Growth of Royal Power in England World History I

Feudal Monarchs Monarchs were the figure heads of society They had limited power Lords & Church had much of the power over the people Monarchs used different tactics to centralize power Expanded royal rule Set up royal courts Developed taxes Built a stable army Strengthened ties with the Middle Class

The Norman Conquest Battle in 1066 for the English Throne King Edward of England died without an heir to the throne The nobles chose Edward’s brother, Harold William, Duke of Normandy, claimed himself heir to the throne William gained support from the Pope Raised an army and sailed across the English Channel On Christmas Day, William defeated Harold to become the King of England

William The Conqueror Duke of Normandy, he forced himself into the English throne in the Norman Conquest He blended Anglo-Saxon and French culture Adjusted the feudal government to gain more power Produced the “Domesday Book”

Henry II Henry was a well educated but hot-tempered king He broadened the system of royal justice, giving the royal court power over the smaller courts This did not go over well with the church and this led to power struggles between the church and the monarch Henry was accused of killing Thomas Becket

Canterbury Cathedral

King John & The Magna Carta King John was the younger brother of Richard the Lionheart He was a power-hungry tyrant and did not protect the rights of his people He made laws, but frequently broke them himself Under a poor ruler, the people of England needed a stable government Magna Carta = a long list of feudal rights Means “great charter” Designed to protect the free man

Parliament Parliament is an organized form of government to advise the monarch Similar to a bureaucracy This limited the power of the king Had to get approval of the Parliament before doing anything King Edward I asked Parliament for its approval Established a “Model Parliament” with two houses House of Lords House of Commons