Imported

• Medieval society was built on the feudal system
• People in the feudal system

  • King
  • Bishops
  • Barons
  • Knights
  • Peasants
• King

  At the top of the feudal system, gave land to barons
• Barons

  Gave the king money and men to fight in wars
• Knights


  Given land if they promised to fight when needed
• Under the feudal system the king had the final say, but was supposed to listen to the Great Council (a group of trusted advisors)
• John did not maintain good relations with the Pope
• John had to pay scutage - a high tax on those barons who did not fight for him when he asked
• John's poor battle record meant he lost land in France
• John repeatedly ignored the demands of the Great Council which meant the barons felt their views were not respected
• The barons were fed up with John so they raised an army against him and occupied London
• John realised he would need to listen to the barons so met with them on 15 June 1215 to negotiate the way in which the country should be governed
• Qualities of a Medieval king

  • Defend the people by leading the army well
  • Keep the country peaceful
  • Successfully deal with any rebellions
  • Maintain good relations with the Church and the Pope
• Christianity was an important part of Medieval life; it was believed the king was appointed by God. The Church was very powerful.
• John was not very good in battle, losing vast areas of territory in France that England once ruled over. This earned him the nicknames 'lackland' and 'softsword'.
• Some people do remember John as a good king due to his religious tolerance and fair justice system
• King John quickly went back on his word, saying he had been forced to sign Magna Carta
• The Pope agreed, stating that Magna Carta was invalid
• War started in England between the barons and the king; the barons had the support of the French who sent troops and money to help the barons
• The Siege of Rochester in late 1215 gave John the upper hand after he and his men were able to storm Rochester Castle
• Magna Carta had no immediate impact on society as King John went back on his word
• Long term impacts of Magna Carta

  • It introduced the idea that there were some laws and rules the king had to follow
  • Peasants and villeins were still not free; nothing changed for ordinary people at the time
  • Eventually more people gained their freedom
  • Kings after John signed similar versions of Magna Carta
  • Only the politically powerful such as barons, the Church and merchants benefited from Magna Carta
  • It was viewed as the first step in Britain becoming a democracy
• King John died in October 1216 and his young son became King Henry III. Henry agreed to the conditions of Magna Carta.
• Key clauses of Magna Carta

  • A baron's heir shall inherit his lands on payment of £100 to the king
  • No scutage shall be imposed on the barons except with the common counsel of the realm
  • No freeman shall be arrested or imprisoned without a proper trial and according to the law of the land
  • The English Church shall be free to make its own appointments
  • All merchants shall have safety, in staying and travelling in England, for buying and selling goods, free from evil tolls
  • A group of 25 barons will be created to monitor the king and ensure he commits to Magna Carta (Clause 61)
• Henry III was a very pious king which meant he had a close relationship with Pope Innocent IV in Rome
• The Pope tried to use Henry to fight wars in Sicily, and when he did not pay, the new Pope, Alexander IV, threatened to excommunicate the king
• The Pope also wanted Henry's brother, Richard, to become Holy Roman Emperor, which was an important job. This meant Henry would feel pressured to help pay for the Pope's wars
• Henry's father, King John, had lost a lot of French lands so Henry had to raise money to fund war campaigns to get them back
• Henry sent his brother-in-law, the powerful and aristocratic Simon de Montfort, who won land back in Gascony and controlled the area for Henry
• Reports reached Henry that Simon de Montfort had been too harsh with the French people so he sent his son, Edward, to keep control
• By 1254 Henry's relationship with the barons had deteriorated - they were angry about his foreign influence, tax increases to pay the Pope, and that Henry's French family were given jobs in the English court and Italian clergy were given top jobs in the Church
• Simon de Montfort led the barons to call a Great Council meeting in 1258 where King Henry had to agree to the Provisions of Oxford
• The barons also refused to fund the planned payment to the Pope over the wars in Sicily
• Key provisions of the Provisions of Oxford

  • A council of 15 barons would be in charge of the Great Council, elected by 24 men (12 appointed by the king and 12 by the barons)
  • Foreign members of the royal household would be banished
  • Castles would be held by Englishmen
  • Each county would have a sheriff and taxes would be decided locally
• The Provisions of Oxford, extended in 1259 in the Provisions of Westminster, reformed local government and gave more power to the less powerful and wealthy in society
• This angered some older barons, who felt the reforms were getting in the way of their local interests, and some younger barons were angered as they were not elected to the council and therefore lost their influence
• Henry gained the support of those barons who did not like de Montfort and the Provisions of Oxford. Henry wrote to the Pope and asked for his permission to cancel the provisions. In 1261 the Pope agreed, so Henry appointed his own men to the Great Council
• Henry ruled as badly as he had before, and after three years the barons called upon Simon de Montfort. The Second Barons' War began. At the Battle of Lewes in 1264 de Montfort captured the king and imprisoned his son, the young Prince Edward. Simon de Montfort was now in charge and England was on its way to becoming a republic
• Simon de Montfort created a council of nine of his closest friends and allies to get the Parliament of 1265
• Simon de Montfort reconfirmed Magna Carta and the Provisions of Oxford