1. High Middle Ages
Sources of Law & Power

2. Regional Powers

3. Regional Powers cont. England (king controlled whole country)
France (King only really controlled own fief and dukes & counts largely controlled surrounding provinces)
Spanish/ Portugese kingdoms – more independent and varied culturally/ constant dispute over territory
Holy Roman Empire – less unity because still concerned with acquiring territory- elected kingship rather than inherited

4. In General
Under the feudal system, the King had power over the justice system
The lord of a manor was in charge of law among those living on his land

5. Law & Order Courts existed with a judge and jury like today
Courts existed with a judge and jury like today
However, anything that brought evil into a person’s life could be brought to court (rats, toads, insects!)

6. Trials
Medieval courts had some interesting ways of determining innocence and guilt:
TRIAL BY ORDEAL: The accused could be exposed to a number of awful situations including, drinking poison, exposure to burning or being dropped in water. If the person didn’t heal or died s/he would be found guilty!
TRIAL BY BATTLE: Two noblemen would fight and the person who died was found guilty because God was believed to protect the innocent
A noblewomen could appoint a nobleman to fight on her behalf
* The idea behind both trial by ordeal and trial by battle was that the outcome rested in God’s hands

7. Let’s Take a Look Crime & Punishment:
Trial by Ordeal:

8. Manor Court
Was a place to settle minor disputes (farming, property, petty crime)
Serfs could sue
Was like a village meeting – depended on witnesses who could be fined for lying
Jury of villagers & lord or
representative was judge
Sentences were usually fines
- sometimes stocks/ exile

9. Royal Court
Tried serious crimes (murder, treason-crime against state, etc.)
Used Common Law: law common across the kingdom formed from the results of many previous cases
This court could order execution – it would take all the sentenced person’s property after
The royal court conflicted with the church and the nobility because they often governed themselves

10. Church Court
Tried clergy accused of crimes (witchcraft, heresy-against church, blasphemy-against God) and were often not strict
The Inquisition was set up to stop heresy (challenges to church authority) Accused people did not have the same rights as secular court and were considered guilty before inquisition took place
The Church could not execute, but those who refused to admit sins would be sent to a secular court to be sentenced (and often executed)
If a person did repent his sins the Church would often take that person’s property
**Inquisition did not work in areas like England that already had a strong system to deal with heretics

11. Henry II and the Murder of Thomas Beckett
The pope had power over the king when it came to religion. This caused tension at times
In 1164 King Henry II wanted people who held office in the church to be sentenced more severely if they were convicted of committing a crime
The archbishop at the time, Thomas Beckett refused to go along with this idea, so Henry II took away all his property and forced him to flee to France
6 years later Henry allows Beckett to return to England as head of the English church
Beckett managed to anger Henry II again (probably wasn’t too hard to do) and apparently said “ Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?”
4 knights heard this and killed Thomas Beckett!

12. The people were outraged
Bad Call…
The people were outraged
The pope forced the king to submit to a public flogging and ordered him to stop interfering with church affairs
Thomas was canonized (declared a saint) and became the saint of Canterbury

13. Monarchy
A Monarch had the power to make & change laws, collect taxes and give titles & land
However, the monarch still had to obey the feudal code
the power of the monarchy was kept in check by barons who could war against the monarch using their large armies that they could rally quickly – it would take weeks for a monarch to collect his army from across the kingdom

14. Abuse of Power http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGzaqEtJCok
What do we already know about the story of Robin Hood?

15. Discussion Time What was King John like?
Is he breaking the feudal code? How?
What do you think happens as a result of this behavior?
How is power checked in Canada? We do not have the feudal system, we have a different kind of governing system. What is it called?

16. King John & The Magna Carta
King John I was so hated because of ruthless taxation, fighting with the pope and military defeats that he caused a rebellion
In 1215, the Barons forced him to sign into action the Magna Carta (“The Great Charter”)
People would not be exploited by a ruler
Taxes could not be taken without consent of parliament
No person could be imprisoned without a fair trial
However, it really only addressed the concerns of the nobility and left the other 90% ignored

17. The Crusades

18. Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?
Crusades were holy wars in which European Christians fought Muslims to try to regain control of the holy land
the Seljuk Turks had taken over the Byzantine Empire (holy land) in the 11th century)
Holy Land = Jerusalem. Jerusalem is important to:
Jews (Appears repeatedly in holy book)
Christians (Jesus resurrected)
Muslims (Mohammad ascended to heaven)
, 8 military Crusades, 2 non-military (over 100 years)
Medieval knights saw fighting in a holy war as a way to get into heaven and/or win land
First Crusade began after Pope Urban II urged people to retake the holy land in 1096

19. How Does the Pope justify the crusade?
If you were a knight, would you fight?

21. Were the Crusades Successful?
The First crusade created a Christian Kingdom in the Middle East. It lasted 100 years. But in 1187 Sultan Saladin recaptured Jerusalem
The Holy Land switched between the Christians and Muslims several times, but was ultimately won by the Muslims as they were a more united fighting force and the Christians lacked clear direction

22. Review Crusades in 5 minutes:

23. Movie & Socratic Seminar
Richard the Lionheart and Saladin *Identify a quote, scene, and/or idea that struck you from the film. Ask an open-ended question about it.

24. What effects did the Crusades have on Europe?
Society:
The deaths of so many young men weakened feudal society
Not enough workers on feudal lands
Nobles without heirs gave their fiefs back to the king
Some nobles had sold their land to pay for their Crusader armies
As a result kings became more powerful and less dependent on their barons

25. Knowledge and Trade:
Western Europe learned from the highly advanced Muslim world
and Jewish scholars
Gained knowledge of medicine, astronomy, philosophy, mathematics
and literature
this would ultimately lead to the Renaissance
Crusades sparked trade – fabrics, spices, perfumes
Led to an improved standard of living in Europe and more exploration

26. https://www.youtube.co m/watch?v=_GeBou75D hU
Read page 166 & 171 – 172
Q # 1-4