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Unit 3: The Late middle ages.
We are talking about the 14 th^ century. When we talk about this century in English and European History, it is always described as a disaster. We have to consider the Auld Alliance. During the Early Middle Ages, the different Kings had been trying to control Scotland, and they had also been repeatedly at war with the king of France.
After many years of England Fighting Scotland and France, both countries decided to sign the Auld Alliance to help each other against their common enemy, England. Whenever the King of England was planning on attacking Scotland, France would pretend to attack and vice versa. This is going to be a recurring pattern during the whole Late Middle Ages.
We are going to have a period of time very negative for England, because they are always going to be at trouble. It is during this period that we have the 100 years’ war (1337-1453). During this war, England lost most of its possessions in France. All the money was used to maintain the war, and young people were dying without children.
After the 100 years’ war, the next problem is the Black Death. In the years 1348-49, a plague expands all over England. This plague is called the Black Death. During the two years, one third of English population died, complete villages disappeared, and this is only one of the plagues in Europe in the 14 th^ century.
When the Black Death ends, a new plague attacks animals, and then, a few years later, another plague attacks humans again.
From an economical point of view, all this disasters are going to bring good consequences to the workers. The lack of workers made that the remaining ones could negotiate, and the aristocrats fought each other to get the workers.
This change in working conditions will bring the end of serfdom, where they weren’t considered humans, and they didn’t have rights.
A third problem is the crisis of Kingship, the crisis of monarchy. During the 14 th^ century, kings have a lot of problems with the English aristocracy. This indicates that the feudalism is collapsing.
One of the most difficult moments happened when the King Edward II by his aristocrats. In 1327, his son Edward becomes a king with the name of Edward III. He was only 11 years old, so he was controlled by the same aristocrats who had murdered his father, but the King waited patiently and as soon as he was an adult, he executed all the aristocrats who had taken part in the murder of his father.
Lionel died with one daughter, the Prince Edward died, and the King Edward III decided that his successor wouldn’t be John, who would be the logical thing to do, but that it would be his grandson Richard. When Edward III died, the following king is Richard with the name Richard II. He was very unpopular and English aristocrats hated him. At the same time, his uncle John of
Edward, the Black Prince
Lionel, Duke of Clarence
John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster
Edmund, Duke of York
Henry, DukeRichard IIPhillipa of Lancaster
Second wifeFirst wifeEarl of MarchHenry TudorEdward III
Gaunt was very popular, and he is considered a very good leader and that he would be a better king.
Richard arrests John and puts him in prison because he was worried for his uncle’s popularity. Sometime later, he is liberated and can go to his castle, but dies soonly after. The aristocrats think that it was Richard’s fault, for keeping him prisoner.
In the year 1399, many English aristocrats rebelled against Richard II and killed him. Richard had no children. Some aristocrats wanted Phillipa’s son, Earl of March, to be king, while other wanted it to be Henry, John’s son.
Henry is more powerful, and he takes the crown for himself, becoming Henry III (1267-1413). All these problems of who should be king continues years later and causes a civil war.
Henry IV died and his son Henry becomes Henry V. He was a very loved, intelligent, and brave kings, and is also considered one of the most important kings in England. After Henry IV, England was going through a peaceful period, so Henry V decided that it was a good time to start a war with France and try to recover the territories that they had been losing through time.
In 1415, he declared war to France, and the most important battle was the Battle of Agincourt (October 5th, 1415) The French army was three times bigger than the English army, but it was the latter the one that won. This reinforced the idea of Henry V as a good commander.
Between the years 1417-20, Henry V recovered most of Normandy and nearby areas. In the year 1420, Henry V was officially recognised as next king of France, and to reinforce this idea, he married to the daughter of the king of France, Catherine of Valois. However, Henry died in 1422, so he never had the opportunity to be King of France. When he died, his son Henry, who was 9 years old, became Henry VI (1421-71)
When Henry VI grew up, he showed evidences of being simpleminded. We know he liked reading very much, but he also had strange behaviour. He is famous for founding Eton College and King’s College (part of Cambridge University). When Henry VI gave evidences that he had a mental problem, many aristocrats began to ask themselves if Henry was the right king for England. Some of these aristocrats remembered that Henry was the king because his grandfather Henry became Henry IV. Suddenly, we have England aristocracy divided into two groups:
- Lancastrians: it is Henry VI from the House of Lancaster who should be the king, without arguments.
- Yorkists: they say that it should be the descendant of the House of York who should be king, Richard.
The Earl of March had a daughter who got married with a descendant of the House of York, so the House of Clarence disappeared and there’s only the House of Lancaster and the House of York left. The two groups began a civil war, fighting one after the other. This will happen several civil wars in a row.
This period of consequent civil wars is called Wars of the Roses, because the symbols of both Houses were roses, the Lancaster’s being red and the York’s being white.
In 1460, the Duke of York declares war against Henry VI, but he dies in battle and his son Edward, new Duke of York, continues the fighting.
In 1461, Edward wins the battle and puts Henry VI into the Tower of London and declares himself Edward IV. The war finishes, but nine years later, the Lancastrians organise a new army. They rescue Henry VI from the Tower of London and Edward has to escape to France. Two years later, in 1471, Edward IV comes back to England with a new army. He makes Henry VI a prisoner, and puts him into the Tower of London again. Shortly after, Henry VI died in the Tower of London under mysterious circumstances.
