The Rise of the Middle Ages -- Section 4: The Struggle for Power in England and France

Magyars: Nomadic group who invaded Europe and eventually settled in what is now Hungary

Vikings: Germanic people from Scandinavia who often raided western Europe during the A.D. 800s and 900s

In this section you will find out how the kingdom of England was formed.

Objectives:

1. Describe the achievements of William the Conqueror and his successors.

2. Explain how the parliamentary system and common law affected political developments in England.

3. Discuss how the French kings gained power over their nobles.

Focus Questions

1. Why is the year 1066 significant in English history?

2. What contributions did William the Conqueror and his successors make to England?

3. How are the parliamentary system and common law similar to the government and laws practiced in the United States?

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Vocabulary

shires: Government districts in early England, governed by a sheriff

Alfred the Great: King of Wessex who defeated the Danes and drovethem from England

Edward the Confessor: English King of Anglo-Saxon and Norman blood who died without a successor

William the Conqueror: Norman relative of Edward the Confessor who invaded England in 1066 and won the throne, later crowned

King William I of England

Henry II: English king who increased royal authority and who sought to lessen the power of both the church and feudal lords

Thomas Becket: Archbishop of Canterbury who refused to allow his clergy to be tried in royal courts and was murdered by knights of

Henry II

Eleanor of Aquitaine: Queen to both Louis VII of France and Henry II of England and one of the most powerful women in medieval

Europe.

Magna Carta: “Great Charter,” English document that made the law the supreme power and became a cornerstone of constitutional

government

common law: Law based upon customs and judges’ decisions rather than upon written codes

Simon de Montfort: Lord who led a revolt against King Henry III and who called a meeting of the middle class, nobility, and clergy,

called the Great Council, which eventually became the English Parliament

Parliament - Legislative body of the English government which is made up of the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

Precedent - court decisions that are used as the basis for future verdicts (ex. the Miranda decision in the U.S. Supreme Court, you may know them as the Miranda rights).

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Section 4 Summary

After Roman rule ended, Germanic tribes invaded Britain. Two of these tribes were the Angles and the Saxons. The Anglo-Saxons formed three independent kingdoms: Northumbria, Mercia, and Wessex. The kingdoms were divided into districts called shires. Each shire was governed by a sheriff. By the 800s the kings of Wessex controlled most of England. Then Viking raiders, whom the English called “Danes,” overran England. Alfred the Great, King of Wessex, defeated the Danes. But the Danes regained control. King Canute of Denmark reigned over England and Scandinavia. When his line died out, Anglo-Saxon nobles chose Edward the Confessor as their king. He was part Anglo-Saxon and part Norman.

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When he died, a distant relative, William of Normandy, claimed the throne. Normandy was in France. The Anglo-Saxons refused to recognize William. William crossed the English Channel with Norman knights and defeated the Anglo-Saxons in 1066 (Battle of Hastings - {frequent trivia questions}. He was crowned King William I,

or William the Conqueror. He introduced Norman laws, customs, and language, which later merged into Anglo-Saxon culture.

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William shaped English government so that the king, not the nobles, held supreme authority. He required each lord to swear personal loyalty to him. He created a strong, centralized government.

REAL POWER IS SHIFTING TOWARD THE MONARCHY:

Henry I, son of William the Conqueror, set up a department to handle finances. He also sent traveling judges to try cases, draining power from the feudal lords. Henry II reduced the power of the lords further. Instead of furnishing troops, nobles paid the king a fee, and he hired and controlled the army. Under Henry II, trial by jury replaced trial by ordeal or combat.

Henry sought to try members of the clergy in royal courts rather than church courts. Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, refused to allow it. Four knights, believing they were helping Henry, murdered the archbishop. Henry abandoned further attempts to reduce the church’s power. Henry was married to Eleanor of Aquitaine. Queen to two kings, Louis VII of France and Henry II, Eleanor was one of the most powerful women in medieval Europe. But the French lands she brought Henry when they married involved England in new conflicts.

Henry II’s son, King John, demanded that nobles pay more taxes. Powerful nobles joined together and forced the king to accept Magna Carta (Latin for “Great Charter”). Magna Carta limited the king’s powers. He could not collect new taxes without the consent of the Great Council , a body of nobles and church leaders. He could not refuse or delay justice. Magna Carta made the law, not the king, the supreme power. It became a cornerstone of constitutional government.

Nobles again revolted against the king in the 1260s. Simon de Montfort, a powerful lord who led the revolt, asked representatives of the middle class to meet with the nobles and clergy of the Great Council. This body became the English Parliament. Parliament divided into the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Parliament mainly advised the king but could refuse new taxes. Edward I had court decisions collected and used as the basis for future verdicts (rule by precedent). This collection became known as common law because it was applied equally and in common to all English people. Common law was a “living law”; it changed to meet changing conditions.

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In France, after the last of the Carolingians died, nobles chose Hugh Capet as king. Capet and his descendants, the Capetians, ruled for 300 years. Feudal lords ruled most of France. The Capetians tried to increase their power. Phillip II conquered French lands held by the English. Capetian kings appointed well-trained government officials and extended the court system. Philip IV increased royal power by taxing the clergy. When the pope opposed Philip, the king had him arrested. The king built popularity among the people by creating the Estates General, a representative body made up of commoners, nobles, and clergy. Despite the efforts of the Capetians, France remained largely feudal in

political organization.

Answers to the focus questions above

1. Why is the year 1066 significant in English history?

The year 1066 is significant in English history because it is the year when William the Conqueror and the Normans defeated the

Anglo-Saxons. It led to the merging of the two cultures in English culture.

2. What contributions did William the Conqueror and his successors make to England?

William the Conqueror and his successors improved England’s legal system and built a strong, efficient, well-financed government

and monarchy.

3. How are the parliamentary system and common law similar to the government and laws practiced in the United States?

The parliamentary system is similar to the United States government in that it is composed of two houses and has the

ability to accept or reject new taxes. Common law is similar to the laws practiced in the United States in that it is applied equally and

in common to all people. Also, court decisions in the United States are often based on decisions made in previous cases.

4. How was the Estates General of France similar to England’s Parliament?

The Estates General of France was similar to England’s Parliament in that it was a representative body made up of the society’s major

social classes, including commoners as well as nobles and clergy. Also, like Parliament (at first), it mainly advised the king.