Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Notes September 29

  • Elizabeth had qualities that made her look like an exceptional politician, just as she was on the inside. This aided her in her quest to reform England. If people saw her as a ruler, then she could lead them without much more effort. 
  • Elizabeth had troubles growing up, and she could have very well died. 
    • It was rumored that Elizabeth and Thomas Seymour were having affairs when she was only fourteen and that she was pregnant with his child. This was an act of treason and she could have been killed as soon as the king gave the rule.
  • Elizabeth, when she was ruler, went against all that women had been taught at the time. 
    • She was taught the art of rhetoric by Roger Ascham and she looked men in the eye when she talked to them. While this seemed odd, it gave her massive power when she ruled. 
  • But Elizabeth lacked the one thing she needed to make her Protestant reign successful: an heir. 
    • She needed a husband, both for an heir, and because people had thought that if she did not, she would become sick. 
  • Robert Dudley was a contestant to be Elizabeth's husband. 
    • No one ever saw them exhibit relationship type actions, as Dudley was still married. 
    • It was assumed that Dudley killed his wife when she was found at the bottom of a staircase. Elizabeth hid Dudley away until he was cleared or accused, and it was the latter. 
  • Mary Stewart was the Queen of Scotland, but she was also called Mary I, not to be confused with Mary I of England. 
    • Mary and Elizabeth were cousins
  • Elizabeth was told to be illegitimate and not an heir to the throne, and the throne was to be passed on to Mary. 
  • Mary lusted after a man, David Ritzyo who turned out to be quite a buffoon and a drunk. He could not help with her plans to rule in the slightest. 
    • A group of people fled to Mary's room in a tower, and stabbed him. The murderers turned towards Mary's belly. She was not scared though, she knew that her baby would be born. 
  • The baby was born, James VI of Scotland. 
  • Bothwell, a well known land owner, rigged explosives under Dudley's sleeping chambers and Dudley was killed. 
  • Death followed Mary everywhere, and Bothwell offered himself to be the man. He made his wish known, and he executed a plan, and she had no choice but to marry him. She lost everything because of this, her physical appearance, her health, and her nice life. 
    • Her husband fled, claiming to be going for reinforcements, but he was never seen again. 
  • Mary was disheveled and she was portrayed as a mermaid, a prostitute. 
    • She forsook her throne and passed it to her son, James. 
  • Mary was jailed for ten months, and then she charmed her jailer. She escaped prison and fled across the border. 
  • Mary, when she arrived in England, scared Elizabeth. Elizabeth thought she was there to take the throne. 
    • She was hazed by Elizabeth, and she would not even give her proper clothing. 
  • Once Elizabeth discovered that Mary did not want the English throne, offered to help her regain the Scottish throne. Then she thought that she should not "rock the boat" and had her cousin incarcerated. 
  • The North was Catholic and the South was Protestant, a religious war had begun.
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Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Notes September 28

  • Anne Boleyn was set to be executed, and when she was told this, the news did not faze her in the slightest. 
    • Along with her execution, all of the men she had affairs with were also executed. 
  • Jane Seymour, one of Henry's VIII wives, gave birth to Edward, but she perished during childbirth.  
  • The Bible's reading was restricted to people who had a position in the Church. 
    • The townspeople had grown used to the idea of receiving Bibles, and that God spoke in English. The Bibles were printed in Latin again, and civilians could not read it. 
  • Parliament put forth laws that put to death any priest that got married. 
  • Henry VIII made himself out to be an omnipotent being in head of the Church. 
  • Henry's children had different views than each other and Henry.
    • The future of the city would be in the hands of whoever became the true heir, and depending on which child was the next ruler, would transform into an unrecognizable place. 
    • Edward was the heir apparent; Mary, the devout Catholic daughter was next in line; and Elizabeth, a Protestant, would become ruler if Mary died and Edward did not have any children.
  • Edward became the heir after Henry VIII died. 
  • Religious ceremonies were done away with, along with their relics, and they were not allowed to hold pilgrimages.    
  • The changes inside of Churches were made to further connect the priest and his people. 
  • Mary waited for Edward to die, and she could make England into what she wanted. 
    • Mary wanted to return England to its Catholic roots. 
  • Mary was wed to Philip II of Spain. 
  • Under Mary's rule, people felt the need to read Bibles, and if they could not, they had to hire people so they could be educated about the important aspects of life. 
    • Churches are repainted, Bibles are printed in Latin, and threatened under the penalty of death that people return to their original Catholic ways. 
  • Mary died childless after all she had done to reform England. 
  • Elizabeth claimed to be the healer of the nation, and she would be a median between the changes made by her siblings. 
    • Others saw her as the restoration of a truly English throne. 
  • Elizabeth was the great patron of Shakespeare
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Monday, September 27, 2010

