John,+King+of+England

**John, King of England** 

//Absolute Negotiator//
John, King of England was a significant figure in the High Middle Ages due to the breakdown of the [|Angevin Empire] and his contribution to English law through the signing of the [|Magna Carta (The Great Charter)]in 1215. It is believed that the signing of the Magna Carta was due to a baronial revolt. This has led primary and secondary sources to claim John was a negotiator, rather than a sympathetically giving rights. John was seen as unpopular with many; seen as cruel and deceitful. He has been often described as a loser of empire, land and power; due to his loss of Normandy and falling out with the papacy.

Oxford, England. 24th December 1166. || 19 October 1216. || 6 April 1199 - 19 October 1216 ||
 * = Fast Facts ||
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 * < Father: Henry II of England ||
 * < Mother: Eleanor of Aquitaine ||

__Loss of Normandy __
John reigned over the Angevin Empire which included, Ireland, parts of France, England, Scotland and [|Normandy].  The empire started to fall into decline after his loss of Normandy in 1204 to the French. In order regain this territory, John led further campaigns against the French up until 1214. In order to fund these campaigns he increased taxes.This led to John’s unpopularity amongst the people, particularly John’s [|barons], which in turn led to the baronial revolts.

= __Fall out with the papacy__ =  Appointing the clergy had been a power the monarch of England had held. When the Archbishop of Canterbury, [|Hubert Walter], died in 1205, [|Pope Innocent III] wanted to appoint a new candidate for this post. John saw this as a direct threat to his authority.  Due to the pope’s insistence of controlling who could be appointed in the clergy, John had started to cease Church wealth. //John I: Concession of England to the Pope. 1213//, illustrates John’s concession of fealty to Pope Innocent III; "…do offer and freely concede to God and His holy apostles Peter and Paul and to our mother the holy Roman church, and to our lord pope Innocent and to his Catholic successors, the whole kingdom of England and the whole kingdom of Ireland…we perform and swear fealty and show homage to him our aforesaid lord pope Innocent.”

== **__ The Magna Carta __** == There was discontent amongst John’s barons due to his dispute with the papacy and high taxes to fund the war with France. In order to quell this; the Magna Carta was signed in 1215 by John; stating that he would share power with twenty-five barons. Sources such as [|Roger of Wendover], saw this as a negotiation. The document’s main importance is that it was the first written rights for English people under an absolute monarchy.This monarchy was no longer absolute due to the power share amongst the council twenty-five barons, who now had a part in the judicial process. The document included important clauses such as; stating that free men had a right to a fair trial; (39) No free shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any other way, nor will we proceed with force against him, or send other to do so, except by the lawful judgment of his equals or by the law of the land. (40) To no one will we sell, to no deny or delay right or justice.