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Henry iii and the community of the realm history essay

– technically Henry III was King but he was controlled by a regency of family, Church, and nobles until he was 19, when he took full authority over the government- after John’s reign, the regency tried to maintain good relations with the nobles by re-affirming the Magna Carta and agreeing to tax only with the consent of the nobility (1225), an important precedent- after he became a ruler in his own right, he led a dismal and unsuccessful invasion of France in 1230, returning home to re-affirm the Magna Carta- at 29, he began to rule personally

II. Henry III characteristics

– pious, well-educated, devoted to family- mercurial, resolute, and petty- very ambitious and utterly without military ability- terrible with money

III. Henry’s Personal rule

– he was married to Eleanor the daughter of the Count of Provence. Henry was surrounded by his wife’s family members, known as the Savoyards (Savoy).

Isabelle of Angouleme

– Henry III’s mother, after the death of King John, married the son of her original suitor, Hugh of Lusignan- the children of that union, known as Poitevins, were also important members of the court

Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester

– a French nobleman who held the English duchy of Leicester (1239) and married the king’s sister Eleanor- For years, Simon was a trusted loyal advisor- Over time, Simon began to view the king as incompetent and unable too rule efficiently

IV. ” The Sicilian Adventure”

– on top of everything Henry III became involved with in the imperial crisis following the death of Frederick II Hohenstaufen (1250), whose family line had been called a ” brood of vipers”- seeking to remove Sicliy from Hohenstaufen rule, the pope offered it to any monarch who could pay to oust Frederick’s son, Manfred- Henry agreed to do so, provided that his son, Edmund, could have the Sicilian crown- Pope Gregory IX lured Henry into the deal as the throne of Sicily owed much from the war- Unfortunately, Henry III had neither the resources nor the military forces to carry out the task- The Pope was determined to shift his offer to Charles of Anjou, the brother of the French king Louis IX. He succeeds where Henry failed

V. Anglo-French relations

– meanwhile, Henry’s relations with his brother-in-law, Louis IX of France were not going well- Henry had continued without success to seek restoration of his authority over Normandy, and was even finding his authority in Aquitaine hard to maintain

VI. The Treaty of Paris 1259

– negotiations continued between the two, held up by Henry’s reluctance to pay fealty and homage to his fellow king and brother-in-law- in the prolonged Anglo-French negotiations that followed, Louis the IX appeared the peacemaker, and Henry as the problem- By necessity, Henry agreed to pay homage and fealty to Louis for Aquitaine- he renounced all rights to the English territories that had been lost, including Normandy- while painful, this move was supposed to help maintain peace and free Henry up to deal with other concerns

Appeals and the French Court

– the Treaty of Paris provided subjects of the English king as Duke of Aquitaine the right to appeal decisions of ducal courts to the French royal court (the future Parliament of Paris)- this would become a major issue of conflict and resentment between the two monarchies

The Provisions of Oxford

– Led by Simon de Montfort, 24 barons met to draw up a scheme through which the king could only rule with the support and involvement of a Council of 15.- forced to accept them, the king grudgingly did so until the Pope in 1262 absolved Henry from his oath. Simon de Montfort went into exile

The Mise of Amiens

– returning in 1263 to lead the Barons again, Simon failed again to get the king to agree to the provisions-two sides submitted their differences to the King of France, whose decision – the Mise of Amiens – totally and not surprisingly supported his fellow king

The Nobles’ Rebellion (1264 – 1265)

– at Lewes, the king’s forces led by the Lord Edward were defeated by the nobles’ army- Edward was held (until he escaped) to ensure Henry III’s cooperation

After the Battle of Lewes (May 1264 – August 1265)

– Simon and his allies sought to rule through the revived Provisions of Oxford, through which they would rule in the kings name- Many trace the evolution of Parliament to this brief period, as Simon de Montfort, along with other lords, sought to gain support from groups such as knights and burgesses (townspeople) by calling their representatives to meet

The End of the Experiment

– before the summer of 1265, it was clear that Simon’s government had lost too much support to survive- the defection of some nobles as well as the escape of the king sealed Simon’s fate

The Battle of Evesham (August 4, 1265)

– considered one of the great battles of English history- royal forces led by Lord Edward crushed those of de Montfort, who died in the battle- Simon’s body was mutilated but later buried by the monks of Evesham- Simon is remembered as a hero and pioneer of parliamentary government