Notes September 24

  • The Rose of Tudor, the Unity Rose, was the combination of the House of York and the House of Lancaster. This was accomplished when King Henry VIII married a woman from the York family. 
  • The Battle of Bosworth field was the turning point of England from Medieval to Renaissance. 
  • Henry VIII wanted to get divorced but the Vatican refused. King Henry then  to broke off from the Church of England.
  • Anne Boleyn returned from a trip, back to England in 1522. 
    • She became a member of the Tudor court in her early twenties. 
  • Thomas Wyatt was an unhappily married man, but he wanted to marry Anne. He could not divorce his wife, but he offered Anne to be his mistress. She refused. 
  • Henry VIII's wife, Catherine of Aragon produced not a single boy heir. 
    • Henry VIII saw Anne and the prospect of male heirs. 
    • He could not divorce his father, as the Vatican refused to do the deed. 
    • Anne gave Henry "On the Obedience of a Christian Man and how Christian Rulers Ought to Govern". Anne helped Henry to realize his own supremacy. 
  • Henry had palaces made in his honor, no less than fifty throughout his reign. 
  • Henry VIII became a Caesar. 
  • Henry broke away from the Vatican. 
  • Anne was crowned at Westminster Abbey.   
  • Even though England had broken away from the Vatican, many aspects of religion remained the same. 
  • In 1532, a law was made that the church had to adhere to Henry VIII's wishes. 
  • Thomas Cranmer and Thomas Cromwell worked in unison with the king, and without them, the reformation would never have happened. 
    • The three men knew that the Pope, if their rebellions would continue, would use excommunication as a weapon. 
  • It became a crime to say anything rude about the rulers, and the people lived in fear. 
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Catherine of Aragon

Katherine of Aragon
Katherine was the first wife of Henry VIII(http://englishhistory.net/tudor/h8crown.html). She was wed to him, and seemed very happily in love(http://www.theromantic.com/LoveLetters/catherine.htm). She greatly respected her husband, which showed in her letters to him. She signed them "Your humble wife and true servant, Katherine" (http://englishhistory.net/tudor/letter2.html). She took care of a lot of his work for him while he was away, and she sent him letters regarding the current ongoings(http://englishhistory.net/tudor/letter2.html). It seemed that she was a very responsible and caring person, but Henry later wanted to divorce her.
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Anne Boleyn

Anne Boleyn was Queen of England from 1533-1536.  She was partially responsible for the split between the Church and the monarchy of England.  She encouraged Henry VIII to divorce his wife, Katharine and they married.  She had a daughter, Princess Elizabeth, but could not bear a son.  She bought many lavish things when she was queen, but was not respected by some of her subjects.  She was called "The King's Whore" and other rude names.  She was executed in 1536 for adultery, incest, and treason.

http://englishhistory.net/tudor/letter6.html
http://englishhistory.net/tudor/letter8.html
http://englishhistory.net/tudor/letter10.html
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anneboleyn2.jpg
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Thomas Wolsey

Thomas Wolsey was a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. King Henry often consulted and debated with Thomas Wolsey and the Bishop of Winchester. Wolsey urged Henry to announce war on France on the behalf of Pope Julius II. From 1515 to 1529, Wolsey became the chief minister of the king. But he soon fell from high regard in the eyes of King Henry. He paled in comparison to Thomas Cromwell, the previous minister. Anne Boleyn disliked Thomas Wolsey. Later he was indicted on forty four charges and was stripped of all of his offices and powers. Henry had kept him from from prison until November 4th. On November 24th, Wolsey died after all he had done to aid the kingdom. (http://englishhistory.net/tudor/priwols1.html), (http://englishhistory.net/tudor/letter8.html).
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Sunday, September 26, 2010

Part III: The Battle of Bosworth Field

Richard III


Here I lay, torn from my horse
With a lance through my heart
I, Richard Three, recall with great force
The tale of my life, at least a small part.

