1. 10/18 Today’s Objectives: 1) Investigate how kings gained more power during the High Middle Ages; 2) Assess how the Magna Carta shaped Medieval governments as well as the American Bill of Rights
Do Now:
Today, the church plays a smaller role in our lives than it did in Medieval society. What do you think is responsible for the church’s diminishing role?

2. THE MEDIEVAL CHURCH Religion dominated everyday life
Church was the MOST powerful secular force
Pope claimed authority over all other rulers – “papal supremacy”
No choice of religion in Western Europe – you HAD to follow the Catholic Church

3. MONKS AND NUNS Devoted their lives to spiritual goals
Attracted to the promise of reaching heaven
Three vows developed by St. Benedict:
1) Obedience
2) Poverty
3) Chastity

4. Functions of a Monastery
No schools or hospitals in Medieval Europe
Monasteries…
1) care for the sick
2) set up schools for children
3) provide food and shelter for travelers

5. Gregorian Chant

6. The Power of the Church How did the Church become so wealthy?
1) people donate 10% of their income to the church – tithe
2) devoted Christians donate their land and wealth to the monasteries
3) Church doesn’t have to pay any taxes
4) People have to pay for baptisms, marriages, and funerals

7. More Money, More Problems
Power grows, discipline weakens
Clergy live in luxury, priests marry and lose focus on religious duty
Monks and nuns ignore vow of poverty and chastity

8. CHURCH INTOLERANCE Anti-Semitism: hatred against Jews
Migrate from Spain to Western Europe and experience persecution and discrimination; they are blamed for the death of Jesus

9. Why didn’t kings have much power under feudalism?
1) Peasants gave loyalty to the lord, not the king
2) King couldn’t collect taxes (no trade, self-sufficient manor)
3) Church had the most power
Monarchs needed to…
1) acquire wealth
2) limit the power of lords and the Church
3) build a loyal following

10. William the Conqueror (r. 1066-1100)
Defeats King Harold at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
Descendent of the Vikings
Kept records of every castle, field, barn, and house in England to be used as a basis for a tax system
Made everyone swear loyalty to him

11. Henry II (r )
Developed common law: applied to all of England and was based on customs
Created a jury system with 12 local men who swore under oath to speak the truth
Fair laws needed to be applied equally to all

12. King John
Fought with the King Philip II of France, Pope Innocent III, and his own nobles
Went to war with Philip over land and lost
Rejected pope’s nominee for archbishop and is excommunicated; all of England is placed under an interdict
Gives in to the pope and England now has to pay a yearly fee to Rome

13. Magna Carta – “The Great Charter” 1215
In 1215, a group of rebellious barons cornered John and forced him to sign the Magna Carta, or great charter.
In this document, the nobles had certain rights. Over time, the rights that had been granted to nobles were extended to all English citizens
the Magna Carta made it clear that made it clear that the monarch must obey the law.

14. Parliament
Council that represents the common people, in addition to lords and clergymen
Approved decisions made by the King
Two houses
House of Lords House of Commons
1) Nobles 1) Knights
2) Clergymen 2) Middle class