The Magna Carta and the Rise of Parliament

The Magna Carta and the Rise of Parliament in England

Witan (Witenagemot) n n The British Parliament has its origins in two early Anglo. Saxon assemblies, the Witan and the moots. The Witenagemot, or Witan, dates back to the eighth century and advised the King on matters such as royal grants of land, taxation, defence and foreign policy.

Witan n n Membership was not permanent It could not make laws but the King was careful to consult the assembly because he relied on the support of the nobles to rule. Factoid: The Witenaġemot means "meeting of wise men"), It is more commonly referred to as Witan

The Moots n n Local assemblies held in each county (or shire) to discuss local issues and hear legal cases. Made up of local lords, bishops, the sheriff and four representatives from each village in the shire.

The Norman Conquest: William the Conqueror n n Duke of Normandy (in France) who claimed the throne of England October 14, 1066 is the last time England was invaded successfully at the Battle of Hastings

The King’s Council n n n William ruled with the help of a much smaller but permanent group of advisers known as the Curia Regis (the King’s Council). It consisted of noblemen and church leaders appointed by the King. It only offered advice at the King’s request and he was under no obligation to act on this advice.

The Great Council n The King sometimes consulted a larger group of nobles and churchmen known as the Great Council (magnum concilium). Over time, the Great Council evolved into the House of Lords.

King Henry II (1154 -1189 n n Introduces legal reforms Send royal judges to all parts of the realm to enforce the law. Introduces the jury trial system with ``12 neighbours of the accused``. Creates a unified system of law "common" to the country. This becomes our current common law system

HOW COULD THE BARONS BE A THREAT TO A MEDIEVAL KING? WHAT DOES THIS SUGGEST ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE KING AND HIS BARONS?

What does this picture suggest about the relationship between King John and his barons?

WHO WAS KING JOHN? King John’s brother Richard the Lionheart had been popular and successful; John was unpopular and unsuccessful. Why?

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John fell out with the Pope about who should be Archbishop of Canterbury. John lost Normandy to the French and charged high taxs to pay for the wars to get it back. WHY HAD KING JOHN BECOME UNPOPULAR WITH THE BARONS? The Pope banned John from the Church and all English churches were closed down. John is not running the country properly. He should listen to the barons advice more. John is treating the barons unfairly. He arrests barons and puts then in prison without a trial. USING THE SHEET – prioritize THESE CAUSES AND EXPLAIN WHY YOU HAVE CHOSEN YOUR MOST IMPORTANT STATEMENT.

WHAT WAS THE BARONS’ RESPONSE? The barons rebelled against the King in May 1215 and captured London. However, they did not defeat John entirely and by the Spring of 1215, both sides were willing to discuss matters.

WHAT WAS THE RESULT? The result was the 'Magna Carta’ which is Latin for "Great Charter".

KING JOHN SIGNING THE MAGNA CARTA AT RUNNYMEDE

WHAT WAS THE MAGNA CARTA? The document was a series of written promises between the king and his subjects that he, the king, would govern England deal with its people according to the customs of feudal law. Magna Carta was an attempt by the barons to stop a king - in this case John - from abusing his power.

Some of the main points of the Magna Carta I, King John have to rule according to the law. I agree. . . 1. Not to imprison barons without a trial 2. To hold trials in court, not in secret. 3. To have fair taxs for the barons. 4. To let freemen travel where they like. 5. Not to interfere with the Church 6. Not to seize crops without paying.

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Who benefitted from the Magna Carta?

The Effects of Magna Carta Helps Church Barons Knights Peasants The King must not interfere with the church. When a baron inherits land he should pay the king no more than £ 100 The king cannot collect new taxs unless the barons and bishops agree. No freeman can be put in prison without a proper trial with a jury The king’s men must not take anyone’s goods without paying for them. Justice will be given without delays or bribes Traders must be able to travel freely without having to pay tolls.

WHAT WAS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE MAGNA CARTA? Magna Carta is one of the most important documents in history as it established the principle that everyone is subject to the law, even the king, and guarantees the rights of individuals, the right to justice and the right to a fair trial.

n Key questions What is Magna Carta? n How did it come about? n What kinds of rights and freedoms has Magna Carta led to over time? n Do you think Magna Carta is still important today? Why? n

Rebellion to Representation n n Despite the reforms of the Magna Carta, King John’s successors continued to clash with the barons. In 1258 the barons forced the King to agree to rule with the advice of a 15 -member baronial council, and to consult with Parliament more regularly. They wanted Parliament to meet three times a year and to include 12 non-noble representatives chosen from the counties. However, the King did not honour the agreement,

Simon de Montfort n n n Led by Simon de Montfort, a baron who believed the King Henry III’s power should be limited, The barons went to war with the King and defeated him in 1264. The following year, de Montfort attempted to boost his support by summoning knights of the shires and burgesses (commoners) from cities and towns to attend his own parliament. First time commoners had been represented at such a meeting. Due to the inclusion of commoners, de Montfort’s parliament is seen as the forerunner of the modern parliament.

King Edward I n n Soon after his parliament met, de Montfort was killed in battle by Henry III’s son King Edward I He too had reason to convene parliament during his reign.

Model Parliament 1295 n n King Edward I called Parliament to meet more regularly. Parliament also included two elected representatives from each county (knights of the shire) and city or town (burgesses), making it more representative of the people. Edward I summoned parliament on 13 November 1295. In calling parliament, Edward proclaimed in his writ of summons, "what touches all, should be approved of all, and it is also clear that common dangers should be met by measures agreed upon in common. "

Model Parliament 1295 n n Parliaments’ role was limited at this time to matters of taxation. Edward’s goal was to raise taxes for his wars abroad. While the King wanted to exploit parliament to this end, they seized upon the opportunity to highlight and to discuss grievances with the King. Essentially, taxation demands would only be met if specific certain grievances were addressed

Evolution of Parliament n n n The Model Parliament of 1295 was a unicameral body (one group). It wasn’t until 1332 that Parliament was split into its familiar two house (bicameral) format with a House of Commons and House of Lords Still parliament had no formal meeting schedule and continued to be called at the request of the King.

Evolution of Parliament n n In 1341 the House of Commons began meeting independently, and it was after this that its power increased. An ongoing conflict with France meant King Edward III (1312 -1377) was forced to summon the Parliament more frequently to secure funds to wage war. The King’s need for money gave the House of Commons leverage (bargaining power) to request concessions in return, including that the King and House of Lords act on their petitions.

Evolution of Parliament n n n By the mid-15 th century, rather than simply petitioning the House of Lords, the House of Commons aquired equal law-making powers. It was also responsible for granting the King access to money raised by taxes. Under the Parliament Act of 1911, the Lords' power to reject most bills was reduced to a mere delaying power. Since that time the House of Commons powers have exceeded those of the House of Lords.

Timeline of the key reforms achieved by the House of Commons in the 14 th and 15 th centuries.