The year be 1483, and my brother had died [1]
His son and his wife, both left, only cried
And I received the boy, Edward V, he was mine1
And if I play my cards right, the throne shall be mine

Now, I had done it, before mere Duke of Gloucester, now King of England1
I was in exactly the position I had wanted, every person in the city would wish to shake my hand
But, no, what be this, a man called Henry has come[2]
Tudor is the end, I can see it, he will ruin my plan, ho hum.

Filthy Yorkists such as he
Tend to hate folks such as me
But I had prepared for spies to tell me what it was he was up to
And tell me they did of an invasion1, this was not new.

I fled to a place known as Nottingham, so I could have the advantage
Lord Stanley acted strangely, a traitor!2
Tudor arrived to meet me at last, no one had made a try to stop him
Recruits were shy on both our ends, prospects of victory looked quite dim

22 August, ’85 my army and his were not even, I outnumbered the likes of Henry1
The battle began, and I knew I could do this, once I won I would feel so free
I had a secret, I had Stanley’s son captive2
So that the Stanley’s would not attack, I would keep him alive

Throughout the course of the battle, starting with archers and cannons, but I had my own surprise[3]
I rushed downhill towards Henry Tudor, I saw the fear in his eyes rise.
But in the blink of an eye, things turned for the worst, and I was surrounded, my final breath taken.
The last words I heard were shouts of the word “Treason”3, as I died, my kingdom was shaken.

[1] "The Battle of Bosworth." The Wars of the Roses. Web. 27 Sept. 2010. <http://www.wars-of-the-roses.com/content/battles/bosworth_field.htm>.
[2] "Richard III Society- Ballad of Bosworth, Text." Richard III Society - American Branch. Web. 27 Sept. 2010. <http://www.r3.org/bosworth/ballad2.html>.
[3] May, By. "Richard III - Bosworth." Web. 27 Sept. 2010. <http://www.richard111.com/bosworth1.htm>.
_________________________________________________________________________
Henry Tudor


Henry VII, he is I, or if you prefer
The Great Henry Tudor
Here is how I came to take
The England throne from control of a fake.

My claim to the throne was ambitious, yes
But that does not matter, I needed to fix this mess
Richard III had not been honest or nice
He killed because he had been enticed.

I am of Welsh origin, I will admit[1]
But I was destined for greatness, even a bit
My mother helped in no small part, she claimed I was better than Richard Three1
And I saw what she saw, and I knew it to be.

Christmas Day, at Rennes Cathedral, I had vowed to take the hand in wed[2]
Of Edward IV’s eldest daughter, Elizabeth of York, the heir because the princes were dead
I now have comrades from everywhere, in France they give me troops and supplies1
The number 5,000, my army is that, and we ride into battle to the great battle cries

Bosworth Field, that was the place
That I charged at Richard[3], a deathly race
And then it was over, before it had begun,
The victory, the crown, I had won!

One year later, I kept my promise, to marry Elizabeth of York[4]
To unite the house of mine and hers, it will be great if unity works
The Tudor Rose! Lancaster and York, at last together finally as one
I claim this House shall never perish, the reign will never be undone

But now, I have to take leave of the crown,
I know my heir, my son, will not let me down4

[1] 1483, By. "Henry VII of England." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 27 Sept. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_VII_of_England>.
[2] "About Henry VII TUDOR (King of England)." Tudor Place. Web. 27 Sept. 2010. <http://www.tudorplace.com.ar/aboutHenryVII.htm>.
[3] "Battle of Bosworth Field." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 27 Sept. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bosworth_Field>.
[4] "Henry VII." The Wars of the Roses. Web. 27 Sept. 2010. <http://www.wars-of-the-roses.com/content/importantpeople/henry_vii.htm>.
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Part II: Richard III: Fact and Fiction

Shakespeare's Richard III & Controversy and Reputation

In Shakespeare's play "Richard III" the playwright portrayed the king as a deformed, monster-like tyrant. Shakespeare imposed the man's inner vileness and treachery onto his outer features, marking him. The deranged man eliminated any other possible heir to the throne, insulted his mother, and had people put to death at will. Shakespeare translated these heinous actions and thoughts into physical deformities.
___________________________________________________________________________
Terminology


Traditionalist- One who adheres to practices aspects of their culture as they had always been practiced. A source by one of these people will try to keep to the facts they have been told as much as possible.

