U14 L2: Government in England

No freemen shall be taken or imprisoned . . . or in any way destroyed, . . . except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land. What inferences can you make from this passage from the Magna Carta?

King John had unlawfully imprisoned some people. The Magna Carta supported the idea of a trial by jury.

Magna Carta was the result of the king's disastrous foreign policy and overzealous financial administration. John had suffered a staggering blow the previous year, having lost an important battle to King Philip II at Bouvines and with it all hope of regaining the French lands he had inherited. According to the reading, what events sparked the creation of the Magna Carta?

King John's poor financial decisions and loss of territory

What historical event is depicted in this tapestry?

William the Conqueror's victory at the Battle of Hastings

Which of the following describes why William the Conqueror wanted to take a census in England?

William wanted information so he could know what taxes to place on his subjects' property.

Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine

William's grandson, Henry II, took the throne in 1100 - married Eleanor of Aquitaine, joining her family's lands to englands

census

a count of a population and its property

Anglo-Saxon

a member of the Germanic peoples the Angles, the Saxons, and Jutes who settled in Britain.

Magna Carta

a written document designed to limit the power of the king

The writers of the United States Constitution were specifically influenced by the Magna Carta when they guaranteed that

citizens accused of crimes would be entitled to a trial by jury.

Representative government Limited powers of government Trial by jury Common law No taxation without representation The rights and liberties included in this list are enjoyed by citizens in

democratic countries.

Unhappy with King John's rule, a group of English nobles

forced him to sign the Magna Carta.

No freeman shall be taken or imprisoned or deprived wrongfully or exiled or in any way destroyed, nor will we go upon him nor send upon him, except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land. To no one will we sell, to no one will we refuse or delay, right or justice. According to the passage, the Magna Carta will protect all _______. People's _______ cannot be sold or denied. Only _______ or the law of the land can determine the consequences of one's actions.

freemen; rights; a jury of one's peers

England

germanic peple migrated to england after the fall of the roman empire - many came from two tribes, called Angles and saxons - this is the origin of the term anglo-saxon

William the Conquerer

in 1066, three men competed for the english throne - one was a duke from normandy named william - william invaded and defeated his rivals at the Battle of Hastings

The Magna Carta

in 1215, a group of english nobles forced John to sign the Magna Carta, a document that limited the power of the monarcy - the king could not interfere with the church - no one could be imprisoned without legal cause - the king could not take away someone's land without legal causes or compensation - free men had a right to a jury trial

limited

kept within limits

Which best defines common law?

law based on precedent

Eleanor of Aquitaine (1124-1204)

- regarded as one of the most powerful women of the middle ages - duchess in her own right and controlled lands in france - participated in the crusades - was known for her patronage of the arts

William the Conquerer (ca. 1028-1087)

- reigned from 1066 to 1087 - united the kingdom of England with much of modern-day France - never learned to read or write, or to speak English

Henry II's Legal Reforms

- royal judges traveled around the kingdom to settle disputes and punish crimes - use of jury trials was introduced - a system of uniform punishments was established - the rulings of judges were used to establish a system of common law

The Angles and Saxons came from the area marked ___ on the map. William the Conqueror came from Normandy, which is located at ___ on the map.

B C

Which of these events happened first in English history?

William the Conqueror became king of England.

Richard and John

Eleanor continued to influence the monarchy through her sons - Richard I (the lionhearted) was a hero in the crusades - his brother, john, ruled in his absence and assumed the throne in 1199

No freemen shall be taken or imprisoned . . . or in any way destroyed . . . except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land. . . -The Magna Carta, 1215 What inference can be made about King John to explain why the writers of the Magna Carta included this passage?

He had arbitrarily and unlawfully jailed his enemies.

Influence of the Magna Carta

Right due of process, trial by jury ---> fifth amendment to the constitution no tax increases without consent of the barons ---> no taxatio nwithout representation

There is a meadow for 11 ploughs [teams of oxen], pasture for the livestock of the village, woodland for 100 pigs, and 25 houses of the abbot's knights and other men who pay 8 shillings a year. In all it is worth 10 pounds; when received the same; In the reign of King Edward, 12 pounds. This manor belonged and belongs to the estate of St. Peter's Church, Westminster. Who paid taxes on the property listed in the passage?

St. Peter's Church

The Evolution of Parliament

The Great Ciuncil - group of noblemen, knights, and clergy who advised the king Model Parliament - representatives of the nobility, clergy - also included knights and burgesses Parliament - divided into two houses - house of lords - nobles and clergy - House of commons - knights and burgesses

How did the Magna Carta create the foundations of democratic rule in England and the US?

The Magna Carta was an attempt by the nobility to limit the power of the king. The Magna Carta was written as a way for the people to protect their rights and liberties. They felt that King John's abusive powers needed to be controlled and limited. The Magna Carta protected people from heavy taxes and unjust imprisonment. This idea of protecting the rights of people lay the foundation for democratic rule in England and America.

Effect of William's RUle

William made many changes after assuming power - seized property and gave it to Norman - made all nobles wear allegiance to him - required french to be spoken at court William created a centralized government - introduced feudalism in England - created a council of nobles to advise him - appointed local officials, called sheriffs, to collect taxes to collect taxes accurately, William ordered that a census be taken - it was the first census conducted in western Europe since roman times - it counted every manor, head of household, and farm animal - the results were published in a record called Domesday Book

common law

the body of law based on general principal and customs; constitutes the basis of the English and American legal systems

Under a system of common law, which elements are used as the basis of a legal decision? Check all that apply.

the results of other trials for the same crime the treatment of similar crimes in the past

Parliament

the two-house legislative body in Britain made up of the House of Lords and the House of Commons

What did the nobles hope to accomplish by having King John sign the Magna Carta?

to prevent the king from having the power to abuse rights and inflict injustices

While Magna Carta would one day become a basic document of the British Constitution, democracy and universal protection of ancient liberties were not among the barons' goals. The Charter was a feudal document and meant to protect the rights and property of the few powerful families that topped the rigidly structured feudal system. . . . Magna Carta's primary purpose was to force King John to recognize the supremacy of ancient liberties, to limit his ability to raise funds, and to reassert the principle of "due process." According to the passage, why was the Magna Carta originally written?

to provide protection for the rights and property of the nobility

King John was unpopular because he

tried to take away the rights of English nobles.

King John's Reign

unpopular - taxed his people heavily to pay for wars with France - lost Normandy and other lands when his troops were defeated - taxed the church in england - abused his power as king by taking away rights of the nobility

By winning the Battle of Hastings, William the Conqueror

was crowned as king of England.