Medieval English History: King John to Henry V

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers key figures, battles, and legal documents of English history from the reign of King John through the Lancastrian Phase of the Hundred Years War.

King John

A monarch with a horrible reputation and the opposite of Richard the Lionheart; he inherited financial problems, was involved in the investiture controversy, and agreed to the Magna Carta.

Philip Augustus

The French king who took back Normandy, had a rivalry with Richard I, and plotted with John.

Pope Innocent III

A powerful Pope (reigned 1198-1216) who placed England under interdict for 7 years and was a primary opponent during the Investiture Controversy.

Stephen Langton

The Archbishop of Canterbury and candidate of Pope Innocent III who was involved in peace talks with rebel barons.

Battle of Bouvines

A 1214 conflict resulting in an utter defeat for King John against the victorious forces of Philip Augustus.

First Barons’ War

A conflict from 1215-1217 that broke out after King John appealed to Innocent III to take back the Magna Carta.

Henry III

King John’s son who became king at 9 years old; his reign included a minority rule (1216-1227) and personal rule (1227-1258).

Isabella of Angoulême

The wife of King John and mother of Henry III who was involved in the Treaty of Lambert and later married Hugh de Lusignan.

Hugh de Lusignan

A rebel who opposed John after the king married Isabella of Angoulême and was captured at the Victory at Mirebeau.

Simon de Montfort

A French nobleman and baronial leader during the Second Barons’ War who became the de facto King of England during the Battle of Lewes.

Provisions of Oxford

A 1258 constitutional restraint on Henry III’s power that established the Council of Fifteen and required three parliaments a year.

Battle of Evesham

An August 1265 battle where Prince Edward led the royalist army to defeat and kill Simon de Montfort.

Edward I

The son of Henry III who took the throne in 1272; he is known for castle-building in Wales and invading Scotland to defeat John Balliol.

Eleanor of Castile

The wife of Edward I who was the largest landowner of her time and gained a reputation for being greedy.

Quo Warranto

A legal term meaning 'what by warrant.'

Statute

Written law approved by barons in parliaments.

John Balliol

The individual chosen by Edward I to become Scotland’s king, though he was treated as a vassal and eventually forced to abdicate.

William Wallace

The leader of the 1297 insurrection in Scotland who was captured during the Siege of Stirling Castle.

Edward II

The son of Edward I who inherited many problems, was accused of following evil counsel, and was eventually deposed.

Isabella of France

The wife of Edward II who negotiated with her brother Charles IV and led a rebellion to depose her husband.

Piers Gaveston

A favorite of Edward II who became the Earl of Cornwall and was eventually killed by the barons.

Purveyance

The seizure of supplies to support the king's armies.

The Ordinances of 1310/11

A major restraint on royal power where barons enacted legal checks against Edward II.

Battle of Bannockburn

A 1314 conflict where Robert Bruce was the victor; the transcript describes it as the worst Scottish defeat in history.

Battle of Boroughbridge

A 1322 conflict where the king’s army defeated the barons, leading to the execution of Lancaster.

Thomas of Lancaster

The Earl of Lancaster and first cousin to Edward II who served as his main baronial opponent.

Edward III

The son of Edward II who became king at age 14 and is famous for his involvement in the Hundred Years War.

Philippa of Hainault

The wife of Edward III who became queen at 16 years old and was known as the 'Junior Queen.'

Edmund of Kent

The brother of Edward II who was executed for treason after falling for a plot that claimed his brother was still alive.

House of Lords

A House of Parliament consisting of everyone who was not part of the House of Commons.

House of Commons

A House of Parliament representing townspeople and gentry that took on important legislative roles and gained tax approval power.

Peerage

The fixed list of barons who received summons to parliament, divided into greater and lesser lords.

House of Valois

A French dynasty (1328-1589) founded by Philip VI after the end of the Capetian Dynasty.

Battle of Crécy

An August 1346 battle during the Edwardian Phase where the English longbow helped defeat the French cavalry.

Oriflamme

A French banner signaling 'no quarter' or that the French intended to fight without mercy.

Black Prince

The son of Edward III (Edward) who led chevauchées and won a great victory at the Battle of Poitiers.

Black Death

A plague caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis that hit England in 1348; it appeared in bubonic, pneumatic, and septicemic forms.

Chevauchée

A military tactic referred to as scorched earth warfare.

Battle of Poitiers

A 1356 battle where the English captured the French King John II and the Dauphin.

Great Famine

A period from 1315-1322 affecting most of Europe that led to mass starvation and rumors of cannibalism.

Statute of Laborers

A 1351 law that prohibited workers from demanding higher prices for their labor.

Villein

Feudal tenants who paid dues and owed service to a lord; they sought to end this status during the Peasants' Revolt.

Yeoman

Farmers with properties of 60 acres or more who profited from economic changes due to labor shortages.

Richard II

Inherited the throne at age 10 and was later stripped of power by the Lords Appellant and deposed by Henry Bolingbroke.

Poll Tax

An unpopular tax levied at the same rate on everyone in 1379, which triggered the Peasants’ Revolt.

Peasants’ Revolt

A 1381 uprising led by Wat Tyler, John Ball, and Jack Straw against feudal labor and poll taxes.

Anne of Bohemia

The daughter of Charles IV and wife of Richard II; she was known as 'Good Queen Anne.'

John of Gaunt

The uncle of Richard II and father to Henry Bolingbroke; he was one of the most powerful and richest men in England.

Merciless Parliament

A 1388 parliament where the Lords Appellant asserted control, exiled royal favorites, and curtailed the king’s power.

Lords Appellant

Wealthy magnates who dominated the Merciless Parliament and received £20,000 for removing 'traitors.'

Henry Bolingbroke

The son of John of Gaunt who returned from exile in 1399 to depose Richard II and become King Henry IV.

Henry V

The king who started the Lancastrian Phase of the Hundred Years War and mandated the use of English in all official documents.

Battle of Agincourt

A famous 1415 English victory where longbowmen decimated French forces, killing around 40% of the French nobility.

Joan of Arc

A teenage peasant girl who claimed divine visions, broke the Siege of Orléans, and was executed for heresy in 1431.

Charles VII

The French king crowned in 1429 who, with the help of Joan of Arc, reclaimed Normandy (1450) and Gascony (1451).