Chapter 8 Section 1
English kings and power
- William of Normandy-William the Conqueror
- Blending of Norman French and Anglo-Saxon customs, languages, traditions
- English common law- legal system based on custom and court rulings
- Henry II- broadened the system of royal justice by expanding accepted customs into law
William the Conqueror
- triumphed over Harold in the Battle of Hastings to win the English crown
- never spoke English, illiterate
- had the most influence on the evolution of the English language than anyone ever
- took a complete census in 1086
Evolving Traditions of Gov't
- King John was a cruel and untrustworthy ruler
- He lost to King Philip II of France, Pope Innocent III, and his his own English nobles
- Excommunicated by the Pope when he rejected nominee
- Forced to sign Magna Carta by rebellious barons
Royal Power Grows
Magna Carta
- medieval monarchs slowly build the framework for the European nation-states
- Nation-state: region that shares a gov't yet independent of other states
- each nation developed differently, and the establishing of a monarch could have consequences
- a great charter that contained two very important ideas that shaped English gov't in the future
- asserted that nobles had certain rights, extending to all citizens over time
- made it clear that any monarch must obey the law and not abuse their power
Monarchs, Nobles, and the Church
- Monarchs are kings, queens, etc. Born into power
- Nobles had had as much power as monarchs, sometimes even more
- Monarchs expanded the royal domain and set up systems of royal justice undermining courts of the Church