4. The Feudal System
• Feudalism was a social, political,
and religious structure, based on
the exchange of land for military
services and or cash rent.
• Lords had special judicial and
hunting privileges. They
collected taxes and rents from
the peasants and serfs for using
their land for living and
agriculture.
• Lords had specific duties towards
the king. They had to offer taxes
and troops whenever required.
5. Henry & Eleanor
The Power Couple
• Henry II marries Eleanor of
Aquitaine and inherits part
of France in the deal.
• They have five sons,
including Richard I (also
known as The Lionheart) and
John (famous for signing
Magna Carta)
7. Richard I (The Lionheart)
• 1189: Henry II dies and Richard I becomes King of England, but he is
based in Aquitaine.
• In the same year, he goes to fight in the Holy Land.
• 1192: On his way back to England, he is captured and held hostage by
the Emperor of Germany.
• 1194: England pays the 100,000 marks ransom for the King’s return.
• 1195: Richard returns to England for a short time but goes to fight in
France, never to return.
8. King John
• 1199: John becomes King after his
brother’s death.
• 1204: After years of war with France,
England loses most of its possessions.
• 1209: The Pope excommunicates John
for taking money from the church.
• 1214 The English are defeated by the
French at the Battle of Bouvines
• The English Barons rebel against the
King, and march on London to
demand rights, which they lay down in
Magna Carta
9. The Signing of an Agreement
• On the 19 June 1215 at Runnymede
King John signed the Magna Carta.
• It was the first formal document
stating that a King had to follow the
laws of the land and it guaranteed
the rights of individuals against the
wishes of the King. This meant people
couldn't be arrested, imprisoned of
have their possessions taken away
except by the judgement of his equals
and/or the law of the land.
• The Magna Carta established the
principle that the people of England,
at this stage represented by the
Barons, could limit the power of a
King, if he was doing things that were
not good for the country
10. Fun Facts
• Before the Magna Carta, widows and
daughters of Barons could be sold by the
King in marriage in order to make money.
• Of the 63 clauses of the Magna Carta only 3
are still in use. The three include a defence
of the rights of the English church, the
liberties and customs of London and the
right to a fair trial and only being arrested
for a just cause.
• The Magna Carta was authenticated by a
royal seal rather than a signature and there
is no evidence that King John could write at
all.
