Benchmark Ques

• In English history, the Magna Carta (1215), the Petition of Right (1628) and the Bill of Rights all reinforced the concept of – A. universal suffrage– B. religious toleration– C. a limited monarchy– D. a laissez-faire economy

Democratic Development in England

Vocabulary1. Feudalism

1. System of rule in which powerful landowning lords divide land to gain loyalties

2. Common law1. A legal system based on customs and court rulings

1. Applied to everyone

3. Limited monarchy1. Government where a constitution limits the power of the king.

4. Lord 1. A man of high rank in a feudal society (loyal and below the king)

5. Vassal1. Lesser lord

6. Absolute monarch

England(1000-1700)

• Absolute monarch– Kings that rule with complete power.– They believed this power came from God

• Divine right:

– Because of divine right, kings also though they could do anything without any consequences.

• William the Conqueror – King of England

• Required vassals to pledge loyalty to him first. • Introduced a census• Raised taxes

• King Henry II• Introduced common law• Raised taxes• Tried to gain more power (problem with the Church)

• King Henry’s son John• Continued to raise taxes and gain more power

– Caused a problem with the Pope and the nobles.

• In 1215– Nobles forced King John to sign the Magna Carta

• Magna Carta– Reduced the kings power (king had to obey the law)– Protected the rights of the nobles.– Protected all free men from

• unreasonable arrest or imprisonment – and gave them the right to a court trial

– No new taxes unless agreed on

Parliament

• Magna Carta led to the creation of– Parliament

• Group of law makers• The king now had to get permission from

parliament to raise taxes or pass a law.

• English Bill of Rights– Forced Monarchs to obey the law and share

power with parliament.• Limited monarchy

– Constitution limits the power of the monarch

King

Peasants and Serfs

Lords or NoblemenKnights

They protect the kingAnd

The land

They work the land

The Catholic Church

• Feudalism was the system of loyalties and protections during the Middle Ages.

• As the Roman Empire crumbled, emperors granted land to nobles in exchange for their loyalty.

• A manor is the land owned by a noble and everything on it. A typical manor consisted of a castle, small village, and farmland.

• During the Middle Ages, peasants could no longer count on the Roman army to protect them.

• The peasants turned to the landowners, often called lords, to protect them.

• Many peasants remained free, but most became serfs. A serf was bound to the land. He could not leave without buying his freedom, an unlikely occurrence

• Life for a serf was not much better than the life of a slave. The only difference was that a serf could not be sold to another manor.