what was the hierarchy of the feudal system
the King
the nobility
the knights
the peasants (which included serfs and freemen)
what moved down the feudal system
land which the King owned but who rent out to nobles and some knights
(the church also owned 25%)
what moved up the feudal system
peasants provided labour and loyalty
knights provided military protection and loyalty
nobles provided military protection (from their knights) and loyalty
what is vassalage
to owe services or loyalty to another person
(everyone in the country owed vassalage to the King)
what is excommunication
total exclusion from the Catholic Church
what is an interdict
exclusion from Church activities eg. funerals, morning mass
who is Arthur and what happened to him
- Arthur was the son of John’s brother Geoffrey
- Philip II of France supported his claim to the thrown
- John captured Arthur before he could do anything and imprisoned him
- Arthur ‘disappears’ after 1203, he was most likely killed by John
what happens in Normandy in 1204
Philip II launched an invasion on Normandy, instead of fighting John fled back to England as he was worried about the loyalty of his barons
how many times does John collect scutage
11 times over the span of 10 years
what was the royal income by 1208
£150,000 (previously only £25,000)
give examples of John’s cruel treatment towards his barons
1208 - makes William de Briouze pay 40,000 marks to reclaim his lands and also takes his wife and son hostage
makes John de Lacy pay 7000 marks to inherit his family lands
what happens when John refuses Stephen Langton’s entry to England
he is excommunicated by the Pope and an interdict is issued on England
why were the peasants so heavily affected by the interdict
medieval England was a strongly religious society, the peasants believed that they would be awarded for their hard work after they died, without religion they lose their only hope
how does John try to fix the relationship between him and the Pope
he grants England to Innocent III as a papalfief and accepts Langton as archbishop
what happens in 1214
- John launches a massive invasion on France
- which begins wells until he hears about the rebellion by the Barons
- he panics and leaves back to England
- his final attempt the recapture French land fails
when was the Baron’s Revolt
May 1215
when does John sign the Magna Carta
June 1215
what happens after the signing of the Magna Carta
- the Pope annuls it
- John tears it up and war begins again until 1216
- Barons invite Prince Louis to invade England and promise to declare him King
- John dies of dysentery in 1216
- his son, Henry, becomes a child King at age 9
what were some of the key clauses in the Magna Carta
clause 39 gives every free man the right to a free trial
clause 40 prohibits the delay and denial of justice
clause 61 introduces a very early version of parliament (25 barons)
what was the short term significance of the Magna Carta
- limitations on the King’s power
- first time that divine right was legally challenged
- showed the legal and written protest was more efficient than violent protest
- introduced an early version of parliament
what was the long term significance of the Magna Carta
- petition of rights (1628) written due to King Charle I’s overreach of authority (echoing the restrictions of taxation and need for a fair trial)
- The American Constitution and Bill of Rights includes similar terms of the Magna Carta
- the Declaration of Human Rights (1948) also includes similar terms of the Magna Carta
