Political and Social Change

Magna Carta Causes Change in England

  • In 1215, English nobles met with King John at Runnymede near London.
  • Nobles compelled King John to sign the Magna Carta, a document outlining rights the king couldn't ignore.
  • Magna Carta, Latin for "Great Charter."
  • The Magna Carta ensured the king respected specific rights, including habeas corpus, Latin for "you have the body."
  • Habeas corpus ensured individuals faced charges and jury trials before imprisonment.
  • Previously, kings could imprison individuals arbitrarily.
  • The Magna Carta mandated that everyone, including the king, must obey the law.
  • Magna Carta inspired the English to seek further limits on royal power.
  • A council of nobles formed to advise the king.
  • This council evolved into Parliament, England's current lawmaking body.
  • By the late Middle Ages, kings required Parliament's support for major decisions.
  • In the late 1600s, the king conceded to making judges independent of royal control.

The Hundred Years’ War

  • In 1328, the French king died without sons, leading to a succession dispute between French and English claimants.
  • Eventually, the French claimant became king.
  • The English king later invaded France, initiating the Hundred Years’ War.
  • After a century of conflict, Joan of Arc, a teenage peasant, inspired French troops.
  • Despite being captured and killed by the English, Joan of Arc's efforts led to the French expelling the English in 1453.
  • The Hundred Years’ War caused governmental shifts in both England and France.
  • In England, Parliament's influence increased as the king needed its approval to fund the war.
  • In France, the king's power expanded due to the war's popularity with the nobles.

The Black Death

  • The Black Death was a devastating plague that spread across Europe from 1347 to 1351.
  • The plague originated in central and eastern Asia.
  • Traders inadvertently introduced infected rats to Mediterranean ports in 1347.
  • Fleas transmitted the plague from infected rats to humans.
  • The Black Death was caused by various forms of plague, including bubonic plague.
  • The Black Death resulted in millions of deaths in Europe and worldwide.
  • Up to 25 percent of Europe’s population perished during the Black Death.
  • The subsequent labor shortage led to improved rights for the peasantry.