Afterwards

– Henry III allowed the Lord Edward to rule over the government in the king’s name- the realm was so settled by 1270 that Edward went on Crusade and only returned when his father (Henry III) died in 1272- a very different type of monarch now came to authority

Edward I and his Reign (1272 – 1307): A Crucial Reign in English History

– eldest son of Henry III, named for Edward the Confessor- dashing, popular in earlier years of his reign, became king at 35- great warrior but equally adept at law and administration- quite involved in French wars but also known for conquering Wales and making inroads into Scotland

Edward ” Longshanks”

– so called because of his of six feet, he was much taller than ordinary people of the day and dwarfed most others; graceful and athletic

Edward’s Major Contributions to Law and Administrations

– statutes as laws promulgated by the crown came to be widely accepted- in the past, law had been considered eternal and unchangeable- the 1278 Statute of Gloucester introduced quo warranto (by what franchise) proceedings through which individuals claiming legal rights in a specified area would have to produce written evidence to royal officials to prove their rights to them. His greater nobles were very unhappy.- Statute of Mortmain (1279) prohibited land grants to the Church without authorization by the lord of the granter- Statute of Quia Emptores prohibited further subinfeudation since a land buyer would hold his land from the seller’s lord directly, and the seller would drop out of the chain- knights were reduced to civilian status and did not necessarily imply nobility figures- subinfeudation was considered a descending abyss of ownership- government administration becoming increasingly professional and bureaucratized with lay officials as well as clerical, for the Exchequer, Chancery, Council, and Household, the four principle divisions of Edward’s administrations- Exchequer- Chancery – non-financial royal authority- Council – royal advisory board- Household

Edward I and His Military Accomplishments

Wales

– he conquered Wales in 1282, after Prince Llywelyn rebelled against him- taking the title ” Prince of Wales” for his heir, Edward built castles to discourage further rebellions

Scotland

– claiming overlordship of Scotland, Edward fought against Balliol, Wallace, and Bruce in turn- Edward was mostly successful, but English victories were never such that he could obtain total control over Scotland before his death in 1307

Edward I and France

– Edward’s French counterpart, Philip IV the Fair, used appeals against Edward to seize the duchy of Aquitaine (legally) in 1295 as an unfit vassal; for a time French forces occupied Aquitaine- controversial Pope Boniface VIII (1294 – 1303) negotiated a settlement between them, and Aquitaine was eventually restored as an English fief- the Pope encouraged family marriages to bring the two crowns closer together- Edward I to Philip IV’s sister, Margaret and the future Edward II to Philip’s daughter, Isabel

Edward I and the Papacy

– the Archbishop of Bordeaux, who became Pope Clement V in 1305, had strong connections to the English monarchEdward I and Parliament- the ” community of the realm” in 13th century England- the roles of Simon de Montfort, earl of Leicester, and Edward I- differences and meanings in the 13th century between ” parliaments” and Parliament- who attended Parliament and who did not?

The Reign of Edward II (1307 – 1327): England and It’s Problems In the 14th Century

Aspects of Later Medieval Period

– population decline begins (evidenced by birth rate)- widespread economic problems including the decline of the wool trade- periodic famines preceding the Plague

Edward II, the Man

– tall and attractive like his father but unlike him in other respects and unsuited in all ways to be king- married to Isabella of France (daughter of Philip IV) as part of a treaty (betrothed 1303, married 1308) and had four children by her

Edward as King, the First Part of His Reign (to 1312)

– there was a strong influence of Piers (later Earl of Cornwall) on the Prince and later King; slightly older, Piers was a member of the lower nobility of English Aquitaine- Edward I had been a major obstacle to their friendship- the resentment of the nobility, led by the king’s cousin, Thomas of Lancaster, towards Piers, a powerful man indeed because of his relationship with the king- By 1311, the nobles forced on Edward the Ordinances to oversee his royal government, including the appointment of major officials- Piers was exiled and then executed by the nobles when he returned illegally to England in 1312- situation became even worse after the Battle of Bannockburn 1314 with the King’s forces being defeated by those of Robert the Bruce- Edward II lacks control over the royal government (to 1321)- Thomas of Lancaster, a man of great wealth and importance but little ability, ran the government in Edward’s name but without his consent

Edward II cont..

– In 1318 Thomas of Lancaster would cede authority to a ” middle party” of nobles allied to neither him nor the king. The ” middle party” was neither for nor against Edward.- Edward plotted to gain control with his new friend, Hugh Despenser the Younger, whose father was the one time advisor to Edward I.- At the Battle of Boroughbridge in 1321, Despenser’s forces defeated those of Thomas Lancaster who was humiliatingly executed after being jeered and pelted with snowballs.

