1. Struggle for Power in England
Middle Ages
Struggle for Power in England

2. Struggle for Power in England
Section 4
Struggle for Power in England
Anglo-Saxon and Norman England
Before the1000’s – Kings and lords struggled for power
Anglo-Saxon England
By 450 Roman rule in Britain ended
Germanic tribes moved in
Culture that emerged called “Anglo-Saxon”
Over time they formed several independent kingdoms
Northumbria – Northern England
Mercia – Central England
Wessex – Southern England
Kingdoms divided into districts called Shires
Governed by shire-reeve which becomes the word Sheriff

3. Alfred the Great 800’s Kings of Wessex controlled
Vikings (Danes) challenged Wessex kings
Over ran much of England
Alfred the Great CE
Wessex King
Attacked Danes-lost fight
Made a temporary peace and spent 5 years built powerful army and navy
876 - Attacked Danes-won in 886
Treaty allowed Danes to live and govern themselves

4. Alfred’s successors
Strengthened the government
Spread Christianity
Unified country
Danes began to attack again
1013 Danes control England til 1042
Anglo-Saxons choose Edward the Confessor

5. The Norman Conquest Edward died had no heir in 1066
Duke William of Normandy
From France
A distant relative - claimed the throne
Anglo-Saxons refused to recognize his claim
Selected Harold of Wessex to be king
Edwards brother-in-law
William was determined to win the throne
Crossed the English Channel with group of knights
Defeated Harold’s army
Crowned William I King of England
Known as William the Conqueror

6. The Conqueror and his Successors
William the Conqueror ruled from 1066–1087
Brought feudalism to England
King, not nobles held supreme authority
lord swore loyalty to king
Stopped the lords from uniting against him
Scattered their fiefs throughout England
Sent royal commissioners to count shire’s people, assess land holdings, and measure type and value of property to set up accurate tax system
Domesday book

8. Reforms under William’s Successors
Henry I – Ruled from
Williams son, Able ruler
Exchequer-finance dept.
handled king’s finances
government more efficient
Sent traveling judges throughout the country to try cases
Weakened feudal lords
Kings royal court, not the lords feudal courts dispensed justice

9. Henry II Henry II - 1154 – 1189 increases royal authority
England’s legal system grew
Traveling judges established routes or circuits
Used a 12 member jury system
Replaced trial by ordeal or combat
Decided civil as well as criminal cases
Vassals could pay the king a fee instead of performing military service
Money used to hire soldiers
Military loyal because they are paid

10. Henry II
Sought to try members of the clergy who had already been judged in church courts
To decrease the influence of church courts
Thomas Becket - Archbishop of Canterbury
Refused to allow his clergy to be tried
Becket and Henry became bitter enemies
4 of the king’s knights murdered the archbishop in his cathedral, to help the king
Henry denied any part of the murder, but did penance to appease the church
Henry leaves church alone

11. Henry II The Last years of his reign were trouble
Sons plotted against him
Marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine was stormy
She brought into their marriage a lot of French lands which ended up causing conflicts with the French
Overall Henry strengthened the English monarchy, reduced influence of the nobility.

12. King John and Magna Carta
Henry II’s son
Demanded nobles pay more taxes
To support wars with France
His actions led nobles to revolt
In 1215 group of nobles joined together against the king
Threatened armed revolt against him
Forced John to accept a document--the Magna Carta

13. Magna Carta and beyond Magna Carta
Protected the liberties of the nobles
Provided a limited outline of rights for England’s ordinary people
King John agreed no new or special taxes without consent of the Great Council
A body of nobles and church leaders who advised the king
Promised not to take property with out paying for it
Promised not to interfere with justice of the courts
Agreed to trials by jury of peers
Importance: King is not above the law

14. Parliament 1260’s - Nobles revolt against Henry III
Threatened the Monarchy
led by Simon de Montfort (Lord)
Tried to build middle class support for the nobles
To unite against the king
The Great Council – Nobles and Clergy
Middle class representatives
becomes the English Parliament
divided into 2 “houses”
Nobles and clergy - House of Lords
Knights and burgesses - House of Commons

