HST 1100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Silk Road, Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor, Hohenstaufen
State Formation in England and France
England: Norman Conquest
Grown into a larger piece before this point
William, Duke of Normandy in 1035
o Vassal of France, cousin of English king
▪ Edward the Confessor – the king of England
▪ Had no heir
o William claimed that on his death bed Edward had promised the kingship to him
o Edward had a brother in law called Harold who claimed it should be his
▪ William forced Harold under duress to say William could be king on saints
bones
▪ Harold claimed that because it was under duress it was illegitimate
o There was a kind of Norway Harald that was also related to Edward and claimed that
he should be king of England
o Harold and Harald fight
▪ Harold wins
Battle of Hastings, October 14, 1066
o William invades England
o William wins
▪ Harold gets an arrow to the eye
o Crowned on Christmas day 1066 as the king of England
Now a French speaking Duke of France the King of England
o Very vast nice beurocratic system already there and running
o Allowed the normal Anglo-saxon administration to contine
o Put the Normans, French lords he had brought over, and imported Norman
beuaracrocy as well
▪ Merged governments
Puts together a census book called Domesday Book (1086)
o (Household inventory)
o Census book and inventory – so he knows the kingdom he is ruling
o Overseeing shires, hundreds, and villages
▪ Categorizing it and putting it into a Norman feudal system
Normans assimilated into existing structure
o Language becomes an Anglo-Norman French
o Why English today is more of a mixture of thing
o Upper class and lower class differs
England: Henry II (1554-1189)
New king of a new family: Plantagenes
o Henry II comes to power during a Civil War
o Husband of Eleanor of Aquitaine
o Inherits power in England and French territory
o Father of Richard the Lionheart and Jack Lackland
Attempts to find avenues for the king to expand power
o Expands Royal Treasury
▪ Permanent Royal treasure: the exchequer
▪ Has barons of exchequer who work for him
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• Receive taxes collected by shire reeves
• Count the revenues and tally for the king
▪ Form of record keeping
• Counted using a checker board
▪ System of revenue
o Assize of Clarendon (1166)
▪ Reforms justice system
▪ 12 lawful men chosen for every 100
▪ 4 for from every village
▪ Become a jury
▪ Notified the justice of what crimes are committed
▪ Travelling royal justice
o Expand royal legal jurisdiction – English Common Law
▪ Common law for certain crimes like murder and treason
▪ Henry II views that clergy need to follow the same common law as everyone
else
▪ The church previously had its own courts and laws
o Appoints Thomas Beckett as archbishop of Canterbury
▪ Thomas Beckett actually resists Henry instead of being the ally he expected
▪ Long running struggle between them
▪ Henry’s soldiers kill Thomas (not on henry’s command)
▪ Thomas becomes a martyr and the church has a lot of power
▪ Henry has to make penance and is flogged in public
o Separate courts and law between church and secular
England: King John (1199-1216)
Richard is king first but he dies and John takes the thrown
John inherits issues from Henry and Richard
o Henry’s reforms created resentment in nobility
Lost battles against King Philip of France
o Lost control of parts of his kingdom
o John “Lackland” – lacking in land
English baron’s Revolt
o John loses the revolt
The Magna Carta (1215)
o Force John to sign it
o Limits arbitrary power of the king
o Requires proof for the king to prosecute
▪ Habeas Corpus
o Creates an idea of mutual obligation
o Basis of the idea of natural rights
There is a second English Baron’s Revolt and it creates a sort of Parliament
France: Philip Augustus (1165-1223)
Son of a former husband of Eleanor of Aquitaine
Wants to change things to be more like England
Territorial Expansion
o War with England over English continental holdings
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Document Summary
Grown into a larger piece before this point. Battle of hastings, october 14, 1066: william invades england, william wins, harold gets an arrow to the eye, crowned on christmas day 1066 as the king of england. Puts together a census book called domesday book (1086: (household inventory, census book and inventory so he knows the kingdom he is ruling, overseeing shires, hundreds, and villages. Categorizing it and putting it into a norman feudal system. Normans assimilated into existing structure: language becomes an anglo-norman french, why english today is more of a mixture of thing, upper class and lower class differs. New king of a new family: plantagenes: henry ii comes to power during a civil war, husband of eleanor of aquitaine, inherits power in england and french territory, father of richard the lionheart and jack lackland. Richard is king first but he dies and john takes the thrown.
