Scarica La storia dell'Inghilterra dal XII al XIV secolo e più Appunti in PDF di Inglese solo su Docsity! HENRY PLANTAGENET. Henry II when william I the conqueror died in 1087, there was a period of civil war, called the Anarchy. At the death of stephen, the last Norman king, in 1154, the first Plantagenet king, Henry II, came to the throne. He was the most powerful monarch in Europe. His kingdom stretched from the Schottish border to the south of France. Military reform During Henry II's reign, his main concerns were the insecurities of his French territories and the desire to re-establish the legal order in England. The feudal duty of military service was replaced with tax known as 'scutage'. In this way knights could choose to remain on their land and the king was able to pay professional soldiers. Legal reforms In the 1160s Henry Introduced travelling royal judges, who were basically professional lawyers. The law they administered became known as 'common law', because it was used everywhere. In other parts of Europe, legal practice was based on the civil law of the Roman Empire and the canon law of the Church. English lawyers created an entirely different system of law based on custom, comparisons of previous cases and previous decisions. this mixture of experience and custom is the basis of law in England even today. Henry II and the power of the Church In 1162 Henry appointed one of his favourites, Thomas becket to the Archbishop of Canterbury. Thomas tried to assert the indipendence of Church from the state. But in 1164 Henry had the Constitutions of Clarendon written: these stated that the king was supreme in civil matters and that all people in England, including the clergy, were subject to the Crown. Becket refused to accept the Constitutions of Clarendon. This conflict between Becket and the king continued until 29th december 1170, ehrn Becket was murdred in Canterbury Cathedral by four knights claiming to have been sent by the king. He became a martyr and a saint, and pilgrims from all over England and Europe visited his shrine in Canterbury Cathedral. Becket's murder shocked all of Europe. When Henry II died in 1189, he was succeeded by his son Richard I, Known as Richard the lionheart. FROM MAGNA CARTA TO THE PEASANTS' REVOLT King John and Magna Carta Richard I spent less than a year of his reign in England because, in 1190, as one of the leaders of the Third Crusade, he set out for the Holy Land. When he died in 1199, his brother John became king. John had two nicknames, 'Lackland' (has-no-land) and 'Softsword' (unsuccesful-in-war)- In order to defend his French possessions, King John collected higher taxes. The barons, the Church and the feneral population were exposed to his violent abuse of power. He seized lands without process of law, imposed arbitrary taxes and collected money from widows by threatening them with a forced re-marriage if they didn't pay. The barons, knights, clergy and townspeople organised a rebellion and asked the king to sign Magna Carta, a charter demanding specific liberties. The king signed it at Runnymede in 1215. Henry III and Simon de Montfort When John died in 1216, his 9-year-old son was crowned as Henry III. Magna Carta was issued again in its final version in 1225. The Palace of Westminster and new Westminster Abbey were built. In 1258 the barons, led by the king's brother-in-law Simon de Montfort, demanded that Henry summon a Great Council of lords and bishops to help him decide all the important matters. In 1261 the king renounces the agreement and civil war was broke out. In the final Battle of Evesham in 1265 Simon was killed. Edward I and Model Parliament Henry III was succeded by his son Edward I, who respected the terms of Magna Carta and in 1295 summoned a council made up of barons, clergy, knights and representatives of towns. this was known as the 'Model Parliament', England's first Parliament. Edwars I conquered Wales and tried to win Scotland as well, but was opposed by the Scottish hero William Wallace. Edward III and the Order of the Garter Edward II succeeded his wife, Queen Isabella, in 1327. Their 14-year-old son was crowned Edwaes III. In 1337 Edward III claimed the crown of France because his mother was the French king's sister. This was the beginning of the Hundred Years' War, which was to last until 1453. There was another reason for the war: French were threatening Flanders, which was the chief market for English wool. King Edward III introduced the idea of 'Chivalry', a name given to a set of values- bravery, loyalty, honesty and glory- which the perfect knight had to respect, and which was linked to the cycle of Arthurian legends. It was Edward who founded the Order of the Garter: it was formed of a group of 24 knights, the same number the legendary Arthur had chosen, with high ideals of honour and service. they met once a year on St George's Day at Windsor Castle, where King Arthur's Round Table was supposed to have been. The Hundred Years' War was interrupted in 1348 by a terrible plague which spread through Europe and killed more than one third of Britain's population. In 1377 Edward III died and the crown passed to his 10-year-old grandson, Richard II. The Peasants' Revolt During the first years of Richrs II's reign, England was actually ruled by his uncle, John of Gaunt, who became very unpopular when, in 1381, he introduced the 'poll tax'. It was a tax imposed on every adult, without reference to their income. Riots broke out all over the Land: it was the beginning of the Peasents' Revolt. A craftsman called Wat Tyler gathered a huge crowd of people and marched on London to ask the King to abolish the peasants' duties to their landlords. The young king agreed to meet the rebels and listen to thei demands, but the Mayor of London had Tyler killed and Richard II cried to the peasants: 'i will be your captain!' However, subsequently the king did nothing and had the leaders of the
