1 Ch. 13 Sec. 4 The Struggle for Power in England & France

2 Anglo-Saxon & Norman England After Roman rule ended, Germanic tribes like the Angles & the Saxons invaded Britain The Anglo-Saxons formed 3 independent kingdoms: Northumbria, Mercia, & Wessex The kingdoms were divided into districts called shires; each shire governed by a sheriff

3 Alfred the Great By the 800s the kings of Wessex controlled most of England Then Viking raiders, whom the English called “Danes,” overran England Alfred the Great, King of Wessex, defeated the Danes

4 But the Danes regained control King Canute of Denmark reigned over England & Scandinavia When his line died out, Anglo- Saxon nobles chose Edward the Confessor as their king He was part Anglo-Saxon & part Norman

5 When he died, a distant relative, William of Normandy, claimed the throne Normandy was in France & the Anglo-Saxons refused to recognize William William crossed the English Channel w/ Norman knights & defeated the Anglo-Saxons in 1066

6 He was crowned King William I, or William the Conqueror He introduced Norman laws, customs, & language, which later merged into Anglo-Saxon culture

7 The Conqueror & his Successors William shaped English gov’t so that the king, not the nobles, held supreme authority He required each lord to swear personal loyalty to him He created a strong, centralized gov’t

8 The king sent royal commissioners to every English shire to count people, assess landholdings, & measure type & value of property This was done so the king could set up an accurate, central tax system & the records were kept in a book that became known as the Doomsday Book

9 Reforms under William’s successors Henry I, son of William the Conqueror, set up a department to handle finances He also sent traveling judges to try cases, draining power from the feudal lords

10 Henry II reduced the power of the lords further Instead of furnishing troops, nobles paid the king a fee, & he hired & controlled the army Under Henry II, trial by jury replaced trial by ordeal or combat Henry sought to try members of the clergy in royal courts rather than church courts

11 Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, refused to allow it Four knights, believing they were helping Henry, murdered the archbishop Henry abandoned further attempts to reduce the church’s power

12 Henry was married to Eleanor of Aquitaine Queen of two kings, Louis VII of France & Henry II Eleanor was one of the most powerful women in medieval Europe But the French lands she brought Henry when they married involved England in new conflicts

13 King John & Magna Carta Henry’s son, King John, demanded that nobles pay more taxes Powerful nobles joined together & forced the king to accept Magna Carta (Great Charter) Magna Carta limited the king’s powers; (ex. – the king couldn’t collect new taxes w/out the consent of the Great Council, a body of nobles & church leaders)

14 The king could not refuse or delay justice The king also agreed to let any accused person be judged by a jury of his or her peers Magna Carta made the law, not the king, the supreme power It became a cornerstone of constitutional gov’t

15 Parliament & Common Law Nobles again revolted against the king in the 1260s Simon de Montfort, a powerful lord who led the revolt, asked representatives of the middle class to meet w/ the nobles & clergy of the Great Council

16 This body became the English Parliament Parliament divided into the House of Lords & the House of Commons Parliament mainly advised the king but could refuse new taxes

17 Common Law Edward I had court decisions collected & used as the basis for future verdicts This collection became known as common law – law based upon customs & judges’ decisions, rather than upon written codes

18 It was called common law bcuz it was applied equally & in common to all English people Common law was a “living law”; it changed to meet changing conditions

19 Rise of the Capetian Kings In France In France, after the last of the Carolingians died, nobles chose Hugh Capet as king Capet & his descendants, the Capetians, ruled for 300 years Still, feudal lords ruled most of France

20 The Capetians tried to increase their power Phillip II ruled from 1180 to 1223, conquered French lands held by the English Capetian kings appointed well- trained gov’t officials & extended the court system

21 Philip IV who ruled between 1285 & 1314 increased royal power by taxing the clergy When Pope Boniface VII opposed Philip, the king had him arrested The king built popularity among the people by creating the Estates General, a representative body made up of commoners, nobles, & clergy

22 Despite the efforts of the Capetians, France remained largely feudal in political organization