Feudal monarchs in Europe had limited power due to their reliance on vassals for military support, while nobles and the Church often had as much or more authority. In England, William the Conqueror strengthened royal power after his victory at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, when he became the first Norman king. His successor, William II, had a census conducted in 1086 known as the Domesday Book, which helped him and later English rulers establish efficient tax collection. Under King Henry II in the 12th century, England developed a common law system and early jury trials. In France, the Capetian dynasty established strong centralized royal authority over three centuries starting with Hugh Capet in 987.

1. Section 1 Notes

2. Monarchs, Nobles, and the Church
 Feudal monarchs in Europe were at the head of
society but had limited power because they had to rely
on vassals for military support
 Nobles and the Church had as much or more power
than the monarch
 Monarchs resorted to royal justice systems, tax
systems, and standing armies in order to try to gain
some power back

3. Strong Monarchs in England
 During the Middle Ages, Angles, Saxons, and Vikings
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invaded and settled in England
At the age of 7, William of Normandy was made a duke
In 1066, William and Harold fought for control of
England at the Battle of Hastings
This battle was important because it put England
under Norman control
William the Conqueror assumes the crown of England
on Christmas Day, 1066

4. William the Conqueror

5. The Battle of Hastings

6. Battle of Hastings

7. Battle of Hastings Re-creation

8. Growth of Royal Power
 In 1086, William the Conqueror had a census taken of
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his kingdom
The resulting Domesday Book listed every castle, field,
and pigpen in England
It was a thorough survey and census
Information from it helped William and later English
monarchs build an efficient system of tax collecting
Royal exchequer (treasury)---job was to collect taxes

9. A Unified Legal System
 In 1154, a young, well-educated king named Henry II
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inherited the throne
He broadened the system of royal justice
Common law---a legal system based on custom and court
rulings
Under Henry II, England also developed an early jury
system
Jury---purpose is to determine guilt or innocence
These early juries determined which cases could be
brought to trial (grand jury) and another jury evolved that
was composed of 12 neighbors of an accused person (trial
jury)

10. Henry II

11. Conflict with the Church
 Henry II claimed the right to try clergy members in
royal courts
 Thomas Beckett (archbishop of Canterbury) disagreed
with Henry and the two constantly fought
 In 1170, Beckett was murdered in his own cathedral
 Beckett was declared a martyr and a saint and pilgrims
began to flock to his tomb at Canterbury (basis for
Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales)

12. Thomas Beckett

13. Canterbury Cathedral

14. Beckett’s Tomb

15. John’s Troubles
 Henry’s son John was a clever, greedy, cruel, and
untrustworthy leader who during his reign faced three
powerful enemies: King Phillip II of France, Pope
Innocent III, and his own English nobles
 John lost a war with Phillip II and had to give up
English-held lands in France
 John battled Pope Innocent III over selecting a new
archbishop of Canterbury
 John was threatened with all of England under an
interdict---so he gave in and had to accept England as
a fief of the papacy and pay a yearly fee to Rome

16. King John

17. The Magna Carta
 John ticked off his own nobles with oppressive taxes
and other abuses of his power
 In 1215, a group of rebellious barons cornered John and
forced him to sign the Magna Carta
 Magna Carta---”Great Charter”---most important part
was “due process of law”
 The Magna Carta helped shape English government in
the long run by: 1. nobles had certain rights and
2. monarchs had to obey the law

18. Signing of the Magna Carta

19. Magna Carta

20. Development of Parliament
 In 1295, Edward summoned Parliament to approve money
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for his wars with France
He had representatives of the “common” people join with
the lords and clergy
“Common” people included two knights from each county
and representatives of towns
Two houses developed in the modern British Parliament:
The House of Lords (nobles and high clergy) and the
House of Commons (knights and middle-class citizens)
Parliament eventually got the “power of the purse”---they
could limit the power of a monarch by controlling and
approving spending

21. British Parliament

22. British Parliament

23. Successful Monarchs in France--The Capetians
 Hugh Capet was elected to fill the vacant throne in 987
 He slowly increased his and his heirs royal power by
making the succession hereditary, playing rival nobles
against one another, and winning support from the
Church
 The Capetians enjoyed unbroken succession for over
300 years
 The Capetians built an effective bureaucracy
 Government officials collected taxes and imposed
royal law over the king’s domain

24. Hugh Capet

25. Philip Augustus
 Also known as Philip II; was a shrewd and able ruler
 He strengthened royal government in France by
granting charters, having a standing army, introducing
a new national tax, and paying middle-class officials to
work in government positions
 He was able to quadruple his land holdings and by the
time of his death in 1223, he was the most powerful
ruler in Europe

26. Phillip II (Phillip Augustus)

27. Louis IX, King and Saint
 He ascended to the throne in 1226 and embodied the
perfect medieval monarch---generous, noble, and
devoted to justice and chivalry
 He was a deeply religious man and became a saint
within 30 years of his death
 Louis IX helped advance Christianity by prosecuting
heretics and Jews and leading French knights in two
wars against Muslims

28. Louis IX

29. Philip IV
 Grandson of Louis IX who ruled ruthlessly to extend
royal power
 To raise cash, he tried to collect new taxes from the
clergy which led to a clash with Pope Boniface VIII

30. The Estates General
 Phillip rallied support by setting up the Estates
General in 1302
 This body had representatives from all three estates, or
classes: clergy, nobles, and townspeople
 Although later French kings consulted the Estates
General, it did not develop the same role that the
English Parliament did because it never gained the
power of the purse or otherwise serve as a balance to
royal power