Medieval England Change Over Time Essay

The medieval period, also known as the middle ages, went from 1066 to 1500. During this, England went through many changes in rule. In 1042 Edward the Confessor, son of King Aethelred and Emma, became the King of England, after he learned the and the French culture, and people. After his Edward’s death in 1066, the Normans invaded England, which led to the defeat of the Anglo-Saxons elite. Under the rule of William the Conqueror federalism was introduced to govern England. Once Williams was crowned he started work on the Tower of London, and later Canterbury Cathedral, that lead to the Norman style of architecture. After William died his son Henry I took the throne; he then died without a male heir, so his daughter, Matilda, married Stephen of Blois, who was supported by the church, but his rule led to anarchy. Stephen reign lasted nineteen years.

Nobles, commoners, and knights travel to Palestine to fight the Moslem in 1095, when England got involved in the First Crusade. Chivalry, symbolized by the knights, barbarous warrior had to follow the code or risk losing their honor. The position of women was improved in the eleventh

century, giving them more opportunities in life and literature. Education also gained more importance in England. When Matilda’s brilliant son Henry II took over in 1154, he brought power back to the monarchy, after Stephen’s weak reign. Henry II took the throne after his father’s death; John took over after Henry II’s death. He ruled with a heavy fist, and in 1215 was forced to sign the Magna Carta, which limited the power of the king.
England got invovled in the Hundred Years’ War with France.

The war continuted until 1453; the French won, taking over all of England’s French possessions except for the Channel port of Calais. Federalism decline with the introduction of new weapons like the crossbow, and cannon. Another fact was the lose of about a third of England’s people from the bubonic plague in 1328 and 1349. During this time many serfs escpaded, causing wages to increase. In 1382 the Peasants’ Rebellion because of the government trying to imploving a poll tax. The people want to end Feudalism, but the revolt failed after the death of leader Wat Tyler. The chuch also experienced some decline between 1378 and 1417. The church suffered from a series of unfortionate events; such as, the devission of the church, and John Wycliffe translated the Bible into

English.