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II. Europe in the Middle Ages
Teaching Idea
Discuss with students how the Magna
Carta introduced the principle that the
king was not above the law. See that
students understand that for a government of laws to be in place, one in
which there is justice, there can be no
exceptions.
Ask students to consider the position
of the president in U.S. government.
As chief executive, the president is
charged with enforcing the laws, yet
that does not mean the president is
above the law. Ask if students know
what can happen to a president who
breaks the law. (He can be impeached
and removed from office.)
Teaching Idea
Write a class version of the Magna
Carta. Does the teacher have to follow
the rules? Why or why not?
Teaching Idea
If students have read Robin Hood, tell
them that the evil Prince John in the
story is the same person who became
king and was forced to sign the Magna
Carta.
Teaching Idea
Make sure students understand that the
British Parliament was a major influence
on our own Congress. Just as Parliament
is divided into an upper and lower house,
so Congress is divided into the Senate
and House of Representatives; and, just
as Parliament could exercise a check on
the English king, so Congress can exercise a check on the U.S. president.
Significance of the Magna Carta
King John succeeded his brother, Richard I, in 1199. A major problem that
King John had to deal with after his coronation was the power of the barons.
Feudalism was still firmly entrenched in England at this time, and the barons
were used to wielding great power over their domains. John attempted to rein in
this power, assert his authority, and raise taxes. The barons rebelled.
In 1215, a group of barons forced John to sign the Magna Carta, or the Great
Charter. (A charter is a legal document.) In 63 clauses, the Magna Carta established the rule of law and guaranteed a list of rights that belonged to the nobles,
to townspeople, and to the Church. 33
The Magna Carta affirms the right to trial by a jury of one’s peers. For the
barons, this was a literal statement, since peer is a synonym for “baron” or “lord.”
The barons insisted they be judged by other barons, and not remain subject to the
summary judgment of the king. Gradually, this right became part of English common law and later part of the U.S. Constitution. The Magna Carta also asserted
that taxes could not be levied without the consent of a council of lords. This principle of consent became the crucial issue in the dispute between King George III
and the American colonies centuries later.
The most significant element of the Magna Carta may be that it asserted that
the king was not above the law. This concept was not settled for centuries in
England, as kings and barons struggled and went to war over the dimensions of
royal power. But the idea of a head of state as being subject to the laws of the
land—first established in the Magna Carta—has become the keystone in a government of laws for a free people.
Beginnings of Representative Government
John was succeeded by his son Henry III, who had similarly stormy relations
with the barons. In 1258, the nobles issued a series of reforms called the
Provisions of Oxford and forced Henry to accept them. Among the provisions was
the institution of a council of 15 nobles, which was to meet three times a year and
would offer advice to the monarch, who was required to accept it. When Henry
tried to evade the reforms, the nobles rebelled in 1264 under Simon de Montfort.
Between 1264 and 1267, during the civil war that ensued, de Montfort governed. He convened a meeting of nobles and clergy, and invited two knights representing each county and burgesses representing the towns. This was the first
Parliament. (The English word parliament comes from the French word parler
[par-LAY], meaning “to talk.”) By this time, many knights had amassed some
wealth as landowners and were the most important people in the countryside
after the large landholding nobility. This assembly was the first to have representatives of towns included. At this time, both knights and burgesses were generally commoners and members of the emerging middle class, although some knights
were landowners of noble birth. Prior to this Parliament, commoners had never
been invited to discussions of state business. Henry regained his throne by defeating de Montfort, but only for a short time. He died in 1272, but in the meantime,
each time he needed money, he had to consult with the members of Parliament.
Henry’s son Edward I ascended to the throne. Strapped for money for his
wars, he needed Parliament’s approval to levy taxes. He decided that summoning
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regular meetings of Parliament was the easiest way to ask for their approval and
to deal with other government business. In 1295, Edward convened what has
become known as the Model Parliament. It followed the format of de Montfort’s
assembly with nobles, clergy, knights, and burgesses.
The first meetings divided the assembly into three groups: (1) nobility and
knights, (2) clergy, and (3) burgesses. By the 1300s, however, the knights and
burgesses found they had similar concerns and formed a single group. From then
on, Parliament was divided into the House of Lords, which included highranking clergy as well as nobles, and the House of Commons, made up of knights
and burgesses.
At this point in the Hundred Y
and the French had had to sign a tr
The former French king had died and his son, the Dauphin, was attempting to
gain back the throne.
Joan convinced the Dauphin to give her an army and she would lead it to victory. Joan and a small French force drove the English from Orleans. Joan is sometimes called the Maid of Orleans for this feat. Later that same year, the Dauphin
was crowned Charles VII. The English still held French territory, however, and
Joan continued to command the army. She was captured in 1430 and tried for
heresy. Found guilty, she was burned at the stake. 34
The conviction of Joan of Arc for heresy was overturned in 1453. In 1920, she
was made a saint of the Roman Catholic Church.
Cross-curricular
Teaching Idea
After studying biographical writing in
books and magazines, have students
write a narrative summary (learned
in Language Arts) about Joan of Arc.
Ask students to retell her story as if
it were for a magazine.
The Black Death
The Black Death is the name given to the outbreak of the devastating plague
that spread across Europe between 1347 and 1351. One in three people in Europe
History and Geography: World
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