1.4.5

The Barons' Rebellion

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The Barons' Rebellion

Following the failure in Normandy, King John was exposed as a weak ruler. English barons took advantage of this and launched their own rebellion.

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Conditions for rebellion

  • King John’s authority was undermined following the defeat at the Battle of Bouvines.
  • The barons were angry with King John because he had raised a tax on them to fund his military campaign in France.
  • In May 1215 AD, 40 barons openly gave up their ties to the king. By doing so, they showed they were not loyal to the king anymore.
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Course of rebellion

  • The barons staged a rebellion. They organised a mercenary army - called the ‘Army of God’ - and on the 17th of May 1215 AD they seized London.
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Negotiations

  • On the 15th June 1215, King John met the rebels at Runnymede and agreed to their demands.
  • This was called the Magna Carta (meaning ‘Great Charter’).
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King John changes his mind

  • But, King John later rejected the Magna Carta (claiming he had been forced to sign it under duress).
  • This led to France invading England (with the support of Scotland).
  • In October 1216 AD, King John attempted to cross the Wash (an estuary in Eastern England). He lost all of his treasures and had little hope.
  • On the 18th of October 1216, King John died.

Jump to other topics

1The Medieval World: 450-1450 AD

1.1Anglo-Saxon England

1.2The Contest for the English Throne

1.3Conquering the Holy Land, 10-96-1396 AD

1.4King John

1.5The Magna Carta & Parliament

1.6The Black Death

2Worldviews

3The Empire of Mali

4The Renaissance & Reformations, 1500-1598 AD

5The British Empire, 1583-1960 AD

6The Peasants' Revolt

7Religion in the Middle Ages

8Slavery, 1619-1833 AD

9The English Civil War, 1642-1660

10The Industrial Revolution, 1750-1840

11US Independence, 1775-1783

12The French Revolution, 1789-1815

13The British Empire, 1857–1930

14Suffrage

15World War 1, 1914-1918

16The Inter-War Years, 1919-1939

17World War 2, 1939-1945

18The Cold War, 1947-1962

19Civil Rights in the USA, 1954-1975

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