The Middle Ages and Magna Carta

A Long and Illustrious History · 8 min read

The Middle Ages lasted from 1066 until 1485. In 1284 Edward I of England introduced the Statute of Rhuddlan, which annexed Wales to the Crown of England. The English could not conquer Scotland: in 1314 the Scottish, led by Robert the Bruce, defeated the English at the Battle of Bannockburn.

English kings fought a long war with France called the Hundred Years War (it actually lasted 116 years). One famous battle was the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, where Henry V’s army defeated the French.

In 1348 a plague called the Black Death came to Britain. About one third of the population of England died. Afterwards there were labour shortages and peasants began to demand higher wages.

In 1215 King John was forced by his noblemen to agree to Magna Carta (the Great Charter). It established the idea that even the king was subject to the law. It protected the rights of the nobility and restricted the king’s power to collect taxes or make or change laws.

Parliament began to develop: the House of Lords for the nobility, great landowners and bishops, and the House of Commons for knights and wealthy people from towns. In Scotland the Parliament had three Houses called Estates: the lords, the commons and the clergy.

Norman French and Anglo-Saxon gradually combined to become English. Geoffrey Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales. William Caxton was the first person in England to print books using a printing press.

In 1455 the Wars of the Roses began between the House of Lancaster (red rose) and the House of York (white rose). They ended in 1485 at the Battle of Bosworth Field, when Henry Tudor defeated King Richard III. Henry VII married Elizabeth of York, uniting the families. The Tudor rose combines red and white.

Key facts

• 1215 — Magna Carta: even the king is subject to the law.
• 1284 — Statute of Rhuddlan (Wales annexed to the English Crown).
• 1314 — Battle of Bannockburn: Robert the Bruce defeats the English.
• 1348 — Black Death: about one third of England’s population died.
• 1415 — Battle of Agincourt (Hundred Years War).
• 1455–1485 — Wars of the Roses, ending at Bosworth Field.
• Common law develops from precedent (previous decisions); statute law is written by Parliament.

Important dates

Important people

• King John: Forced to agree to Magna Carta in 1215.
• Robert the Bruce: Led the Scots to victory at Bannockburn, 1314.
• Henry V: Won the Battle of Agincourt, 1415.
• Geoffrey Chaucer: Wrote The Canterbury Tales.
• William Caxton: First person in England to print books with a printing press.

Memory tips

• Magna Carta 1215 — “twelve-fifteen, the king is not supreme”.
• Wars of the Roses: Lancaster = Red, York = White. “Red Lancs, White York.”

Practice questions

Source: Life in the UK: A Guide for New Residents (3rd ed.), ch.3: The Middle Ages