Revisionist- In contrast to a traditionalist, one who wishes to change traditions, to make important aspects of cultures gradually different until they have been altered. A source written by a person such as this will keep major details the same but will alter the story in some way.

Lancastrian- A term used to describe a member or supporter of the House of Lancaster. By supporting the Lancastrian House, the person also stands behind the life and accomplishments of Henry VI, especially in times such as the Wars of the Roses. This lineage was carried down by Henry Tudor, who believed himself the Lancastrian heir. To include Richard III, Henry used the people's hatred of Richard to become Henry VII of England. The House of Tudor arose from the marriage of Henry Tudor and Elizabeth of York.

Ricardian- Used in reference to a person who attempts to revive, in an altered form, thoughts of Richard III. They believe that he was not inherently a bad ruler or a person, but that many people showed him under a harsh light for political reasons.


"Ricardian (Richard III)." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 26 Sept. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricardian_(Richard_III)>.

"House of Lancaster." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 26 Sept. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Lancaster>.

About WordNet - WordNet - About WordNet. Web. 26 Sept. 2010. <http://wordnet.princeton.edu/>.
___________________________________________________________________
Lancastrian or Ricardian?  
Polydore Vergil
The document written by Vergil was a Lancastrian document that is, unsympathetic to Richard III and his actions. This is evidenced in the passage pertaining to Richard's sealing away of his nephews in the tower. "



And so was thinnocent chyld pullyd owt of his mothers armes. Richard ...convaighed his nephewys from the bysshop of Londons howse unto the Towr; and yeat all this causyed no suspytion." This passage outlines with





dual certainty as to why this document is Lancastrian. The imagery makes the reader visualize Richard III assuming a devil-like position as he rips his nephew out of his mother's arms. The boys were locked away in the Tower and the passage says it caused no suspicion. This alludes to the fact that the author believed there should have been suspicion cast upon the man after he had done so.   



Horace Walpole




  • This account of Richard III, written by Horace Walpole in 1768, is inherently Ricardian. Its origins are prominent in the very first sentence,



  • "With regard to the person of Richard, it appears to have been as much misrepresented as his actions." Walpole regards the people who look down upon Richard III to be misinformed. He claims that not only do they have the facts of his actions shown with the wrong intentions, but that the Lancastrians embellished his physical appearance as well. In another passage, Walpole explains how the tales of his appearance are false. Walpole is presently referring to a portrait of Richard and an account of Richard from John Rous,







  • "What feature in this portrait gives any idea of a monster?...

















































































                              • Could a Yorkist have drawn a less disgusting representation? And yet Rous was a vehement Lancastrian." This pushes the document even further towards being Ricardian. Walpole claims the portrait to not show any of Richard's supposed deformities. Rous, a Lancastrian, also claimed the man had no deformities, and Walpole was surprised by this. Walpole also took a stab at Yorkists, who were not friendly towards Ricardians. This is a Ricardian source. 

                                I am sorry that this is terribly formatted. Something happened in regards to a bullet list, and I cannot seem to get it to return to normal.





















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Thursday, September 23, 2010

Part I: Historical Background on the War of the Roses

Henry V (1387- 1413- 1422)- A member of the House of Lancaster, the pinnacle of Henry V's was the Battle of Agincourt, in which he gained control of Northern France.

Henry VI (1421- 1422- 1461)- Crowned as king of both France and England as an infant, King Henry VI went on to lose the Hundred Year's War. He lost his crown to Richard, Duke of York in 1461. His clash the following year started the Wars of the Roses.

Edward IV (1442- 1461- 1470- Edward was the first of the York family to gain a seat on the throne. His highest point was his defeat of the Lancastrians at Mortimer's cross and Tewkesbury, while he was shown as a lesser force when he fled to Holland in 1470 due to lack of forces.  

Henry VI (*1470- 1471)- His power was restored for a short while before King Henry VI was sent to the tower by Edward in 1471 and murdered.