The rule of Despenser for Edward II (1322-1327):

– A regime of terror and corruption ensued, in which Edward’s favorites took full advantage of their opportunities for self-enrichment.- A 1323 peace with Robert Bruce in Scotland helped those individuals pursue their interests.- A 1324 conflict with the French monarch, Charles IV, led to another occupation of English Aquitaine

Charles IV, the Fair

– Edward’s wife, Isabella of France, was sent to her brother’s court as the English royal representative, which would prove to a mistake on Edward’s part.- Isabella had gradually developed a hatred for her husband and Hugh Despenser.- Charles and Isabella agreed that a feudal relationship should be established and Isabella’s son (the future Edward III) should come and pay homage to Charles as his vassal.- Once Isabella has her son, her attitude towards her husband became malicious.- Called ” the revolt of the queen” (1325-1327)

The Revolt of the Queen

– Isabella was delegated to represent her husband in negotiations for the return of Gascony with the king of France, Charles IV, her brother- Eventually she persuaded her husband to send their son Edward of France

The Queen and Her Plot

– at court, Isabella allies with Roger Mortimer, a Welsh lord and enemy of Edward II- they plot of overthrow the king as they have a torrid affair (expelled from Charles’ court)- with support at home and abroad, they return to England in 1326, and end both Despenser’s power and his life

The End of Despenser and King Edward II

– Mortimer and Isabella took over the government in her son’s name- afterwards, he was allegedly murdered in his Berkely cell

Edward III: (1327 – 1377) and the 14th Century: Facets of His Reign

Introduction to Edward III

– in 1330 he took control of the government from Roger Mortimer (executed) and Isabella (confined in a convent until her death in 1358)- young, attractive, popular with the nobility and the people; viewed as a refreshing change from his father- had one of the longest reigns in English history (1330 – 1377)- after Bruce’s submission there was peace with the Scots for the most part- the Plague, the first part of the Hundred Years War, and development of Parliament were major aspects of this long reign

Other facets of the late Middle Ages

– instability of the monarchy (5 monarchs between Edward II and Richard III are deposed or abdicate or die unnaturally, 1327 – 1485)- major problems for the institutional Church (Papal Schism and the Lollard heretical movement)- 1381 Revolt of the Peasants- production of great literary works in the English language, particularly Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales

The Hundred Years War Phase I from 1339 – 1396

– the romantic but inaccurate name was first used in the 19th century- it actually was a series of wars between England and France between in the 14th and 15th centuries interspersed with truces when neither side had the means to fight- the conflict was waged exclusively in France- its origins lay primarily in the English holding of French lands since William I held both England and Normandy- was also connected to Edward III’s claims to the French throne through his mother’s father, Philip IV, whose sons had all died without male issue- neither Edward III nor Philip IV was happy with the current arrangements regarding England and Gascony- the King of England had always technically been the Duke of Aquitaine, holding Gascony as a fief from the French king- French authorities has rejected those claims (noting that one cannot inherit through a woman) in favor of Philip’s nephew, Philip of Valois, who later became Philip VI (1328 – 1350), the first of the Valois monarchs

Other Factors in the Hundred Years War

– the duchy of Flanders with its strong economic ties to England has been noted as a factor in the conflict- concerns about Scotland with its French alliance could also be considered a significant cause- Edward III and Philip IV were caught up in the chivalric culture of the day and had actually pledged to go on Crusade to the Holy Land

Edward III and Chivalry

– associated with the founding of the Order of the Garter, which still exists today, as a chivalric order to honor distinguished nobles, complete with dinners and entertainment along with dedications to the Ladies- by 1337, Edward and Philip had renounced their mutual fidelity, and Edward asserted himself to be the true King of France- making allies of Philip’s eastern neighbors with financial help, Edward seemed well-prepared against the Valois monarch who rightly appeared less than competent- Crecy (1346) was the first great land battle of the war and a great victory for Edward III, in which longbowmen destroyed the mounted flower of the French knighthood- in the following year, the English took the western part of Calais, retaining it until 1558- war did not resume for several years because of the Plague and various domestic problems in France

Battle of Poitiers

– a decade later, the French met the English again in a similar situation, resulting in humiliating defeat- the battle resulted in the capture of King John the Good and other French leaders, a great victory for Edward, the Black Prince

