2. Monarchs, Nobles, and the Church
Feudal monarchs in Europe were at the head of
society but had limited power because they had to rely
on vassals for military support
Nobles and the Church had as much or more power
than the monarch
Monarchs resorted to royal justice systems, tax
systems, and standing armies in order to try to gain
some power back
3. Strong Monarchs in England
During the Middle Ages, Angles, Saxons, and Vikings
invaded and settled in England
At the age of 7, William of Normandy was made a duke
In 1066, William and Harold fought for control of
England at the Battle of Hastings
This battle was important because it put England
under Norman control
William the Conqueror assumes the crown of England
on Christmas Day, 1066
8. Growth of Royal Power
In 1086, William the Conqueror had a census taken of
his kingdom
The resulting Domesday Book listed every castle, field,
and pigpen in England
It was a thorough survey and census
Information from it helped William and later English
monarchs build an efficient system of tax collecting
Royal exchequer (treasury)---job was to collect taxes
9. A Unified Legal System
In 1154, a young, well-educated king named Henry II
inherited the throne
He broadened the system of royal justice
Common law---a legal system based on custom and court
rulings
Under Henry II, England also developed an early jury
system
Jury---purpose is to determine guilt or innocence
These early juries determined which cases could be
brought to trial (grand jury) and another jury evolved that
was composed of 12 neighbors of an accused person (trial
jury)
11. Conflict with the Church
Henry II claimed the right to try clergy members in
royal courts
Thomas Beckett (archbishop of Canterbury) disagreed
with Henry and the two constantly fought
In 1170, Beckett was murdered in his own cathedral
Beckett was declared a martyr and a saint and pilgrims
began to flock to his tomb at Canterbury (basis for
Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales)
15. John’s Troubles
Henry’s son John was a clever, greedy, cruel, and
untrustworthy leader who during his reign faced three
powerful enemies: King Phillip II of France, Pope
Innocent III, and his own English nobles
John lost a war with Phillip II and had to give up
English-held lands in France
John battled Pope Innocent III over selecting a new
archbishop of Canterbury
John was threatened with all of England under an
interdict---so he gave in and had to accept England as
a fief of the papacy and pay a yearly fee to Rome
17. The Magna Carta
John ticked off his own nobles with oppressive taxes
and other abuses of his power
In 1215, a group of rebellious barons cornered John and
forced him to sign the Magna Carta
Magna Carta---”Great Charter”---most important part
was “due process of law”
The Magna Carta helped shape English government in
the long run by: 1. nobles had certain rights and
2. monarchs had to obey the law
20. Development of Parliament
In 1295, Edward summoned Parliament to approve money
for his wars with France
He had representatives of the “common” people join with
the lords and clergy
“Common” people included two knights from each county
and representatives of towns
Two houses developed in the modern British Parliament:
The House of Lords (nobles and high clergy) and the
House of Commons (knights and middle-class citizens)
Parliament eventually got the “power of the purse”---they
could limit the power of a monarch by controlling and
approving spending
23. Successful Monarchs in France--The Capetians
Hugh Capet was elected to fill the vacant throne in 987
He slowly increased his and his heirs royal power by
making the succession hereditary, playing rival nobles
against one another, and winning support from the
Church
The Capetians enjoyed unbroken succession for over
300 years
The Capetians built an effective bureaucracy
Government officials collected taxes and imposed
royal law over the king’s domain
25. Philip Augustus
Also known as Philip II; was a shrewd and able ruler
He strengthened royal government in France by
granting charters, having a standing army, introducing
a new national tax, and paying middle-class officials to
work in government positions
He was able to quadruple his land holdings and by the
time of his death in 1223, he was the most powerful
ruler in Europe
27. Louis IX, King and Saint
He ascended to the throne in 1226 and embodied the
perfect medieval monarch---generous, noble, and
devoted to justice and chivalry
He was a deeply religious man and became a saint
within 30 years of his death
Louis IX helped advance Christianity by prosecuting
heretics and Jews and leading French knights in two
wars against Muslims
29. Philip IV
Grandson of Louis IX who ruled ruthlessly to extend
royal power
To raise cash, he tried to collect new taxes from the
clergy which led to a clash with Pope Boniface VIII
30. The Estates General
Phillip rallied support by setting up the Estates
General in 1302
This body had representatives from all three estates, or
classes: clergy, nobles, and townspeople
Although later French kings consulted the Estates
General, it did not develop the same role that the
English Parliament did because it never gained the
power of the purse or otherwise serve as a balance to
royal power
