerful e.g. barons, the Church & merchants benefited from it
chapter 1: what were the long term impacts of the Magna Carta?
- MC introduced idea that there were some laws & rules the king had to follow
- eventually more people gained their freedom
- kings after John signed similar versions of MC
- viewed as first step in Britain becoming a democracy
chapter 1: summary of chapter 1/constraints on kingship/Magna Carta stuff?
- Christian religion v important in Medieval life; Medieval kings believed they were appointed by God
- King John seen as bad king when lost wars, made barons pay high taxes (scutage), & fell out w Pope
- John panicked when barons went against him - needed their support both in running country, and in disagreements w Pope
- at Runnymede June 1215 barons made him sign MC
- John quickly went back on his word, supported by Pope
- barons gained support of French & challenged John again by declaring that French Prince Louis was king
- King John died Oct 1216 & young son became King Henry III; he agreed to conditions of MC
