Part 1

• Feudel system


  > Developed by William the Conqueror 11th century

  > Hierarchy based on land ownership

  > Land = Power
• King - Feudal system

  • owned all the land
  • granted some to chief supporters - barons
  • Barons: Swear loyalty, pay taxes, fight and provide soldiers
• Barons- Feudal system

  • Granted land called manors to knights
  • Knights became "Lord of the manor"
  • Knights fight for Barons and provide protection
  • in return: Keep the wealth from their manors
• Peasants- Feudal system

  • More than 90% lived in the countryside- working the land
  • Farming (wool trade), basis of the economy
  • Free peasants- paid rent to lord of their land
  • Villieins- worked on the lord's land in exchange for their own land, tied to the land and could not leave
• Medieval Britain - Religion

  • Will of god
  • Made church powerful : Everyone expected to go to Mass
  • Religious leaders- bishops, were as wealthy and powerful as Barons
• Why did the Barons oppose king John

  Arbitrary rule- War with France, required money- Fines: John de Lacy charged 7000 marks to inherit father's land

  Taxation- Scutage, paid by knights and barons

  > 1199-1215- John called scutage 12 times , higher each time, 1215 was last straw

  Lack of military success- 1214 John defeated France In Battle of Bouvines, John nicknamed "Soft sword"

  Arguing with the church- 1207- John opposed Langton becoming archbishop, Pope excommunicated John and banned church services

  Distrust- Nepher Arthur was killed
• Charter of liberties

  • Signed by Henry I at his coronation
  • Response to 1214 loss at Bouvines and a call for more scutage
  • Pope ordered barons to stay loyal- too late, 1215 London turned against John and supported the barons
  • John became weak
• Magna Carta

  • 1215 June- Runnymede
  • Barons presented Magna Carta to John's weak position
• Terms of Magna Carta

  • Written in latin
  • 63 clauses
  • Covering from taxation to remarriage of widows
  • Clause 1: English church free from royal interferences
• Short-term impact of Magna Carta

  • John signed to buy time- no intention in keeping it
  • 25 barons attempted to put Magna Carta in practice- John refused
  • Pope wrote stating Magna Carta as invalid
• Magna Carta Civil war Barons vs John

  • Civil war broke out- John captured Rochester (Dec 1215, Berwick (Jan 1216)
  • Barons joined forces with king of Scotland , invited Prince Louis, her to France, to invade and take the throne
  • May 1216- Louis arrived
  • Oct 1216- John died, 9 year old Henry became king- Barons ruled till he was ready
  • Louis went home
• Long-term impact Magna Carta

  • Foundation of democracy in England
  • terms only applied to a small population of 1215
  • symbolic of ancient defence against tyrannical rulers
• Issues between Henry and his Barons

  • Arbitrary rule
  • Extravagant- short of money, each time he reissued Magna Carta, he demanded more tax
  • Lost wars in France- 1230, 1242
  • Reform local government- Barons were angered
  • 1230s-1240s, called Parliament to raise taxes
  • Henry relied on few close advisors- Half-brother Lusignans, Barons felt isolated- Henry forced to sack some of his officials
• Henry III and the Pope

  • 1254- Agreement with Pope Innocent that his son would take over the kingdom of Sicily
  • Innocent agreed, Pope Alexander IV demanded for £90 000 fee
  • Henry asked Parliament to pay for it- they refused
  • Alexander threatened to excommunicate Henry
• Barons grievances - Henry III

  • 1258- Barons had enough, accused Henry of breaking Magna Carta terms
  • Government- some sheriffs favoured the king and did not apply law fairly
  • Government- Royal favourites got better treatment
  • Government- King's foreign friend had too much influence
  • Individual- Campaign to put Prince Edmund on the toner of Sicily did not benefit the Barons so they didn't see why they had to pay for to
  • Economy- Raising taxes to fund extravagances
• Provisions of Oxford- King Henry III

  • April 1258- seven important brains demanded a council of 24 should run along side the king
  • June- Provision of Oxford, demanded for King's council to be created
  • Only 5th appointed by Henry III to advise the king
  • King swore an oath to uphold all provisions
  • Several royal castles were seized, foreigners were moved form influential positions
  • Barons could not agree how much change they wanted- led to a stalemate with the King
• Simon de Montford 


  1208-65

  • 6th Duke of Leicester
  • 1234- Joined great council
  • 1238- Married King's sister: Eleanor
  • Henry owed Montford a dowry but couldn't pay it
  • 1253- gathered support against Henry
  • 1264- took control of England
  • 1265- died in battle of Evesham
• Simon vs Henry

  • Opposed Henry's arbitrary rule
  • Henry should've obeyed Magna Carta
  • Simon heavily involved in negotiations Provision go Oxford
  • Demanded Henry's foreign advisors removed
  • Henry put Simon trial as he was governor of Gascony- Simon felt humiliated as he lost prestige
  • Simon was short of money and Henry failed to pay dowry
• Simon in power

  • 1261 Henry got permission from pope to break oath to uphold provisions of Oxford
  • 1263 Simon gathered supporters
  • May 1264 Simon won Battle pf Lewes and captured Henry and his son Edward
  • Simon became ruler- Barons started to oppose him
  • 1265 Representatives of the commons invited to parliament - commoners paid tax and Magna Carta reissued
  • 1265 Edward escaped and killed Simon at Battle of Evesham
  • Remaining rebels punished
  • Development of House of commons
• Cause of the peasants revolt (King Richard II)

  Economic:

  > Harvest halved (1315-1320), disease killed cattle and sheep, food prices increased and landlords rent increased

  Black Death:

  > Hit Dorset 1348, spread quickly

  > Population fell by 50%

  > Rich lowered rent and raised wages to get people to work

  Political factors:

  > Statue of labourers- limited waged

  > Sumptuary laws- restricted what people could wear

  > John of gaunt ruled as Richard was young- instability

  Taxation:

  > Gaunt's poll tax- 4 pence per person 1377

  > 1379 second poll + third poll tax- unpopular
• Peasants revolt: events 1381


  31 May- Thomas baker refused to pay no more as the village already paid

  June- Jack straw chased tax collectors away, Was Tyler freed John Ball and marched to London

  12 - Peasants joined at Blackheath, supporters let them in, Gaunt's place at savoy was burned to the ground

  14 - Richard II went to Mile End to talk grievance

  > Rebels attacked Tower of London, destroying land ownerships and debt records, killed Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Treasurer

  15 - Richard went to Smithfield, Lord mayor stabbed Tyler

  Late June- pardon revoked and rebels killed
• Role of religion in peasants revolt

  • influenced by religion beliefs
  • Lollards- greater equality and reform of the church
  • John ball was a Lollard priest- radical sermons
  • Imprisoned several times, banned in 1366
  • Ball preached sermon of equality at blackheath
• Short term impact of peasants revolt

  • Ruling class received a warning: Lower class could rebel
  • Landowners let villeins go and reduced rent
  • 1450 Villeinage ended
• Long term

  • 17th century levellers inspired by ideas behind revolt
  • John Ball's slogan used by early socialists