Revision Notes: Middle Ages

Wars in the Middle Ages

English conquests: English kings fought with Welsh, Scottish, and Irish noblemen for control of their lands 🔗
Welsh annexation: In 1284, King Edward I introduced the Statute of Rhuddlan, annexing Wales to the Crown of England 🔗
Scottish independence: Scotland remained unconquered, with Robert the Bruce defeating the English at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 🔗
Irish conquest: By 1200, the English ruled an area of Ireland known as the Pale, around Dublin 🔗
Crusades: Many English knights participated in the Crusades to control the Holy Land 🔗
Hundred Years War: A long war between England and France, including the famous Battle of Agincourt in 1415 🔗

Origins: Developed from the king's council of advisers, including important noblemen and Church leaders 🔗
Magna Carta: Signed in 1215, it established that even the king was subject to the law and restricted his power 🔗
Two Houses: Parliament evolved into two separate parts - the House of Lords and the House of Commons 🔗
Scottish Parliament: Developed similarly but with three Houses called Estates: lords, commons, and clergy 🔗

Feudalism: The Normans introduced a system where the king gave land to lords in return for help in war 🔗
Serfs: Most peasants were serfs who worked on their lord's land and couldn't move away 🔗
Clan system: In northern Scotland and Ireland, land was owned by members of prominent families called clans 🔗

Population decline: About one-third of the population in England, Scotland, and Wales died 🔗
Agricultural changes: Less need to grow cereal crops due to smaller population 🔗
Labor shortages: Led to peasants demanding higher wages 🔗
Social changes: New social classes emerged, including the gentry and a stronger middle class in towns 🔗
Irish impact: The Pale (English-controlled area) became smaller for a time 🔗

Language fusion: Norman French and Anglo-Saxon gradually combined to form the English language 🔗
Official adoption: By 1400, English became the language of official documents and the royal court 🔗
Literature: Geoffrey Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales, one of the first printed books in English 🔗
Architecture: Castles and great cathedrals were built during this period 🔗
Trade and immigration: England became an important trading nation, attracting skilled workers from abroad 🔗

Civil war: Fought between the House of Lancaster (red rose) and the House of York (white rose) from 1455 🔗
Battle of Bosworth Field: In 1485, Henry Tudor defeated King Richard III, ending the war 🔗
House of Tudor: Henry VII became the first Tudor king, uniting the houses by marrying Elizabeth of York 🔗
Tudor rose: The symbol of the House of Tudor was a red rose with a white rose inside, representing the union of the two houses 🔗

Which of the following was NOT a consequence of the Black Death?
a) Population decline
b) Agricultural changes
c) Increased food production
d) Labor shortages
The Hundred Years War was fought between:
a) England and Scotland
b) England and France
c) England and Ireland
d) England and Wales
What was the significance of the Magna Carta?
a) It established the Church of England
b) It ended the Wars of the Roses
c) It limited the king's power and established that he was subject to the law
d) It united the House of Lancaster and the House of York
Which of these was NOT a part of the English Parliament in the Middle Ages?
a) House of Lords
b) House of Commons
c) House of Clergy
d) King's council of advisers
Who defeated King Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field?
a) William the Conqueror
b) Henry VIII
c) Henry VII
d) Edward I

Answers: