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The Late Middle Ages: the Crisis of Kingship 1215-1485

  • Period: 1199 to 1216

    Reign of John

    Magna Carta
  • Period: 1216 to 1272

    Reign of Henry III

    Son of John, became king at 9 years old, he was under the control of noblemen but he tried to break free
    The nobles rebelled under the leadership of Simon de Montfort.
    In 1258 they established a programme of reform and tried to take power out of the King's hands
    They elected a council of nobles which was called a Parliament and il took control of the treasury
  • 1258

    The nobles rebelled

    Under the leadership of Simon de Montfort, earl of Leicester they established a programme of reform and tried to take power out of the King's hand
  • 1265

    Simon de Montfort is killed

    By Edward I, way before becoming king
  • Period: 1272 to 1307

    Reign of Edward I

    Edward I killed de Monfort in 1265
    He became the King in 1272, he bought together the first real Parliament.
    He created the House of Commons containing the gentry, rich freemen, and merchants
    In 1275 he ordered every county to send 2 representatives, the origin of "no taxation without representation"
  • 1275

    Origin of "no taxation without representation"

    Edward I ordered every county to send 2 representatives
  • 1295

    Treaty of Paris

    The Scots signed the Treaty of Paris or "Auld Alliance" with France against England, after the attempts by Edward I and Edward II to control Scotland which led the Scots to look for allies.
    This treaty was signed between John Balliol and Philip the Fair and they renewed it many times until 1560
    This treaty is still fondly remembered by Scots nowadays
  • Period: 1300 to 1400

    14th Century: the decline

    The 14th Century was marked by wars, diseases, and instability
    It leads to the end of serfdom and a final decline of feudalism
  • Period: 1307 to 1327

    Edward II

    Edward II was deposed in 1327 after his defeat at Bannockburn
  • 1324

    King Charles IV captured the only remained English territory in France (Gascony)

    He also tried to control Burgundy which was England's major trading partner
  • Period: 1327 to 1377

    Edward III

    He started the Hundred Years war
  • 1337

    Edward III declared war on France

    This war ended in 1453: it is called the Hundred Years' wars
  • 1348

    Epidemic of plague (Black Death)

    This epidemic killed 1/3 of the population
  • 1362

    Increase of the power of Parliament over the King

    A law stated that Parliament must agree to all taxation of wool. The King was increasingly dependent on taxation and taxation was increasingly controlled by Parliament
  • Period: 1377 to 1399

    Richard II

    Richard II died childless 2 possible heirs : Edward, Duke of York and henry of Lancaster
  • Period: 1399 to 1413

    Henry IV

    Henry IV took the throne by force, it sowed the seeds of civil war
  • Period: 1413 to 1422

    Henry V

    Henry V inherited the crown from his father
    He defeated the French at Agincourt
    He married the French king's daughter Katherine of Valois.
    He nearly became the king of England and France.
  • Period: 1422 to 1461

    Henry VI

    in 1461, Henry VI inherited the thrones of France and England
    But he became incompetent and became mad
    His succession was contested, it started the war of the Roses:
    Lancastrians (red rose) and Yorkists (White rose)
    the war lasted 25 years
  • 1430

    England's dominions in France in 1430

    Under Henry V England controlled 70% of France
  • 1485

    End of the war of the roses + death of Richard III

    Richard III was challenged and killed at Bosworth by Henry Tudor, Duke of Richmond.
    He was crowned as Henry VII = beginning of a new dynasty: the Tudors