NAMES:
Edward, The Black Prince - He was born in 1330. He was the eldest son of Edward III. He was created prince of Wales in 1343. and played a key role in the defeat of the French army at the Battle of Crecy when he was only 16. In 1367, Edward led an expedition to Spain and proved himself again with victory at the Battle of Najera.
James I - was King of Scotland as James VI, and King of England and King of Ireland as James I. he ordered a new translation of the Bible. James himself was fairly tolerant in terms of religious faith, but the Gunpowder Plot in 1605 resulted in strict penalties on Roman Catholics.
Richard II - was the King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He is famed for his pivotal role in resolving the Peasants' Revolt of 1381, and for his purported misdemeanours as King, which led to both to his forced resignation and civil war.
Oliver Cromwell - was an English military and political leader best known for his involvement in making England into a republican Commonwealth and for his later role as Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland. He was one of the commanders of the New Model Army, which defeated the royalists in the English Civil War. After the execution of King Charles I, Cromwell dominated the short-lived Commonwealth of England, conquered Ireland and Scotland, and ruled as Lord Protector.
John of Gaunt - He was born in 1340 in Ghent. He was a powerful and wealthy Plantagenet Prince. His wife: Katherine Swynford. He and Katherine became the ancestors of the Tudors, the greatest Kings and Queens of England.
Sir Christopher Wren - was a 17th century English designer, astronomer, geometer, and one of the greatest English architects of his time. Wren designed 53 London churches, including St Paul's Cathedral. He was also a founder of the Royal Society.
MORE GENERAL ISSUES:
1. THE ORIGINS OF ENGLISH PARLIAMENT
Kings in the Middle Ages would often consult their barons before making important decisions. The barons were usually called upon to appear before the king during religious festivals. Some of the barons were given specific jobs to perform for the king, for example, one would be asked to be treasurer. Some kings chose to ignore the advice of their barons. When this led to bad things happening, the barons became angry. This is one of the reasons why the barons rebelled against King John and made him sign the Magna Carta. Henry III, like his father, tended to ignore the advice of his barons. In 1264, the barons, under the leadership of Simon de Montfort, took up arms against their king. One of those barons who joined the rebellion was the nineteen-year-old, Gilbert de Clare, 8th Earl of Gloucester. Gilbert, who had bright red hair, became known as the Red Earl. Simon de Montfort and his rebel army attacked Rochester Castle on 18 April, 1264. When Henry heard news of the attack he ordered his army to march on Tonbridge Castle. As Gilbert de Clare and his soldiers were away at Rochester the king had little difficulty capturing Tonbridge. After taking Gilbert's wife, Alice, prisoner, Henry set fire to both the castle and the town. Henry's army now moved on to Lewes where he was met by Simon de Montfort, the Red Earl and the rest of the rebel barons. The king was defeated and Simon de Montfort took control of parliament. The following year Simon de Montfort expanded parliament by inviting representatives from the shires and towns to attend the meetings. When Henry III died, his son Edward became king. Edward, like his father, was constantly short of money. When he called a meeting of parliament he followed Simon de Montfort's example and invited representatives from every shire and town in England. Towns often had difficulty in raising the money needed to send their representatives to the meeting. Some towns ignored the king's request and refused to send delegates to parliament. However, even when they were not represented, they still had to pay the taxes that were agreed at the meeting. When the representatives arrived they usually met in five different groups: (1) the prelates (bishops and abbots); (2) the magnates (earls and barons); (3) the clergy; (4) the knights from the shires; (5) the citizens from the towns. As soon as agreement was reached about taxes, groups 3, 4 and 5 (the commons) were sent home. With the commons absent, the king would then discuss important issues such as new laws with his bishops, abbots, earls and barons (the lords).
2. THE CAUSES OF THE HUNDRED YEARS' WAR
Its basic cause was a dynastic quarrel that originated when the conquest of England by William of Normandy created a state lying on both sides of the English Channel. In the 14th cent. the English kings held the duchy of Guienne in France; they resented paying homage to the French kings, and they feared the increasing control exerted by the French crown over its great feudal vassals. The immediate causes of the Hundred Years War were the dissatisfaction of Edward III of England with the nonfulfillment by Philip VI of France of his pledges to restore a part of Guienne taken by Charles IV; the English attempts to control Flanders, an important market for English wool and a source of cloth; and Philip's support of Scotland against England.
3. BLACK DEATH
The Black Death was one of the worst natural disasters in history. In 1347 A.D., a great plague swept over Europe, ravaged cities causing widespread hysteria and death. One third of the population of Europe died. "The impact upon the future of England was greater than upon any other European country." (Cartwright, 1991) The primary culprits in transmitting this disease were oriental rat fleas carried on the back of black rats. The economy was probably hit the hardest of all the aspects of Europe. The biggest problem was that valuable artisan skills disappeared when large numbers of the working class died. Therefore,those who had skills became even more valuable than the rich people. The society structure began to change giving formally poor laborers more say. The peasants and artisans demanded higher wages. Serfs seeking liberation from tilling their lord's land were told by decree and statue to return to their master's duties. The poor people saw so much death they wanted to enjoy life. Serfs began to leave their land and not engage in the planting of crops. Unattended crops and stray animals died of starvation because of the lack of care. Several domesticated animals began to roam the forest. Farming communities became rare. The lack of sufficient law enforcement personnel promoted lawlessness. People called "Bechini" pillaged homes, murdering and raping people. They dressed in red robes with red masks and only their eyes showed. The horror of the Black Death had taken on a new victim, the economy.