Edward IV (*1471- 1483)- After Henry VI had interrupted his steady reign, Edward had him executed. He then regained the power of the throne, but when he died his legacy was supposedly secure with his two sons, Edward V and Richard.

Edward V (1470- 1483- 1483)- Edward V's father, Edward IV, had designated Edward V as the heir to his throne but this plan was interrupted by Edward V's uncle, Richard III. Edward V was put in the tower of London along with his brother Richard. He was later declared illegitimate and killed.

Richard III (1452- 1483- 1485)- Younger sibling to Edward IV, Richard was the Duke of Gloucester, and fought for his brother in two battles. Richard wanted to be king, and eliminated any and all heirs to the throne, including his own nephews.

Henry VII (1457- 1485- 1509)- Henry was the first of the Tudor family to become an English king. In 1485 he defeated the Yorkist army at Bosworth field, and later several other Yorkist attempts to steal the throne. Henry built Richmond Palace and helped to rebuild the Westminster Abbey Chapel.    

* Second rule
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Monday, September 20, 2010

Notes September 20

War of the Roses

  • Henry Tudor wanted to dethrone Richard III and become king. 
  • Richard II stepped down and is replaced by Henry IV.
    • The heir to Henry IV is Henry V
      • Henry V died unexpectedly, making Henry VI a child king. People who want the real power of England circle around Henry. 
  • The Houses of York and Lancaster fought the Wars of the Roses. 
  • The English monarchy wanted to be taken seriously once again. 
  • The Paston family grew from being nobodies in England, to being influential land owners, and advancing towards being squires. 
  • There is a great disconnect between the peasants and the nobles of the cities. The peasants start to get angry and try to make themselves known to the aristocracy. 
  • England entered the Renaissance with the help  of the Tudor family. 


  • Catholic England was just a synonym of Christean England, but then it turned into treason. Symbols of catholicism were destroyed and burned, the world was almost forgotten. 
  • England, beginning with the Tudor family is Anglican and Protestant. Fighting ensues over religious debates. 
  • Erasmus was an important figure in Christean humanitarianism. 
  • The priests were indispensable in the eyes of Catholic England. He was the connection to Jesus Christ, God, and  Heaven. 
  • The fear of God was placed into the authorities of England now that Bibles could be mass printed in many different languages.   
  • Tyndale's English version of the New Testament was printed in 1522.  
    • The non-Catholic people killed people who bought the Bible and burned the books. 
  • 1509, King Henry VII died and his son at age seventeen was made king. Henry did have a brother named Arthur who was originally destined for the throne but he died. Henry was then made "heir apparent". 
  • Catherine of Aragon was to marry Arthur, but Henry married her after Arthur died. Catherine was to be the English connection to Spain, which would make them a powerful force. 
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Sunday, September 19, 2010

Black Death and European Culture

During and after the Black Death, Europe experienced turmoil in their society most evident in the economics social hierarchy, and religious beliefs of the European people.

A tremendous amount of people lost their lives to the disease, and the economy of Europe was left reeling. Masters who owned a great deal of servants lost all but a few of their workmen. They were in great need of help if they wanted to stay with their wealth. The people that had not been able to have jobs before the plague struck we now being begged by nobles to work for them. Seeing an opportunity for money, the people demanded higher wages. If they were refused, they turned and walked, not settling for less than they bargained for. An ordinance had to be drawn up to keep order in the economy. Almost every man was forced under the new laws to work and for as much as the master had set; no more, no less. The working men were also brought under this new economics system, in that they were not allowed to sell their goods for reasonable prices. The Black plague transformed the economy of Europe in a tremendous way.

Possibly the most important outcome of the Black Plague in Europe was social upheavals. This is none more evident than in the peasant rebellion of in 1358. There was no true order at the time, and no one could easily be forced under the king's command when the plague was at its worst. Serfs and commoners, in an attempt to shed themselves of their pitiful place in the social hierarchy, revolted. Groups of these people stole away to houses of knights and nobles. They tortured and killed them and their families, molested their womenfolk, and committed horrible acts. These devastating events all occurred because the townspeople felt they had been wronged by their society and found the opportunity presented to them by the Black Death.

