Presented by: Nissa Bannister

1. Medieval Europe Laws (Magna Carta, Feudalism) Presented by: Nissa Bannister

2. Key Terms Defined • Feudalism: The dominant social system in medieval Europe, in which the nobility held lands from the Crown in exchange for military service, and vassals were in turn tenants of the nobles, while the peasants (slaves or serfs) were obliged to live on their lord's land and give him homage, labor, and a share of the produce, notionally in exchange for military protection. • Magna Carta: The Magna Carta is an English legal document written in 1215 CE which had a huge influence on developing the legal system of England. It was essentially a Bill of Rights, it set a precedent which changed the face of England forever, by establishing that the King was not above the law. • Middle Ages: The period of European history from the fall of the Roman Empire in the West (5th century) to the fall of Constantinople (1453), or, more narrowly, from c.1100 to 1453 • King John of England: Forced into signing the Magna Carta on June 15, 1215, because it greatly reduced the power he held as the King of England and allowed for the formation of a powerful parliament. However, King John died one year later on October 16, 1216.

3. Middle Ages Justice and Law: The Feudal System • Medieval Europe culture/standards dominated by the feudal system • The Feudal System was introduced to England following the invasion and conquest of the country by William I (The Conqueror). • One quarter of land was kept by the King as his personal property, some was given to the church and the rest was leased out under strict controls. • The right of jurisdiction gave judicial power to the nobles and lords in cases arising in their domains and had no appeal but to the King himself • Cases which arose on a manor were tried before the lord, and sentences were usually in the form of a payment of a fine • These fines produced a considerable income to the lord of the manor who regarded their judicial rights as a valuable property, which they were loath to surrender to the state. • King was in complete control under the feudal system, and beside is a picture of the hierarchy of The Middle Ages • However, all this changed when The Magna Carta was signed

4. Magna Carta: The English Reformation • The signing of this charter lead directly to the basis of English citizen's rights. • The purpose of the Magna Carta was to curb the King and make him govern by the old English laws that had prevailed before the Normans came. • The Magna Carta was a collection of 37 English laws: some were copied, some recollected, some old law and some new law. • The Magna Carta is considered to be the beginning of constitutional government in England. • This document was the beginning of the change in the social values and era, as equality of citizens and the fall in the power of the monarchy lead to more contemporary laws of Europe.

5. The Development of Contemporary Laws • In 1258, seven barons, led by Simon de Montfort, forced King Henry II to agree to the Provisions of Oxford which abolished the absolutist Anglo-Norman monarchy and gave power to a council of fifteen barons to govern England and a parliament. • Representatives of the towns and boroughs were invited to attend the Parliament thereby instituting the House of Commons. The House of Commons was the beginning of civil and political liberty. • The decline of the Feudal system led to courts being established in large towns. The members of the Guilds became very important members of the Medieval town community of the Middle Ages. • The introduction of the guilds in the towns and cities lead to individual hierarchies and involvement in civic duties. • Magisterial courts were introduced into the towns. • Magna Carta is said to be a huge enforcer and influence in contemporary law of England, and other parts of the West

6. Laws/Reflection of Society & Culure • Marriages/Non-Equality of Women: The Middle Ages’ marriages were done by arrangement, and women were not allowed to choose who they wanted to marry. However, sometimes men were able to choose their bride. Marriage was not based on love. Husbands and wives were generally strangers until they first met, and girls could be married as young as 12. • Rape:Like today, rape was a punishable crime in the middle ages. Not surprisingly, the majority of rape cases registered held women as the victim of the crime. Also, similar to modern times was the idea that young women should be well sheltered from sexual encounter, and that the offenders of these crimes against young teenage girls were most punished. Rape was one of the most common crimes of the Middle Ages, similarly to today. • Courtesy Books: Several books on mannerism and courtesy were produced in Medieval Europe, expressing rules such as: (1) Don't dirty the table cloth with your knife, (2) Cleanse your body, and (3) Say your prayers. These were not necessarily “laws” but societal norms, reflecting the strictness of religion and being proper in the middle ages.

7. Bibliography Arnold, K. “The Book of Courtesy.” Medieval Manners. DFWX 2012. Retrieved February 22, 2011 from http://www.dfwx.com/medieval_cult.html Hallsall, P. “Feudalism.” Medieval Legal History. Fordham University, New York, 2010. Retrieved February 22, 2012 from http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook-law.asp History on The Net Association. “Medieval Life-Feudalism.” History Timelines, 2011. Retrieved February 22, 2012 from http://www.historyonthenet.com/Medieval_Life/feudalism.htm The Middle Ages Website Group. “The Magna Carta”. The Middle Ages History. Retrieved February 22, 2012 from http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/magna-carta.htm