The Emergence and Growth of European Kingdoms, 1000-1300

The domination of society by the nobility reached its apex in the High Middle Ages Kings, in theory, were regarded as the heads of their kingdoms and were expected to lead their vassals and subjects into battle. Power however strictly limited But were anointed by holy oil in ceremonies reminiscent of Old Testament precedents = positions sanctioned by DIVINE FAVOR Increased power thru war and marriage alliances Revival of commerce, the growth of cities, and the emergence of a money economy eventually enabled monarchs to hire soldiers and officials and to rely less on their vassals

England in the High Middle Ages - Beginning of 11th century, Anglo-Saxon England had fallen subject to Scandinavian control after a successful invasion by the Danes in 1016 o King Canute (1016-1035) continued English institutions & laws & even supported the Catholic Churcho 1042 the Anglo-Saxon line of kings was restored Edward the Confessor (1042-1066) o After his death Harold Godwinson belonged to one of Englands greatest noble families - William of Normandy (Cousin of Confessor) laid claim to the throne of England o Crossed English Channel w/ his forces in late September o Anglo-Saxon Godwinson forces were in northern England (defeated invading Viking army) o Anglo-Saxon and Norman forces met October 14, 1066 at Hastings* Anglo-Saxons: foot soldiers armed w/ shields, swords, battle axes Norman forces: archers & heavily armed knights o Anglos exhausted & fled when Godwinson died on the battlefield o William advanced to London, crowned king of England at Christmas William of Normandy - William (1066-1087) treated all of England as royal possessions - Based on the Domesday Books, modern historians have estimated that the Norman royal family took possession of about 1/5th of England as the royal demesne - Remaining England land was held by nobles or as fiefs from the king each vassal responsible for supplying a quota of knights for the royal army. Vassals could divide land to subvassals - In 1086, by the Oath of Salisbury Plain, William required all subvassals to swear loyalty to him as their king and liege lord all subvassals owed their primary loyalty to the king - Anglo Saxon England vs Norman England o Anglo Saxon: King had only limited lands while great families controlled large sketches of territory and acted rather independently of the king o Norman: established a hierarchy of nobles holding land as fiefs from the king STRONG CENTRALIZED MONARCHY - Gradual fusion between Norman & Anglo created a new England ex: new language (Anglo-Saxon & French) - William maintained the Anglo-Saxon administrative system in which counties (shires) were divided into hundreds (groups of villages) o Retained the office but replaced AS sheriffs with Normans - William also fully developed the system of taxation & royal courts - Norman conquest of England also had repercussions in France as well o New king of England was still the duke of Normandy (both a king & vassal) Connection w/ France kept England heavily involved in Continental affairs

A New Dynasty - Last son of William the Conqueror, Henry I (1100-1135), built on his fathers foundation & recruited an efficient group of royal servants who excelled at finding ways to use the courts & tax system to profit the king - After death, a period of civil war led to the creation of a new dynasty, the Plantagenets, under Henry II (1154-1189), who greatly increased the power of the English monarchy o Continued the development of the exchequer (permanent royal treasury) Royal officials (barons) received taxes collected by a checkered cloth that served as a counting device o More significantly, his efforts to strengthen the royal courts Expanded the # of criminal cases tried in the kings court & also devised ways of taking property cases from local to royal courts Goal: Extend kings power = more revenue into his coffers Also a body of common law began to replace local law codes o Less successful at imposing royal control over the church Claimed the right to punish clergymen in the royal courts - Thomas Becket: only church courts could try clerics People murdered Becket so Henry was forced to allow the right of appeal from English church courts to the papal court King John and Magna Carta - Many English nobles came to resent the ongoing growth of the kings power = rebellion during King Johns reign (1199-1216 & Henrys son) - At Runnymede in 1912, John was forced to assent to Magna Carta, the great charter of feudal liberties aimed at limiting govt practices that affected the relations between the king and the vassal on one hand & the king and the church on the other - Magna Carta: underscore concept that the monarch should be limited rather than absolute Edward I and the Emergence of Parliament - Late 13th century, Edward I (1272-1307) ascended the throne - Began the process of uniting all of the British Isles into a single kingdom o Failed to subdue Scotland began a lengthy conflicted between E & S - Edward was successful in reestablishing monarchial rights after a period of baronial control o The role of the English Parliament began to be defined o Original parliament: meetings of the kings Great Council in which the barons & chief prelates of the church met with the kings judges to deal w/ judicial affairs o FIRST PARLIAMENT: in need of money in 1295, Edward I invited two knights from every county and two residents (burgesses) from each city and town to meet with the Great Council to consent new taxes - English Parliament came to be composed of two knights from every county & two burgesses from every town or city (eventually House of Commons), as well as the barons and ecclesiastical lords (eventually the House of Lords) o Granted taxes, passed laws, and handled judicial business o By the beginning of the 14th century, England had begun to develop a unique system of national monarchy