Учебное пособие: Deep Are the Roots A Concise History of Britain
The young King Richard II met the Kentismen face-to-face at Smithsfield. Wat Tyler was pronouncing their demands which were unacceptable to feudalism.
The King appeared to agree but during the negotiations Wat Tyler was treacherously killed and his head, set up on a spear, was shown to the rebels to persuade them to retreat from London and disband. Shocked and morally destroyed they obeyed only to be physically tortured and executed, John Ball was hanged. The punitive actions continued long into autumn. The Great Peasants' Revolt was defeated. But the ruling class had been badly frightened and the unpopular Poll Tax withdrawn.
Through a primitive faith in the King (a kindly king) senior lords prevented the peasants from any attempts to establish their power. But the rebellion undermined the strength and rule of the feudal class and as a consequence few barons dared to refuse the peasants attempts to buy freedom. Actually, peasant dependence in Britain disappeared by the 15th century and the Wat Tyler rebellion was instrumental in that.
King Richard II (1377-1399) after considerable civil struggle, eventually wrested the power from Parliament and the barons. He seems to have pursued a policy of revenge and high-handed despotism.
He brought Duke John of Lancaster's son Henry to England, but Henry gained enough support to take King Richard prisoner and cause him to abdicate in his favour. The House of Lancaster's Henry IV (1399-1413), Henry V (1413-1422), Henry VI (1422-1461)– were followed by the kings of the York family – two Edwards: Edward IV and Edward V, and Richard III, a hunch back, a cruel monster, deformed in body, mind and soul according to the Tudor historians).
There is a statement, that King Richard II was the last King from the House of Plantagenets – he was deposed and dethroned by the House of Lancaster. But it is to be stressed, that the two new royal branches were related to the Plantagenets, were the derivatives of the main stem.
The 13th century was described by historians as a Plantagenet spring after a grim Norman winter.It was the century of the new gothic style in architecture, of Salisbury Cathedral, foundation of universities, the development of the Common Law & the Parliament, and the emergence of English as the language of the nation. The symbol of this spring can be seen in the lyrics "Summer is icumen in". But the following two centuries were filled with wars, discord and discontent.
The 14th century – brought the disasters of the Hundred Years War (1337-1453) the Peasants' Revolt 1381, the extermination of the population by the Black death (1348-1349) and punitive execution of the participants, with positive achievements in literature (Geoffrey Chaucer completes the Canterbury Tales (1393)),– architecture,– and further strengthening of the English language.
The 15th century saw the continuation of the struggle for the crown and the establishment of the Lancaster dynasty in the person of Henry IV, King of England (1399-1414).
Questions:
1. How did Edward I manage to impose English Rule on Wales?
2. What were the English relations with Scotland in the reign of Edward I?
3. What were the military and territorial ambitions of Edward III? Please give the dates of his rule.
4. What were the reasons of social unrest in England in the last quarter of 14th century? Speak of the Great Peasants' Revolt.
5. Why is the destiny of the last Plantagenet King RichardIIconsidered tragic?
6. Please give a concise characteristic of the 14th century.
Britain in Late Middle Ages
LANCASTER DYNASTY. WARS OF THE ROSES. THE TRIUMPH OF THE TUDORS. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF BRITAIN. THE ABSOLUTE MONARCHY OF HENRY VII, TUDOR.
Key words, terms and concepts:
1. Wars of the Roses
2. Indentures
3. Knights and esquires
4. Bastard feudalism
5. Vassals
6. A crest
7. Annihilation
8. Esquire
9. A printing press