In history it has become a pattern that, when society was at its worst, the easy scapegoat is the Jewish population. This holds startlingly true during the Black Plague. Jews suffered terrible bigotry during the plague, being accused of poisoning the drinking water and causing the deaths of entire cities. They were tried and sentenced, no matter what evidence was shown in their defense. The Christean population accused and threatened Jews so often that many confessed to causing the plague, even though it is impossible for them to have done so. Religion was even more so affected by the plague than persecution: when it came that the Jews were to be burned, a thousand of them told officials that they would accept baptism, and small children were ripped from their parents and baptized. Conversion of religions became common practice, which before rarely happened. The Black Plague put the religious aspect of society to the test, and Europe broke under the pressure.
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Thursday, September 16, 2010

Hundred Years War

  • Began in 1337 and ended in 1453
  • The war began because of possession of land. The kings of French and England believed they owned land in the other country. 
  • In 1204 King John signed away English rights to land in Normandy. 
  • The Treaty of Paris was signed by Henry III, renouncing all of British land in Normandy. 
  • The province of Gascony was left with England even after the Treaty of Paris. 
  • The English at the time were fighting the Scots under William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. 
  • France allied with the Scots to destabilize England- The Franco- Scot alliance. 
    • This alliance was broken up when they lost at the battle of Bermit. 
  • Philip VI of France took what was left of Aquitane, after which Edward I challenges Philip's right to the throne and the war began.
  • Edward I called himself the King of France. 
  • Edward III lured princes and provinces into alliance with him. 
  • The English were moving towards France. 
  • Edward III, at Crecy in 1346, had a great victory and went triumphantly to Calais , winning the English a prime spot on the French port. 
  • Edward's heir is named the Black Prince. 
  • Edward captured the heir to the French throne and believes he has the war won. 
  • The Treaty of Bretigny said that France should pay the British and for that Edward III will step down from his self proclamation to the French throne.  
  • 1369; the Treaty fails. The new king in France, Charles V, has Bertrand du Guesclin, a very influential constable.  
    • Charles V died only 11 years into the war.      
  • The people were growing tired of the war. 
  • Richard II had just about gained peace with France. 
    • He lost his kingship and the aristocracies flare up and go forth into war again. 
  • Henry V took the British back into France in order to end the fighting. 
    • He met with the French at Agincourt on October 25, 1415. The English are outnumbered by the French. 
    • The English defeat the French in one of the greatest victories in English history
    • The battle does not end the war but it does boost morale of the English and is thought of as the turning point of the war. 
  • Rouen was captured in 1419 by the English. 
  • Henry VI died and his uncle, the Duke of Bedford took over the throne in French
  • The French have a plan to go into the Loire Valley and have a great number of battles. 
  • The English thought they could starve out the French people forced into the city of Orleans. 
  • Joan of Arc heard voices in her head that told her to guide the English into battle against the English. 
    • She was captured by the English. 
  • The English take the Loire Valley back under their control. The rest of France is back in French hands. 
  • A truce was made in 1444 that brought fighting to a halt for a while at Tours.   
  • In 1449 Charles VII broke the truce and attacked the British at Normandy. 
    • He defeated the British in Normandy and returned to Gascony. 
  • The final battle between Charles VII and John Talbot was fought on July 17, 1453, Talbot lost his remaining land. 
  • The result of the Hundred Years War was the development of nationalism. 
    • No longer were people defined by their city or town, but under their king or queen.  
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Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Notes September 14

The Plague 
  • The infection was brought to England by ships with diseased rats infested with fleas on board. 
  • The plague swung east to China and south to Caffa. 
  • Biological warfare had begun, with cities catapulting the rotting bodies over their walls. 
  • Red swollen sores appeared on the victims, and they began to cough up blood and mucus. The infection spread very rapidly. 
  • The young and defenseless were taken first, but no one was safe from the plague. 
  • The healthy left the infected to die, not wanted to get sick themselves. 
  • No one wanted to make any human contact out of fear of death. 
  • 1348, London's population had been close to 100,000. In the first wave of the plague, 300 people perished every day. 
  • The dead were laid pointing East so that when Judgement day came, they would face Jerusalem. But during the plague, corpses were thrown into pits by masses. The people of the city had no time to dig graves before another hundred people were dead. 
  • The people assumed the plague was caused by a jolt in the atmosphere, called miasma. 
  • Antidotes were devised but they had but little effect on the victims. 
  • The survivors then took to claiming that they were being punished for turning away from God. 
  • Everything began to cost more, accounting for the lack of workers. 
  • Serfs were hard to come by after the first shock of the Plague had passed. 
  • The social order was shaken, with lords having to listen to the demands of his workers, or suffer and watch his land go to ruin. 
  • Burials for royal people were called transi tombs where their image in life was placed on top and they rotted in  the bottom. 
  • The crown was passed to Richard of Bordeaux. 
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Sunday, September 12, 2010

