Quaestio: How and against whom did Monarchs

compete for power in Medieval Europe?

Nunc Agenda: Answer the questions on your sheet using pages 248-249 in

the textbook

Balance of Power Three groups competing for power during Middle

Ages: Monarchs Nobles The

Church

All three had their own courts, armies, and tax collectors

High Middle Ages (1000-1300): Monarchs centralize power

Townspeople supported strong Monarchies because they provided peace and unity that was better for trade

British Isles

William the Conqueror When Rome fell, Britannia was invaded and settled

by Germanic Angles and Saxons, and later Vikings 1066- Anglo-Saxon King

Edward died with noheir, brother-in lawchosen as new king

William, Duke ofNormandy (in NorthernFrance) and relative ofKing Edward, invadedEngland and becamethe new King “Williamthe Conqueror”

English Kings Grow Strong

William expanded royal power by Requiring vassals to swear

allegiance to him before their lord Keeping many lands for himself

alone Domesday Book (1086) - Census

(population count) of England used to create an organized tax system

1154- King Henry II expanded royal power by Creating royal laws which applied

to all of England and overruled the feudal laws of local lords

Claiming the right to put clergy on trial, and sending his knights to kill the Archbishop of Canterbury for opposing him

REMINDERBalance of Power

Three groups competing for power during Middle Ages: Monarchs Nobles The

Church

Limits on Royal Power

King John Lackland (son of Henry II, brother of Richard) had three enemies and he lost to all of them: King Philip II of France (Monarch)-

Beat John in war and took over the English-controlled lands of Normandy & Anjou (today in France)

Pope Innocent III (Church)- Excommunicated John for opposing his choice for archbishop AND placed England under interdict until John accepted England as a fief of the Pope

His own Barons (Nobles)- Forced John to sign the Magna Carta or “Great Charter” which limited the king’s power and gave rights to the nobles (and English)

John

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