England and France Development

England and France Develop

• As kingdoms of England and France developed, democratic traditions evolved.
• Modern concepts like jury trials, common law, and legal rights developed during this time.
• By the early 800s, small Anglo-Saxon kingdoms covered the former Roman province of Britain.
• The decline of the Carolingian Empire in the 900s led to feudal states controlled by local lords.
• The growth of towns and villages, plus the break up of the feudal system, led to centralized government and nations.
• England and France were the first nations to develop strong unified governments.

England Absorbs Waves of Invaders

• For centuries, invaders landed on English shores.
• The Angles and Saxons stayed, creating an Anglo-Saxon culture.
• In the 800s, Britain was raided by Danish Vikings, who were greatly feared.
• Alfred the Great, Anglo-Saxon king from 871 to 899, turned back the Viking invaders.
• Alfred and his successors united the kingdom under one rule, calling it England.
• In 1016, Danish king Canute conquered England, uniting Anglo-Saxons and Vikings.
• In 1042, King Edward the Confessor, a descendant of Alfred the Great, took the throne.
• Edward died without an heir in January 1066, leading to a struggle for the throne.
• William, duke of Normandy, invaded and became known as William the Conqueror.
• Normandy is a region in northern France conquered by Vikings.
• The Normans were descended from Vikings but were French in language and culture.
• William claimed the English crown as King Edward's cousin and invaded England.
• William's rival, Harold Godwinson, also claimed the throne; Normans and Anglo-Saxons fought at the Battle of Hastings on October 14, 1066.
• Harold was killed, and the Normans won a victory
• William declared all of England his personal property.
• William kept 1/5 of England, granting the rest to Norman lords who swore loyalty, unifying the lands and establishing a centralized government.

England's Evolving Government

• English kings aimed to hold French lands and strengthen power over nobles/the Church.
• William the Conqueror's descendants owned land in Normandy/England.
• King Henry II added to these holdings by marrying Eleanor of Aquitaine from France, gaining Aquitaine, making him a vassal to the French king.
• Henry ruled England from 1154 to 1189, strengthening royal courts by sending royal judges to collect taxes, settle lawsuits, and punish crimes.
• Henry introduced juries consisting of 12 neighbors who answered judge questions about a case.
• Jury trials became a popular way of settling disputes.
• Rulings of England's royal judges formed a unified body of law: common law, which is the basis for law in many English-speaking countries.
• Henry was succeeded by his son Richard the Lion-Hearted, then Richard's brother John took the throne, ruling from 1199 to 1216.
• John lost Normandy and lands in northern France under Philip Augustus, which caused a confrontation with nobles.
• John squeezed money from his subjects, alienated The Church, threatened town charters, and raised taxes.
• Nobles revolted and forced John to approve the Magna Carta (Great Charter) on June 15, 1215.
• The document guaranteed basic political rights, including no taxation without representation, a jury trial, and protection of the law.
• The Magna Carta guaranteed basic legal rights in both England and the United States.

The Model Parliament

• During the rule of King Edward I, another step was taken toward democratic government
• Edward needed to raise taxes for war in 1295 and summoned two burgesses (citizens of wealth/property) and two knights from every county to serve in a parliament (legislative group).
• In November 1295, knights, burgesses, bishops, and lords met together (called the Model Parliament)
• From 1300 to 1400, the king called the knights and burgesses when a new tax was needed.
• These two groups formed the House of Commons, while nobles and bishops separately comprised the House of Lords.
• Parliament was a royal tool that weakened lords, but overtime, Parliament became a check on royal power.

Capetian Dynasty Rules France

• Kings of France sought to increase power.
• After the breakup of Charlemagne's empire, French counts and dukes ruled their lands independently under the feudal system, dividing France into 47 feudal territories by the year 1000.
• In 987, Hugh Capet succeeded Louis the Sluggard, the last member of the Carolingian family.
• Hugh Capet ruled a small territory, including Paris, and began the Capetian dynasty of French kings that ruled France from 987 to 1328.
• Hugh Capet, his son, and his grandson were weak rulers, but geography favored the Capetians, as their territory was on important trade routes in northern France.
• For 300 years, Capetian kings tightened their grip on this strategic area, and then, the power of the king gradually spread outward from Paris.
• Philip II, called Philip Augustus, was one of the most powerful Capetians who ruled from 1180 to 1223.
• Philip set out to weaken the power of the English kings in France.
• Philip seized Normandy from King John in 1204.
• By the end of Philip's reign, he had tripled the lands under his direct control, establishing royal officials (bailiffs) to preside over the king's courts and collect taxes.
• France's central government grew stronger during the reign of Philip's grandson, Louis IX, who ruled from 1226 to 1270.
• Louis created a French appeals court, which could overturn decisions of local courts, strengthening the monarchy while weakening feudal ties.
• In 1302, Philip IV disputed the pope's right to control Church affairs in his kingdom.
• Philip called a meeting of his lords and bishops and included commoners to dispute with the pope.

Estates-General

• In France, Church leaders were known as the First Estate, great lords as the Second Estate, and commoners as the Third Estate.
• Philip invited them to the council known as the Estates-General.
• Like the English Parliament, the Estates-General helped increase royal power against the nobility.
• Unlike Parliament, the Estates-General never became an independent force that limited the king's power.
• Centuries later, the Third Estate would play a key role in overthrowing the French monarchy.
• England and France began a democratic tradition, resting on centralized government.
• Common law and court systems was a step toward increased central government power.
• Including commoners in government was important for democratic rule.
• This tradition faced religious disputes, plague, and war.