Struggles Over Power In The Medieval Period

Question 1

Henry II

Answer 1

• Church had too much power, owned lots of money and 25% of England, lawcourts, education etc.
• Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becker, who was also Chancellor
• 1160s, Henry tried to increase his power over the church
• 1162 Henry gave Thomas Becker the title of Archbishop, but Becker was more loyal to the church than to Henry
• Becker refused to try churchman if they broke laws, refused to tax church, refused to appoint new archbishop/Abbotts
• Becker fled to France in 1164 and came back in 1170
• Four knights murdered Becker but Henry didn’t ask him to. The knights wanted to be loyal to Henry.
• Becker was made a saint and a martyr
• Henry was forced to make humiliating concessions, like giving up rights over the church, he had to walk barefoot to Canterbury Cathedral and get whipped by monks
• but Henry did retain power to appoint bishops, because Becker was not a popular figure.

Question 2

Henry I

Answer 2

• King Henry’s brother Robert was favoured by the barons, so Henry imprisoned him, this made the barons unhappy
• His coronation was in 1100, he tried to win the barons over by doing things like having less control of marriage of their barons and earls daughters

Question 3

King John and Barons

Answer 3

• King John didn’t have a good relationship with the barons, taxed them heavily
• Barons became resentful of Johns abuse of power
• There was a Civil War in 1215 that’s broke out after disputes between John and his barons
• John was forced to admit defeat
• John was forced to accept the barons demands, known as the Magna Carta
• The Magna Carta meant that everyone, including the king were subject to law, it was seen as a peace treaty between John and the Barrons, there were 61 clauses, like tried by the jury, not accepting bribes, 25 barons ensured king supported the laws

Question 4

Emergency of parliament

Answer 4

• Council of Barons, consulted by king (Henry III) for first half of the 13th century
• 51 Simon de Montfort and the barons forced Henry to accept provisions of Oxford. The provision stated that the king had to rule with the advice of council of 24 advisors and Parliament had to meet three times year
• When Henry gained support from some barons he challenged de, but de Montfort was successful, and Henry was detained
• de Montfort Created the first parliament in 1265
• People thought de Montfort was too radical
• de Montfort Killed at the battle of Eversham in 1265
• Henry III is king again
• he died in 1272 and Edward I became king
• Edward created model Parliament in 1295, made of Knights and representatives from major towns made up in the comments
• Parliament would give king money needed for wars and other things

Question 5

Richard II and peasant revolt

Answer 5

• Richard became king at age of 10, so council of Barons ruled on his behalf
• Peasants revolt in 1381 triggered by high taxation for the war with France
• Richard met with the rebels at only 14 years old and offered concessions. He promised to show mercy to those who opposed him and peasants believed him and went home.
• he lied and ordered the death of 5000+ people in retaliation
• Richard began to promote low ranking men to positions of power
• Some Nobles staged rebellion (including Henry Bolingbroke of the Lancaster family) and by 1387, Richard had been defeated and was forced to execute some of his allies.
• Richard then restored his power over the next decade and in 1397, he arrested some of the nobles who opposed him in 1387
• Richard confiscated bolingbroke’s inheritance
• Bolingbroke responded and defeated Richard in 1399
• Bolingbroke was crowned Henry IV in October 1399

Question 6

War of the Roses

Answer 6

• Henry V took over from Henry IV and had a successful and peaceful reign
• Henry VI, then became king, but was weak and ineffective - during his reign he lost a lot of land inFrance.
• The Dukes of York and Somerset began to quarrel about who should be Henry VI’s chief advisor and Somerset was killed in battle
• The Lancaster Henry’s family - the red roses and the Yorkists - the white roses began to form armies
• Duke of York was killed, but his son deposed Henry VI and became king. Edward IV.
• Edward IV began to quarrel was one of his closest alleys, the Earl of Warwick
• Warwick rebelled and was killed in 1471
• King, Edward IV died and his son Edward V became king
• Three months later, his uncle was crowned king Richard III and Edward disappeared
• Richard III had opposition from Henry Tudor and in August 14 85, Henry killed Richard III at the battle of Bosworth