The Decline of Feudalism

Henry II’s Legal Reform  Legal reform was the central focus of Henry’s reign  Henry strengthened the royal courts instead of the feudal lords  Henry insisted that a jury try an individual of a serious crime  Instead of trial by combat/ordeal  now there was trial by jury/judges  Yet, this new reform led to a power struggle between him and the church  1164  Henry issued the Constitutions of Clarendon  A document that spells out the traditional rights of the king  Also, states that a clergy member accused of a crime must be tried in a royal court instead of a church court  This new document led to a fight with his friend, Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Cantebury  In 1170  4 knights seeking the king’s favor, went out and killed Thomas Becket in front of the altar  Thomas Becket’s tomb soon became a popular destination for pilgrimage

King John and the Magna Carta  Henry’s youngest son, John, became King in 1199  John was not the same King as his father  Lost most of England’s land that was in France  Taxed barons too heavily  Ignored the baron’s traditional rights  Arrested opponents at will  Fought with the church and collected large amounts of money from them

King John and the Magna Carta cont.  June 1215  the barons forced a meeting with King John and forced him to sign the Magna Carta  The Magna Carta stated that the king could still rule as long as he observed common law and the traditional rights of the barons and the church  For example, the king must consult with the barons and the elite of the church before imposing a special tax  Also agreed that “no free man” could be jailed except if through lawful judgement of his/her peers, or the law of the land  This became known as habeas corpus  the principle that accused persons cannot be held in jail without the consent of a court  Habeas Corpus became the foundation for the rights and liberties of the English people…and later the American people in our own Constitution!

King Edward I and the Model Parliament  1295  King John’s grandson, Edward, included more people in the government  King Edward created a Model parliament, a governing body, that included commoners and lower ranking clergy  Commoners  a person who is not of noble rank

The Impact of Political Developments in England  These political changes weakened feudalism because it shifted the power from the nobles to the common people  Henry II  strengthened English common law and the role of judges & juries  Edward  gave a voice in the government to the common people through the Model Parliament  The Magna Carta created a list of ideal rights and liberties that the king cannot violate  These ideas would later come to influence and help develop modern democratic institutions

The Hundred Year’s War

Background Info  This war fought between England and France was the second major event that weakened the feudal system  England claimed that they had land in France as their own fiefs  But the French king, King Phillip VI, disputed the claims and King Edward III did not agree with the French king  SO…. WAAAAAAAR!!!!!

Early English Successes  The Battle of Crecy of 1346  France  A feudal army, composed of nobles and knights, that mounted horses  There were some infantry foot soldiers  Weapons= lances, swords, and crossbows  Crossbows  a medieval weapon made up of a bow that was fixed across a wooden stock  England  Composed of lightly armored knights, foot soldiers, and archers  Archers had longbows  a large bow used for firing feathered arrows  Most of the soldiers were commoners who were paid to fight

Longbows vs. Crossbows  Longbow vs. Crossbow  Longbow could be fired more quickly  Arrows flew faster and with more accuracy

The French Fight Back  French began to slowly chip away at the land the English had won in the early years of the war  In 1415, King Henry V (France) invaded England  This time the French were a force to be reckoned with. But, why?  Used more modern tactics  Recruited commoners to the army  Paid the common soldiers just like the English  National identity and unity  Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc  17 year old French girl that claimed she heard the voice of God, urging her to save France  1429, Joan of Arc led the French to victory over the Battle of Orleans  Yet a year later she was captured by the English and put on trial  She was put on trial under the accusation that she was a witch, or a heretic  a person who holds beliefs that are contrary to the teachings of the church  Joan was burnt at the stake for being a “witch”  However, she brought a sense of pride to the French women and men  22 years after her death, the French finally drove the English out of France!

Joan of Arc cont.

The Impact of the War  Feudalism was already in decline because of the shift from feudal lords  monarchs and common people  Monarchs called for taxes to fund the war, which told the lords they no longer needed their money  Castles were no longer an effective means of protection  Crossbows could easily take out a mounted knight  Additionally, the discovery of gunpowder means they could shoot iron cannon balls through castle walls  New national pride shifted the focus away from lords  Commoners, since they were fighting and paying the taxes, emerged from the war with greater influence and power