Power and the people - king john

Question 1

how was the feudal system organised

Answer 1

king
bishops + barons
knights
peasants

Question 2

who owned all the land

Answer 2

the king

Question 3

what does the king do with the land

Answer 3

give it to vassals who swear fealty to him (including the church)

Question 4

what was the divine right of kings

Answer 4

the belief god decided who the monarchy was
what the king decided was the will of god

Question 5

what is an absolute monarchy

Answer 5

a system in which the monarch decides everything including taxation, who is arrested or executes
low key a dictatorship

Question 6

what is scutage

Answer 6

a tax used in place of military service

Question 7

how did john raise money for his wars

Answer 7

scutage
fines
additional taxes

Question 8

what tax did john put on marriage

Answer 8

men who wanted to marry rich widows had to pay him
he began to force this marriage

Question 9

what is interdiction

Answer 9

the act of stopping any religious services in england for a period of time

Question 10

how did john upset the pope

Answer 10

appointed his own archbishop instead of having the popes choice

Question 11

who did the pope want as archbishop

Answer 11

stephen langton

Question 12

how did the pope punish john

Answer 12

excommunicated him
interdicted england

Question 13

when did john give in to the pope

Answer 13

1213

Question 14

was john good at war?

Answer 14

no, lost almost every battle
lost most of his lands in france
gained the name ‘lackland’

Question 15

was john fair with money

Answer 15

no, constantly introduced taxes, additional fines andd fees

Question 16

why were the barons angry at john

Answer 16

he began fining large sums to inherit their titles
he appoointed french friends and nobles to senior englishh positions

Question 17

how did the barons try to get john to change (failed attempts)

Answer 17

wrote lists of grievances
presented them to king

Question 18

how did the barons eventually act against the king

Answer 18

robert fitzwalter raised an army to occupy london
forced him to negotiate

Question 19

when are where did john meet the barons

Answer 19

runnymede
15th june 1215

Question 20

what was the role of the magna carta

Answer 20

limit the power of the king and give more contol over how country was run to barons

Question 21

what are 6 of the main clauses of the magna carta

Answer 21

barons heir will inherit title with £100 payment to king
no scutage with be imposed except with common counsel of realm
no freemen will be arrested without trial
church is free to make its own appointments
merchants have safety in staying and travelling in england
group of 25 barons will monitor the king

Question 22

how did john respond to the magna carta

Answer 22

appealed to liege lord
pope declared magna carta NULL AND VOID
john was allowed to ignore it

Question 23

why was the magna carta significant

Answer 23

first legal document to limit the power of the king

Question 24

why were the barons strong in the 1st barons war

Answer 24

they were backed by the king of france
november 1215 sent a force of french knights to help

Question 25

where and when did king john escape to

Answer 25

rochester castle (strongest fortfications in england)
october 1215

Question 26

how did john get into rochester

Answer 26

tunnelled under the walls
set fire to the wooden supports of the tunnels then set fire to it

Question 27

when did john take rochester

Answer 27

30th november

Question 28

what happened in may 1216

Answer 28

french army (controlled by louis of france) landed in kent
captured large areas of the country

Question 29

who did the barons declare king after john died

Answer 29

henry III (at 9 years old)
regent king was the earl of pembroke