1.5.7

Modern Interpretations of King John

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Modern Historical Interpretations

Today, historians are reassessing the reputation of King John.

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Challenging traditional interpretations

  • Recently, historians have challenged the traditional interpretation of King John.
  • They argue that King John was a reformer, pushing back against the rising power of barons. They argue that his passion for reform made barons hostile towards him and this hostility has shaped his reputation for future generations.
Illustrative background for How should we assess King John?Illustrative background for How should we assess King John? ?? "content

How should we assess King John?

  • Ultimately, King John was a ruler who had to deal with difficult circumstances.
    • Losing the Battle of Bouvines was a humiliating failure and this will always shape how historians remember King John.

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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