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Chapter 3

The Middle Ages

Norman conquest, medieval period, and the feudal system

Table of Contents

Chapter 3: The Middle Ages

War at Home and Abroad

The Middle Ages (1066--1485) were characterised by constant warfare. English kings fought for control over Wales, Ireland, and Scotland.

Wales

  • King Edward I annexed Wales to the Crown of England through the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284
  • Massive fortifications were built to enforce English rule, including castles at Conwy and Caernarfon

Scotland

  • Scottish forces resisted English control
  • Robert the Bruce defeated the English at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, securing Scottish independence

Ireland

  • Ireland initially remained independent, but English forces arrived and established an area of control near Dublin called the Pale by around 1200

The Crusades

  • English kings participated in the Crusades -- religious wars fought in the Holy Land

The Hundred Years War

  • England fought the Hundred Years War against France
  • The Battle of Agincourt in 1415 was a famous English victory, won despite being heavily outnumbered

The Black Death

The Norman feudal system involved landowners receiving territory from the Crown in exchange for military service. Most peasants were serfs, bound to work on their lord's land.

In 1348, the Black Death (bubonic plague) devastated Britain:

  • One third of the population of England died
  • Similar proportions died in Scotland and Wales
  • The resulting labour shortage increased demand for workers and drove up wages
  • Peasants gained mobility and could move to towns
  • A prosperous middle class began to emerge

Magna Carta

In 1215, King John was forced by his noblemen to agree to a number of demands, resulting in the Magna Carta (which means "the Great Charter"). This document established that:

  • Even the monarch was subject to the law
  • The king required the agreement of nobles to raise taxes
  • Nobles must be involved in legislation

The Development of Parliament

English Parliament developed into two Houses:

  • The House of Lords -- composed of nobility and bishops
  • The House of Commons -- composed of knights and wealthy townspeople (later known as MPs)

Scotland established a similar system with three Estates.

Cultural Identity

Language and Literature

  • After the Norman conquest, the English language evolved by blending Norman French and Anglo-Saxon vocabularies
  • By 1400, English had become the official language of documents and the court
  • Geoffrey Chaucer wrote the Canterbury Tales, one of the earliest and most important works of English literature
  • William Caxton established the first English printing press and printed Chaucer's work

Architecture and Trade

  • Magnificent castles and cathedrals were built during this period, including York Minster with its famous stained glass windows
  • England became a major trading nation, exporting wool to Europe

The Wars of the Roses

Civil conflict erupted in 1455 between two rival royal families:

  • The House of Lancaster (symbol: red rose)
  • The House of York (symbol: white rose)

The war ended at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, when Henry Tudor defeated Richard III. Henry became Henry VII, establishing the Tudor dynasty and uniting the two families through marriage.

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