Anglophone Civilization - Medieval England PDF

Anglophone Civilization Topic 2: Medieval England Introduction: Medieval England was characterised by power struggles between different groups for control in England. The Church, the nobility, and the common people would often struggle for power against the king. Becke...

Anglophone Civilization Topic 2: Medieval England Introduction: Medieval England was characterised by power struggles between different groups for control in England. The Church, the nobility, and the common people would often struggle for power against the king. Becket controversy: King Henry II took power in 1154 and wanted to centralise power He tried to reduce the power of the church, but the Archbishop of Canterbury opposed him. When the Archbishop died in 1160, Henry replaced him with Thomas Becket, a close ally and friend of the king. Thomas Becket turned on the king and became a strong defender of the power of the church. The main two points of contention were: 1- Taxes: Henry wanted to revoke many of the tax exemptions awarded to the church 2- Jurisdiction: Henry wanted to have legal authority to imprison and punish clergymen who committed crimes The dispute between Henry and Thomas escalated until 1170. In 1170, Thomas Becket excommunicated several important allies of the king, including the Archbishop of York, the second most important bishop in England. Henry reportedly exclaimed to his court “Will no man rid me of this turbulent priest?” Taking up the king’s words as orders, four knights murdered Thomas Becket at the cathedral of Canterbury. The assassination was a major scandal for Henry and he spent the rest of his life trying to make penance for the crime. Thomas Becket was declared a martyr by the church and his death ultimately secured the rights of the church to most of its tax exemptions and jurisdiction over all but the most heinous crimes of its clergymen. Common Law and Magna Carta: King Henry II wanted to establish a common system of laws all over the country. Henry’s royal courts were established in every town and answered to the king personally. These courts used trial by jury, as opposed to trial by oath, ordeal, or combat. These reforms are the basis of the system of Common Law, which is still used today by Anglophone Civilizations. King John (1199-1216) was nicknamed “John Lackland” because he lost most of the English possessions in France. The Barons of England revolted and forced him to sign Magna Carta. Magna Carta provided: 1- That the king was not allowed to raise taxes without the approval of parliament 2- That every man had the right to a trial by jury Magna Carta is considered the root of the English system of civil rights. Hundred Years’ War: King Edward III had a border dispute with King Phillip VI of France. Edward started claiming to be the rightful heir to the throne of France and invaded the country several times. English kings continued to try to conquer France until 1453, and kept calling themselves “King of England and France” until the 1800s. Peasants’ revolt: King Richard II’s regency raised poll taxes on the peasantry to pay for the Hundred Years’ War. In 1381, the peasants started a revolution against the nobility. They were led by Wat Tyler and John Ball. The peasants sacked London and had three demands of king Richard: 1- Abolition of the system of serfdom 2- Execution of the chancellor and other corrupt nobility 3- Amnesty for all participants in the revolt Richard agreed to their demands and promised reform, but went back on his word once the English army returned from France. The revolt was suppressed and its leaders executed, but the poll taxes were cancelled and would never be imposed again.