15. Common Law Edward I - ruled from 1272 – 1307
One of England’s greatest monarchs
Divided the king’s court into 3 branches
Court of Exchequer
kingdom’s financial accounts
Tried tax cases
Court of Common Pleas
cases between ordinary citizens
Court of the King’s Bench
Conducted trials concerning king or government
Decisions made by royal courts were collected and used as the basis from future court verdicts
Known as Common Law
Applied equally to all citizens
Living Law, not based on code, but on modern times.

16. Rise of Capetian Kings France
Last of the Frankish/Carolingian kings die.
Nobles choose Hugh Capet as King of France
Will work to create a strong central government
Create Estates General
Representative body of the three social classes
Commoners, nobility, and clergy
unsuccessful, no support at local levels
France remains feudal

17. Clash over Germany and Italy
After Charlemagne’s death his empire slowly fell apart
Several of Charlemagne’s descendants in Germany inherited the title of Holy Roman Emperor
However they did not really rule Italy
Part ruled by the Pope
Part ruled by the Arab Muslims

18. Holy Roman Empire Germany Feudal lords elected Otto I - 936
Known as Otto the Great
Worked to developed a strong kingdom in Germany
In 951 Otto attacks territory in northern Italy
Later Pope John XII struggled with Roman nobles
Begged Otto for help
Pope crowned him ‘Emperor of the Romans’ in 962
Same title given to Charlemagne
Otto rules Germany and northern Italy
Germany becomes a major power

19. Holy Roman Empire Henry III - 1046 – 1056
Viewed the church as a branch of the imperial government
Expected the church to actively support the empire and its ruler
3 different men claimed the papacy during his rule
Removed them from office and elected a German pope
Also chose next three popes

20. Struggles - Papacy vs. European Rulers
Henry III dies
5 yr old son Henry IV king
German nobility sees this as an opportunity to regain their independence
The church also moves to restore its power
At age 15, he tries to strengthen his rule
Pits him against Pope Gregory VII
one of the most powerful popes in the Middle Ages
Clash between Pope and Henry IV

21. Pope Gregory VII Pope Gregory was a strong & able leader
Worked to bring spiritual reform
Increased the power and authority of the papacy
Believed the church was the supreme spiritual and temporal power in the earth
Thought had control over rulers and people

22. Pope Gregory and Henry IV
Main Conflict involved lay investiture
Appointment of bishops by temporal rulers
Henry believed he had the right to appoint bishops
Gregory opposed this
In reaction he excommunicated Henry
Also released Henry’s subject from their vows of loyalty
Urged nobles to elect another king

23. Fearing rebellion Henry sought the pope’s mercy
Imperial Submission
Fearing rebellion Henry sought the pope’s mercy
Traveled to meet the pope
Met in the mountains of northern Italy
Bitter cold, icy mountain paths
Pope made Henry wait 3 days to see him
Henry pleaded for the pope’s mercy
Pope revoked his excommunication

24. Imperial Submission Struggle continued over lay investiture
Finally representatives for both sides meet
Agreement reached called Concordat of Worms
Named after city they met in
Limited imperial power of the German church
Emperor could appoint bishops to fiefs (land grant)
Only the pope had power to name bishops
Recognized the spiritual leadership of the pope

25. Frederick Barbarossa Frederick I (Frederick of the Red Beard)
Ruled Germany from
Set out to capture Lombard states in northern Italy
Captured Milan
Destroyed city and drove out the people
Other city states and Pope unite to form the Lombard League
Raised a powerful army – defeated Fredrick

26. Strongest of the medieval pope’s Skillful political leader
Innocent III
1198 – 1216
Strongest of the medieval pope’s
Skillful political leader
Believed in the supreme earthly power of the papacy
Felt he had authority to settle all political as well as spiritual problems
Involved himself with disputes all over Europe
Used his powers of excommunication and interdiction