The Middle Ages Flashcards
When did the Middle Ages start?
Period after the Norman Conquest up until about 1485 is called the Middle Ages (Medieval period). A time of almost constant war.
English kings fought with the Welsh, Scottish and Irish noblemen for control of their lands. In Wales, the English were able to establish their rule.
Was Wales conquered in the Middle Ages?
Yes. In 1284, King Edward I of England introduced the Statute of Rhuddlan, which annexed Wales to the Crown of England. Huge castles, including Conwy and Caernarvon, were built to maintain this power. By the middle of the 15th century, the last Welsh rebellions had been defeated. English laws and the English language were introduced.
Was Scotland conquered in the Middle Ages?
No. In Scotland, the English kings were less successful, In 1314, the Scottish (led by Robert the Bruce) defeated the English at the Battle of Bannockburn, and Scotland remained unconquered by the English.
Was Ireland conquered in the Middle Ages?
Sort of. At the beginning of the Middle Ages, Ireland was an independent country. The English first went to Ireland as troops to help the Irish king and remained to build their own settlements. By 1200, the English ruled an area of Ireland called the Pale, around Dublin. Some important lords in other parts of Ireland accepted the authority of the English king.
What wars happened in the Middle Ages?
During the Middle Ages, the English kings also fought a no. Of wars abroad. Many knights took part in Crusades, in which European Christians fought for control of the Holy Land. English kings also fought a long war with France, called the Hundred Years War (although it actually lasted 116 years). The Battle of Agincourt (most famous battle of the Hundred Years War) in 1415, where King Henry V’s vastly outnumbered English army defeated the French. The English left France in the 1450s.
What is the system of feudalism?
The Normans used a system of land ownership (feudalism). The king gave land to his lords in return for help in war. Landowners had to send certain no. Of men to serve in the army. Some peasants had their own land but most were serfs.
They had a small area of their lord’s land where they could grow food. In return, they had to work for their lord and could not move away. Same system developed in Southern Scotland. In North Scotland and Ireland, the land was owned by members of the ‘clans’ (prominent families).
What happened during the Black Death?
In 1348, a disease/ plague came to Britain. Known as the Black Death. 1/3 of English population died and a similar proportion in Scotland and Wales. This was one of the worst disasters ever to strike Britain. Following the Black Death, the smaller population meant there was less need to grow cereal crops. There were labour shortages and peasants began to demand higher wages. New social classes appeared, including owners of large areas of land (later called the gentry), and people left the countryside to live in the towns. In the towns, growing wealth led to the development of a strong middle class.
In Ireland, the Black Death killed many in the Pale and, for a time, the area controlled by the English became smaller.
When did Parliament begin to develop?
In the Middle Ages. Origins can be traced to the kin’s council of advisers, which included important noblemen and leaders of the Church.
Why was the Magna Carta introduced?
Few formal limits to the king’s power until 1215.
In 1215, King John was forced by his noblemen to agree to a number of demands. Led to a charter of rights (Magna Carta= Great Charter). Magna Carta established the idea that even the king was subject to the law. It protected the rights of the nobility and restricted the king’s power to collect taxes or to make or change laws. In the future, the kind would need to involve his noblemen in decisions.
How were the separate houses of Parliament created?
In England, parliaments were called for the king to consult his nobles, particularly when the king needed to raise money. Numbers attending Parliament increased and 2 separate parts/Houses were established.
The nobility, great landowners and bishops sat in the House of Lords.
Knights, who were usually smaller landowners, and wealth people from towns and cities were elected to sit in the House of Commons.
Only a small part of the population was able to join in electing the members of the Commons.
Was Scotland part of Parliament?
Similar Parliament developed in Scotland. Had 3 houses called Estates; the lords, the commons and the clergy.
How did the legal system change in the Middle Ages?
The principle that judges are independent of the government began to be established. In England, judges developed ‘common law’ by a process of precedence (following previous decisions) and tradition. In Scotland, the legal system developed slightly differently and laws were ‘codified’ (written down).
How was the English language created in the Middle Ages?
Middle Ages saw development of a national culture and identity. After the Norman Conquest, the king and his nobleman had spoken Norman French and the peasants had continued to speak Anglo-Saxon. Gradually, these 2 languages combined to become one English language.
Modern English ‘park’ and ‘beauty’- based on Norman French
Modern English ‘apple’, ‘cow’ and ‘summer’- based on Anglo-Saxons words.
By 1400, in England, official documents were being written in English and English had become the preferred language of the royal court and Parliament.
Who was Geoffrey Chaucer?
In the years leading up to 1400, Geoffrey Chaucer wrote a series of poems in English about a group of people going to Canterbury on a pilgrimage, who told each other stories on the journey.
Who printed one of the first books?
One of the first books to be printed by William Caxton, the first person in England to print books using a printing press. Many of the stories are still popular and have been made into plays and TV programmes.
