MONARCHY AGAINST THE CHURCH

William successors proved to be ineffectual rulers. Henry II (1154-1189), the first king of the House if Plantagenet, reestablished royal authority, plow and order in the kingdom. He introduced the Common Law – the basis of the modern jury system –and demanded that all clergy convicted of a crime should be judged by royal courts, this regarding clerical immunity. But the bishops led by Thomas Becket, archbishop of Canterbury, Henry’s former chancellor and friend, strongly opposed this request. The dispute led to the assassination of Thomas Becket by the hands of four knights who believed the king would be pleased. Becket was declared the martyr and his grave in Canterbury became a place of pilgrimage.

LIMITATIONS OF THE KING POWER

The power of the monarchy was challenged during the reign of king John (1119-1216) who had become unpopular for the heavy burden of taxes he imposed. Barons, churchmen and merchants negotiated with him The Magna Charta – Latin for Great Charter – which was signed by the king at Runnymede near London in 1215. The document became the basis of all future constitutions of governments because for the first time it limited royal authority in written law: in particular it established that taxes had o be levied with the consent of the barons, not by the king alone, and that nobody could be detained in liberty. The next step in the process of controlling authoritarian government was an assembly summoned at Westminster in 1265 which was widely representative of English classes and included nobles and merchants. The assembly can be considered the archetype of the parliament. Edward I, who came to the throne in 1272 presided over the continuing development of parliament power which had a crucial role in the imposition of taxes. Edward II (1307-1328), who was thought to be incompetent by his father and his people struggled through  his reign discontented barons and met a violent death.

THE HUNDRE YEARS’ WAR

The period (1337-1485) was dominated by warfare and social arrests. Abroad, the Hundred Years’ War fought against France intermittently. Its main causes were rivalry over English possessions in France and English claims to the French throne. At first England dominated the conflict under the leadership of Edward III. In the following phase neither country predominated but the French reorganized their forces. Despite the overwhelming victory of Henry V at Agincourt (1415) the French, led by Johan of Arc, inflicted a final defeat on the English who lost all possessions on the continent except for the city of Cale.