英美概况Lecture 7 History of Great Britain (2).pptVIP

Lecture 7 History of Great Britain II Beginning of Parliament and Decline of Feudalism 1. Henry II (1154-1189)and his reform He began the House of Plantagenet 1. reform of law and courts a. circuits of judges b. the jury system ordeal-based system ? jury trial system During his reign, a common law was gradually established in place of the previous laws of the local barons. 2. Henry II took some measures to consolidate the monarchy. All he did greatly strengthened the feudal system in Britain. 2. The Great Charter (1) Background: King John (1199-1216) The bad reputation (Robin hood) The powerful local chiefs called barons were great rivals of the king’s authority and always causing trouble. On the 15th of June, 1215, barons forced King John to sign a document called the Magna Carta (Great Charter) by which he promised to recognize their rights. Later, with the help of the Pope, John was able to prevail against the barons. Fighting broke out again and finally John lost the war. (2). The Great Charter (Magna Carta) a. content (p.71) b. significance in English history i. influence on legal systems ii. human rights The Magna Carta attempted to limit the kings’ power. It is generally considered as the basis of the British Constitution and is now in the British Museum, London. “Robin Hood” (2010) 3. Beginning of Parliament Henry III and Simon de Montfort the Great council (prototype of the current British Parliament) commoners appeared in the Parliament (1265) The House of Commons and The House of Lords 4.The Hundred Year’s War (1337-1453) the war between England and France that lasted intermittently for over one hundred years. Background: Kings of this period spoke French as their mother tongue, and had close family connections and extensive territories in France. Disputes between the 2 countries were common. causes: partly territorial and partly economic (Flanders, P79) Edward III launched a war for the French crown The war was fo