Edward the Black Prince

– eldest son of Edward III, died in 1376 before his father- celebrated warrior and thought to be quite chivalrous- governed and defended English possessions in France until his death

John II the Good (1350 – 1364): Chivalrous King

– captured in battle, the king ended up a prisoner in London until the first ransom payment was made- when the French failed to submit further payments, he chivalrously returned to London captivity where he died- his son and successor (who was regent in his absence), Charles V, was a great change

The Hundred Years War, End of Phase One

– a 1360 understanding declared that the English king might hold part of their old empire (without feudal ties) if he renounced the title of King of France- this agreement was never put in place- the Black Prince died in 1376; his father a year later

The Institutionalization of Parliament and the Reign of Edward III

Estates General – non-clerical and non-noble

Parliament in the 14th century

– this body was so entrenched by 1399 that none of the events of the 15th (Wars of the Roses) and the 16th and 17th centuries (Tudor and Stuart dynasties) would adversely affect its growth as a fundamental part of English society- Edward’s wards in France and Scotland were important for Parliament’s financial powers- over time, the nature and functions of Parliament evolved- only the king could call or dismiss them; there were 48 sessions in Edward III’s reign, but all were of short duration- Parliament evolved into two houses: House of Lords and House of Commons- the lower clergy ceased to be called; they preferred to meet in their own convocation when the Crown called upon them for assistance- until the end of the century, the House of Lords consisted of greater barons, bishops, and abbots; those regularly summoned called the peers.- the House of Commons consisted of the elected representatives of knights (or the gentry) and burgesses who became very powerful as they united both socially through marriage and politically- this was they the key to a new class of people- applying the principle of ” redress before supply,” Parliament sought successfully to require the government to accept its petitions before that body ever considered the Crown’s financial requests- once Parliament approved what the government proposed, it then became a royal statute, such as the Statutes of Provisors and Laborers (both concerned with the rights of landowning and well to do)- as the royal government of Edward III became increasingly extravagant and corrupt, Parliament impeached and tried royal officials for their misdeeds- in 1376, ” Good Parliament Commons” impeached two royal ministers for financial misdeeds; then the Lords tried and convicted them- Parliaments rights involving impeachments and trials of officials, as well as other responsibilities of overseeing the Crown’s activities, became even more important during the reign of the next ruler, Richard II.

The Reign of Richard II (1377 – 1399): The Last of the Plantagenet Kings

His Early Years

– only child of the Black Prince- became king at age 10- his mother Joan of Kent and uncle, John of Gaunt had major influence over him- changes in government due to Edward III’s rule were needed

The King and His Reign

– devoted to his friends but came to dislike the nobility, his ” natural advisors” and had dreams of an ” absolute monarchy” without Parliament’s constraint.- had to contend with his various uncles who held power, lands, and armed forces, which made them almost as powerful as the monarch himself

The Peasants Revolt of 1381

– response to the government’s Poll Tax and other problems going all the way back to the Plague- confined in the populated areas of the South- led by demagogues, Jack Straw and Wat Tyler, and a renegade priest, John Ball- threatened the landed nobility and terrorized leaders of church and government who assembled at the Tower of London

The Revolt

– through Wat Tyler, the peasants demanded an end to serfdom, more land, and more rights to hunt and fish- they seemed to like their 14-year old king and the Christian faith, but opposed the nobility and the Church’s leaders because of their vast lands and powers- agreeing to this, the king went out to speak to Wat Tyler, who would eventually be killed by the Lord Mayor of London- further retribution followed as ringleaders were caught and executed, including John Ball- led to little improvements for the masses- one of the examples of medieval peasants reaching a high degree of visibility in history

Other Facets of Richard II’s Reign

– happy marriage to Anne of Bohemia (1382 – 1394); remarried to royal child, Isabella of France (1396) to obtain a truce and wealth from her dowry- relations with Parliament were very poor because of the king himself and the nobles’ determination to share power

