Could the rich control the king?

God fearing

A good judge of character

A good soldier

Around the picture below, you can read some of the qualities which medieval people expected their king to have! Which three are the most important for a medieval king? Rich – but not greedy!

Fit and strong

Inspiring!

Hardworking Brave

WiseFirm – but fair!

King John manages to upset everyone!!

King John is famous as Prince John in the make-believe stories of Robin Hood. In the stories he is a wicked and foolish prince who taxes the people of England unfairly. Some historians say John was just as foolish in real life. Others say he was simply unlucky! Write down the following three problems.

John ruled England from 1199 to 1216.

Problem Number 1• He quarrelled with Pope

Innocent III over lay investiture.

• From 1208 until 1213, the Pope excommunicated King John and interdicted England!

• The English put pressure on the king to give in to the pope.

Problem Number 2• John went to war

twice against the French king.

• His army was badly beaten both times.

• He lost almost all the land that his father had gained in France!

Problem Number 3• John raised taxes in England to pay for the wars.• This upset his BARONS! • He ordered them to pay far more tax than earlier kings had

done.

THINK PAIR SHARE!

• How did being interdicted impact the way the English felt about their king?

• Why do you think the barons gave John the nicknames “Softsword” and “Lackland”?

• Which of the three problems do you think upset the barons the most? Why?

How did the barons strike back?• In 1214 many barons

rebelled against John.• They believed that he

could not rule the country properly & was treating them unfairly.

• They captured John and forced him to sign a document that gave the barons certain rights and limited the power of the monarch.

In 1215 ce (the only date I want you to

memorize this year) the barons forced John to sign the Magna Carta, which was

the first time anyone had expected an

English king to obey a set of rules.

How did the barons strike back?

Three rights you should know that were granted to the English by the

Magna Carta1. Nobles, Clergy and Middle Class had certain

rights (such as Due Process)2. The Monarch (king / queen) had to obey the law3. The Monarch had to consult the Great Council

(Parliament) before raising taxes

The Magna Carta was the first step toward a

more democratic form of government not seen in Europe since the Roman

Senate. These rights only applied to white,

rich, landowning males but at least it

was a start.

Impact of the Magna Carta