English and Scottish on the Scottish

     It was in the first quarter of the fourteenth century that the Scottish and the English recognized each other as rival powers and subsequently churned animosity towards the one another. The English blamed every great schism on the Scottish, especially William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. This made the Scottish think of themselves not less, but as the greatest force to stand at that day. 


The English were appalled by William Wallace and presently condemned all of Scotland. In Flores Historiarum (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1307bruce.html) Wallace has his life stripped of all meaning and shown under a harsh light, so as to show what a savage brute he truly is. The English justify their own merciless murder of the man by playing upon his weakest points.

Robert the Bruce had the same fate as William Wallace, to be scorned by the English and have them superficially judge all of Scotland and its people. The Flores Historiarum uses Robert's murder of John Comyn as evidence of how inhuman the man was. The English hyperbolized facts to see to it that their hatred towards the  Scots was carried from generation to generation.

The people of Scotland, under the power of God, feel they are the epitome of greatness. The Declaration of Arbroath (http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/home/scotland/arbroath_english.html) puts a voice to the Scotland's grand thoughts of themselves. No one can take them, they are free to do whatever they please as long as they have the Heavenly Father in mind. The Scottish pray for and work towards their triumph over all other nations. No matter how great, the Scottish believe that they themselves are greater.

The English and Scottish were two of the greatest powers of the Medieval period and thusly had different views on themselves. The English strived to make other nations see the vicious Scots for what they were. The Scottish had faith in themselves to be destined for victory.

"The Declaration of Arbroath: English." Web. 12 Sept. 2010. <http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/home/scotland/arbroath_english.html>.



"Medieval Sourcebook: Flores Historiarum: On William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, C. 1307."FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 12 Sept. 2010. <http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1307bruce.html>.
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Thursday, September 9, 2010

Notes September 9

William Wallace

    • Killed an English noble, starting the legend of himself. 
    • The Battle of Sterling Bridge was William Wallace's trump over the English.
    • Wallace showed that Edward I was not invincible. 
    • Wallace never payed homage to King Edward
    • Wallace escaped with his life at Sterling Bridge but was captured and had to go to mock trial. William Wallace was disemboweled in front of a crowd. 

King Edward set fire to a royal mausoleum, trying to get the Scots to subdue to him and his terrible power.
Edward, en route to fight Robert the Bruce, perished in 1307.

Robert the Bruce

    • Swore to undo the works of Edward I
    • 1306 Bruce met with John Cummid and stabbed him. 
    • Bruce's actions did not unite the Scots under one ruler, he made their civil war rage on worse. 
    • 1314 the English only controlled a few cities, and these were suffering barrage from the Scots.
Edward fled the field, leaving behind his possessions of war, and thousands of his men. 

For 22 years, the Scots raided and pillaged every village they came across. 


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Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Notes September 8

  • After the events of the Battle of Hastings and what it cause, the House of Plantagenet went to England. 
  • The House ruled from 1154- 1485
  • Famous Plantagenets: Henry II, Richard I "The Lionhearted"
    • Henry's purpose was to gain back land lost in England
    • Richard was considered "good" as opposed to "bad" as was his brother John. 
    • The Magna Carta that was signed by King John would ultimately lead to the parliamentary system 
  • The Crusades were fought over the two most coveted countries in the East, Constantinople and Jerusalem. 
Timeline:
  • Henry II
  • Richard I
  • John
  • Henry III- Created most of the aesthetics of England. 
  • Edward I- Most successful in battles against the Scots. 
  • Edward II
  • Edward III
  • Richard II
  • Henry IV
  • Henry V- Defeated the French
  • The greatest Scottish heroes were William Wallace and Robert the Bruce
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