Richard II and Parliament

– after John of Gaunt left for Spain in 1396, the ” Wonderful Parliament” impeached and convicted Michael de la Pole, royal chancellor, for corruption and neglect of defense. De la Pole managed to escape to Paris.- In 1388, the ” Merciless Parliament” accepted the right of the Lord’s Appellant to accuse the king’s ministers of misdeeds and to exercise authority in the government- the Lords included the King’s cousin, Henry Bolingbroke, son of John of Gaunt and heir to Lancastrian estates- in 1397, with is French dowry to finance him and his plans set to have his great-grandfather (Edward II) canonized and for himself to be elected as German king, Richard broke the power of the Lord’s Appellant- in 1398 Henry Bolingbroke was exiled and his lands confiscated after the death of his father John of Gaunt in early 1399.- seemingly out of control, Richard was surprised when, unknown to the king, who was in Ireland, Henry returned from exile- Henry had the surprised king arrested and placed in the Tower of London- in the Tower, Richard was encouraged to abdicate the throne- with the document of abdication in hand, Henry persuaded Parliament to acknowledge the vacancy on the throne and to accept his right to it as grandson of Edward III

The Coronation of Henry IV

– after Henry Bolingbroke was proclaimed king, Richard died (1400) under mysterious circumstances in the Tower- the reign of the usurper king and his Lancastrian dynasty now began

Henry IV (Henry Bolingbroke) (1399 – 1413)

– his reign was primarily concerned with threats and plots against him by dissatisfied supporters- he had a poor relationship with is ambitious son ” Prince Hal”

Henry V (1413 – 1422)

– celebrated as a military genius who brilliantly defeated the French- self-righteous and vigorous persecutor of Lollard heretics (proto-Protestants and anti-predestination)- believed that God had determined he should be King of France

Henry V and France

– France’s King Charles VI (1380 – 1422) was only occasionally sane- control of the French government went back and forth between one of two noble groups (each led by rival uncles of the king)- claiming to be King of France, Henry arrived in Normandy to claim his ” birthright”- he shortly thereafter encountered French forces in the great Battle of Agincourt (1415), close to Crecy and similar to that battle in many respects

The Battle of Agincourt (October 25, 1415)

– with a small army of 6000 archers and 2000 knights, Henry V defeated a French force with such success that there were 7000 French casualties and only 500 English casualties- he completed the conquest of Normandy by 1417

The Treaty of Troyes (1420)

– it was agreed among Henry, the French, and his Burgundian allies that Charles would rule until his death- Henry was to marry Charles’ daughter Katherine and would be the successor- also, Charles’ queen announced that the Dauphin (heir) was not really Charles’ son, which disinherited him

The End of Henry V’s Reign

– for the rest of his short life, Henry worked to increase his holdings in France, dying on August 22, 1422, of dysentery- he left as his successor, Henry, his infant son of 9 months- ironically, grandfather Charles VI died a few months later, after a wretched reign of 42 years

Henry IV (1422 – 1461)

– last of the dynasty, inheriting Charles VI’s madness as well as possessing deep piety and devotion- regencies for him were established to rule for him in both England and France- until 1429, the French regent did well, but not so the English regency, which was sharply divided over the war, as well as quite corrupt

Joan of Arc (d. 1431)

– the ” Maid of Orleans” helped doom the English future in France- she goaded/inspired the Dauphin into military action, victory, and his coronation as Charles VII- after capture by the English allies, the Burgundians, she was tried by Church authorities- she was burned in Rouen as a heretic

Enter Margaret of Anjou

– in 1445, Henry was married to this spirited 16-year old as part of a peace settlement with France- quickly Margaret became a key figure in Henry’s government- at the same time, Richard, Duke of York, also the king’s cousin, began to gain more influence in the government

The Wars of the Roses

– both Lancaster and York descended from Edward III- with Henry VI becoming increasingly mad, the Duke of York gained virtual control of the government until Margaret became pregnant- now it appeared that Henry VI would have an heir- in 1453, the French took the rest of English Gascony with the fall of Bordeaux- Margaret bore Henry a son, Edward. Soon Henry lost his mind.- these so-called wars (named for the red and white roses representing each dynasty) were essentially struggles of nobility among themselves for the control of the English government- from 1455 onward (when king Henry VI was captured) there were several major bloody battles- Richard finally claimed the throne in 1461, but was killed in battle so his son Edward was crowned the following year as Edward IV

The End of the Wars

– Margaret with her son, fled to France- when she was militarily and financially stronger, she returned with her army in 1470, restoring the mad Henry as king- however, Edward regained control in 1471- at that time, Henry resumed his stay at the Tower, and his son Edward was executed- Henry was later murdered, and Margaret died in France- By his wife Elizabeth Woodville, Edward IV had two sons and several daughters- the surprise marriage to the widow of a Lancastrian was unwelcome to some- Edward IV continued to rule until 1483 when he died from overindulgence at the age of 40

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