Political Developments in England

1 Political Developments in England

Political development was rampant during the Middle Ages, and in one country, England, developments during the 12th and 13th centuries helped to weaken feudalism. The story begins with King Henry II, who reigned from 1154 to 1189.

Henry II's Legal Reforms Henry made legal reform a central concern of his reign. For example, he insisted that a jury formally accuse a person of a serious crime. Cases were then tried before a royal judge. In theory, people could no longer simply be jailed or executed for no legal reason, but had to go through a court trial as well. These reforms strengthened the power of royal courts at the expense of feudal lords.

Henry's effort to strengthen royal  authority led to a serious conflict with the  Catholic Church. In the year 1164, Henry  issued the Constitutions of Clarendon, a document that claimed spelled out the king's traditional rights. Among them was the right to try clergy accused of serious crimes in royal courts, rather than in Church courts.

Multiple Choice

Among them was the right to try clergy accused of serious crimes in royal courts, rather than in ______ courts.

• school

• Church

Henry's action led to a long, bitter quarrel with his friend, Thomas Becket, the archbishop of Canterbury. In 1170, four knights, perhaps seeking the king's favor, killed Becket in front of the main altar of Canterbury Cathedral. The cathedral and Becket's tomb soon became a popular  destination for pilgrimages. In 1173, the Catholic Church proclaimed him a saint.  Still, most of the Constitutions of Clarendon remained in force. 

King John and Magna Carta

In 1199, Henry's youngest son, John, became king of England. John soon made powerful enemies by losing most of the lands the English had controlled in France. He also taxed his barons heavily and ignored their traditional rights, arresting opponents at will. In addition, John quarreled with the Catholic Church and collected large amounts of money from its properties. 

In June 1215, angry nobles forced a meeting with King John in a meadow called Runnymede, beside the River Thames, outside of London. There, they insisted that John put his seal on a document called Magna Carta, which means “Great Charter” in Latin.

Multiple Choice

Magna Carta, which means “______________” in Latin.

• Great leader

• Great Charter

Magna Carta was an agreement between the nobles and the monarch. The nobles concurred that the monarch could continue to rule. For his part, King John agreed to observe common law and the traditional rights of the nobles and the Church. For example, he promised to consult the nobles and the Church archbishops and bishops before imposing special taxes. He also agreed that “no free man” could be jailed except by  the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land. This idea eventually developed into a key part of English common law known as habeas corpus .

Multiple Choice

no free man” could be jailed except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land.

This became known as

• the rule

• Habeas corpus

Multiple Choice

Magna Carta was an agreement between the ________________________

• nobles and the monarch

• nobles and the peasants

In many ways, Magna Carta only protected the rights and  privileges of nobles. However, as time passed, the English people  came to regard it as one of the foundations of their rights and 

liberties.

Multiple Choice

In many ways, Magna Carta only protected the rights and privileges of ________

• queens

• nobles

• knights

King Edward I and the Model Parliament

In 1295, Edward I, King John's grandson, took a major step toward including more people in government. Edward called together a governing body called the Model Parliament that included commoners and lower-ranking clergy, as well as high-level Church officials and nobles.

Multiple Choice

___________ that included commoners and lower-ranking clergy, as well as high-level Church officials and nobles.

• Model Parliament

• Ideal Parliament

The Impact of Political Developments in England

These political changes contributed to the decline of feudalism in two ways. Some of the changes strengthened royal authority at the expense of the nobles. Others eventually shifted some power to the common people. 

Magna Carta established the idea of rights and liberties that even a monarch cannot violate. This document also affirmed that monarchs should rule with the advice of the governed. Henry II's legal reforms strengthened English common law and the role of judges and juries.Finally, Edward I's Model Parliament gave a voice in government to common people, as well as to nobles. All these ideas formed the basis for the development of modern democratic institutions.

Multiple Choice

Magna Carta established the idea of rights and liberties that even a monarch ______ violate.

• cannot

• can