Royal Power Grows
Section 8-1
pp. 244-249
Preview Questions
• How did monarchs gain power over nobles
and the Church?
• What traditions of government developed
under John and later English monarchs?
• How did strong monarchs succeed in unifying
France?
Monarchs, Nobles, and the Church
• Nobles and the Church each had their own
land, taxes, and courts.
• Monarchs attempted to gain power by:
– Centralizing the government
– Gaining support from the middle class
Strong Monarchs in England
• The Norman
Conquest (1066)
– William of Normandy
defeated Harold at the
Battle of Hastings to
become King of
England
– Resulted in a blending
of Anglo-Saxon and
Norman cultures.
Strong Monarchs in England
• Growth of Royal Power
– William made nobles swear
loyalty to him above all other
lords.
– The Domesday Book was a
census used for tax purposes
– The royal treasury, called an
exchequer, grew
Strong Monarchs in England
• A Unified Legal System
– Henry II established common
law
• Based on customs and royal court
rulings
• Applied to all of England
• Undermined power of nobles and
Church
• Used juries
Strong Monarchs in England
• Conflict with the Church
– Archbishop Thomas Becket
didn’t support Henry II’s
attempt to try clergy in royal
court
– Knights assassinated Becket,
who was honored as a martyr
– Henry II eased attempts to
regulate the clergy
Evolving Traditions of English
Government
• King John I
– Oppressive and cruel ruler
– Lost English lands to French King
Phillip II
– Excommunicated by Pope
Innocent III
• Magna Carta (1215)
– English nobles force John to sign
this to affirm their rights
– Main Idea: No one, even the
king, is above the law
Evolving Traditions of English
Government
• Development of Parliament
– England’s legislature
– Contains a House of Lords
and a House of Commons
– Most important power =
power to approve taxes
Successful Monarchs in France
• The Capetians
– Hugh Capet was chosen as
King of France in 987
– He increased the power of
the monarchy
• Hereditary rule
• Pitted nobles against each
other
• Gained support of Church and
middle class
• Established strong bureaucracy
Successful Monarchs in France
• Philip Augustus
– Gave royal jobs to middle class members who
were paid
– Expanded landholdings of the monarchy
• Louis IX
– Model ruler
– Made a saint
Successful Monarchs in France
• Philip IV
– Clashed with Pope Boniface over taxing clergy
– Arrested the pope – he later died
– New pope was a Frenchman who moved the papacy
to Avignon
• The Estates General
– Representative body from nobles, clergy, and
townspeople
– Had less power than English Parliament