King John

Who was King John?

King John was king of England. He was unpopular with his barons, and was criticised for losing Normandy to France. He is most famous for signing the Magna Carta. He died during the First Barons' War.

Why were the barons angry at King John?

There were three key reasons the barons were angry at King John:

• ❖ Religion: King John argued with Pope Innocent III as both wanted to appoint the leading churchmen in England. In retaliation, the pope banned church services in England.
• ❖ Economy: King John often used a tax known as scutage, which angered the barons.
• ❖ War: King John had a poor battle record and lost land in France.

What limited King John's power?

King John signed the Magna Carta, which limited his power.

What war was King John involved in?

King John led an army in the First Barons' War.

When did King John reign?

John was king of England, and ruler of the Angevin lands in France, from 1199 to 1216.

Where did King John rule?

John was king of England, but also ruler of extensive lands in France. These included: Normandy, Aquitaine, Anjou and Maine. He was also Lord of Ireland.

Who were King John's family?

King John was a member of the Angevin dynasty.

• ❖ His father was Henry II, who had established the Angevin Empire in 1154.
• ❖ His mother was Eleanor of Aquitaine, who had brought the large and prosperous duchy of Aquitaine into the Angevin Empire when she married Henry II.
• ❖ John's elder brother, Richard I (also known as Richard the Lionheart), had been king from 1189 to 1199. Richard had been a famous and respected warrior king.
• ❖ John had had two other older brothers - Henry and Geoffrey - who died before their father. Both those brothers had rebelled against Henry II.
• ❖ When John died in 1216, he was succeeded by his nine-year-old son, who became King Henry III.

What did King John do?

These are some of the key events of John's reign.

• ❖ During his brother Richard's reign (1189-1199), John conspired with the king of France on a number of occasions, hoping to take over his brother's throne.
• ❖ John lost control of Normandy to the king of France in 1204.
• ❖ During his reign, John had an argument with the pope, which led to England being laid under interdict for a number of years. This meant that there were restrictions imposed on England from the Catholic Church.
• ❖ John angered his barons in other ways, especially because his demands for taxes to pay for his attempts to regain his French lands. He also treated his barons very badly, and was accused of murdering his nephew, Arthur.
• ❖ By 1215, the barons were so angry with John that they forced him to sign the Magna Carta. This document was the first attempt to control the power of the king.
• ❖ When John repudiated Magna Carta, the barons invited Prince Louis of France to replace him as king. This caused a civil war in England, during which John died, in 1216.
• ❖ After John's death, his son Henry was proclaimed king. When the barons decided to support Henry, they ejected the French, and the civil war ended.

Why was King John significant?

There are 4 key reasons for the significance of King John:

• ❖ John was responsible for the collapse of the Angevin Empire in France, which led to England becoming isolated from the rest of Europe.
• ❖ This did, however, lead to the continuing development of a sense of English identity. This was especially the case as, in 1216, the English barons were fighting against a French pretender to the throne.
• ❖ Even though the Magna Carta was created because John was such a bad king, the document is seen as the beginning of England's development towards a democracy, with controls on the power of the king.
• ❖ To this day, John is remembered as one of England's worst kings. However, his reign did see the start of English democracy, and a sense of English identity.