England Under John Flashcards
What happened between 1199-1204?
Hubert Walter was appointed chancellor
John lost Normandy in 1204 and returned to England where he ruled for himself until his death in 1216
What reason was John unpopular?
He did most of the governing himself so he was blamed when things went wrong
In the past, regents or government ministers had taken the blame for unpopular policies
Another reason for John’s unpopularity
He eventually replaced his advisers with new men who were inexperienced in government and exploited their influence to gain large financial rewards
He relied on a small number of people and had few supporters
Why else was John unpopular?
The new men took the place of wealthy English barons which annoyed and angered the King
John did little to gain support of the barons, who he seems to have distrusted
What else made John unpopular?
John raised money through taxes and fines to pay for unsuccessful wars which caused hardship
Many barons owed large debts to John
Other reasons for John’s unpopularity
John’s dispute with the pope worried and angered some of his subjects especially churchmen
He took almost complete control over justice and people thought he applied laws to benefit himself
The suspected murder of Arthur, his cruel punishments, accusations that John attempted to seduce many barons
What are some positive views of John?
He was hardworking and energetic
Paid great attention to detail and kept efficient records
Was generous and gave donations to the poor
