Middle Ages Flashcards
(42 cards)
What is the Middle Ages?
The period after the Norman Conquest up until about 1485 is called the Middle Ages (or the medieval period). It was a time of almost constant war.
The English kings fought with the Welsh, Scottish and Irish noblemen for control of their lands. In Wales, the English were able to establish their rule.
What is the Statute of Rhuddlan?
In 1284 King Edward I of England introduced the Statute of Rhuddlan, which added Wales to the Crown of England.
What are Conwy and Caernarvon?
Huge castles (among many) built to maintain the power of the Statute of Rhuddlan
When were English laws and the English language introduced to Wales?
By the middle of the 15th century - when the last Welsh rebellions had been defeated.
How successful were the English Kings in defeating Scotland?
And what is the Battle of Bannockburn?
In Scotland, the English kings were less successful.
In 1314 the Scottish, led by Robert the Bruce, defeated the English at the Battle of Bannockburn, and Scotland remained unconquered by the English.
Why did the English first go into Ireland?
At the beginning of the Middle Ages, Ireland was an independent country.
The English first went to Ireland as troops to help the Irish king and remained to build their own settlements.
What is the Pale?
By 1200, the English ruled an area of Ireland known as the Pale, around Dublin.
Some of the important lords in other parts of Ireland accepted the authority of the English king.
What are the Crusades?
During the Middle Ages, the English kings fought a number of wars abroad including the Crusades - in which the European Christians fought for control of the Holy Land (many knights participated)
What is the the Hundred Years War?
English kings fought a long war with France, called the Hundred Years War (even though it lasted 116 years).
What is the Battle of Agincourt and when did it occur?
Battle of Agincourt was one of the most famous battles of the Hundred Years War that occurred in 1415.
King Henry V’s vastly outnumbered English army defeated the French.
What is feudalism?
A system of land ownership used by the Normans in England and southern Scotland.
The king gave land to his lords in return for help in war. Landowners had to send certain numbers of men to serve in the army.
Who were serfs?
Serfs were peasants who had a small area of their lord’s land where they could grow food. In return, they had to work for their lord and could not move away.
What system of land ownership developed in northern Scotland and Ireland?
In the north of Scotland and Ireland, land was owned by members of the ‘clans’ (prominent families).
What was the Black Death and when did it occur?
In 1348, a disease, probably a form of plague, came to Britain. This was known as the Black Death.
Why was the Black Death known as one of the worst disasters to ever strike Britain?
One third of the population of England died and a similar proportion in Scotland and Wales.
Following the Black Death, the smaller population meant there was less need to grow cereal crops. There were labour shortages and peasants began to demand higher wages. New social classes appeared and people left the countryside to live in the towns.
How did the social classes change after the Black Death?
New social classes appeared, including gentry - owners of large areas of land. People left the countryside to live in the towns.
In the towns, growing wealth led to the development of a strong middle class.
What happened in Ireland during The Black Death?
In Ireland, the Black Death killed many in the Pale and, for a time, the area controlled by the English became smaller.
What are the origins of the Parliament?
In the Middle Ages, Parliament began to develop into the institution it is today.
Its origins can be traced to the king’s council of advisers, which included important noblemen and the leaders of the Church.
What was the Magna Carta (which means the Great Charter)?
In 1215, King John was forced by his noblemen to agree to a number of demands which resulted in the creation of a charter of rights called the Magna Carta.
This established the idea that even the king was subject to the law. It protected the rights of the nobility and restricted the king’s power to collect taxes or to make or change laws. In future, the king would need to involve his noblemen in decisions.
Why were the Houses established in the Parliament?
As the king was called to consult his nobles (particularly when needing to raise money), the number of ppl attending the Parliament increased and two separate parts, known as Houses, were established.
What were the 2 types of Houses that developed in the Parliaments in England?
House of Lords - consisted of the nobility, great landowners and bishops.
House of Commons - Knights, who were usually smaller landowners, and wealthy people from towns/cities were elected to sit in this House.
Only a small part of the population was able to join in electing the members of the Commons.
What were the Estates that developed in Scotland’s medieval Parliament?
The Parliament that developed in Scotland had three Houses, called Estates: the lords, the commons and the clergy.
What are the three houses in the Scottish Parliament called?
A similar Parliament to England’s Parliament developed in Scotland. It had three Houses, called Estates: the lords, the commons and the clergy.
What happened during the time of development in the legal system?
The principle that judges are independent of the government began to be established.
