H3H03 MEDIEVAL ENGLAND 1066-1399 TUTORIAL TOPICS

13) THE MONARCHY IN THE LATER MIDDLE AGES

a)   What was the nature of the baronial grievances against Richard II
     and to what extent were they justified ?

b)   How  did Richard II's conception of kingship differ from that  of
     his predecessors ?

c)   Why  did the legal concept of treason become so important in  the
     reign of Richard IInd ?

d)   Why was Richard deposed by Henry Bolingbroke in 1399 ?

e)   What changes did the early Lancastrians make in the  organisation
     of  government ? In what ways did the role of the king's  Council
     change  in  this period ? What problems did this create  for  the
     baronage ?

f)   Which  baronial  factions were involved in the struggle  for  the
     crown  after  the  death of Henry Vth ? What  policies  did  they
     follow and how successful were they ?

g)   Why was the English monarchy weak in the later middle ages ?  Was
     the  weakness  a consequence of financial,  political  or  social
     problems  ?  Did  other European  monarchies  experience  similar
     problems at this time ?

h)   What is meant by the term Bastard Feudalism ? Why did it  develop
     and how did it differ from earlier forms of tenurial feudalism  ?
     Did  Bastard  Feudalism constitute a significant  threat  to  the
     monarchy ?

i)   What  was the role of Parliament during the Lancastrian period  ?
     To  what  extent did the Lancastrians use parliament  to  endorse
     their policies ?

j)   What  part  did  the  gentry play in  the  struggle  between  the
     Yorkists   and  the  Lancastrians ?  Can they be  regarded  as  a
     genuinely independent third force in fifteenth century politics ?

Using the  sources recommended find, read and annotate  the  following
     documents:

a)   Impeachments in the Good Parliament, 1376.
b)   The arbitrary rule of Richard II
c)   The  revocation  of Henry of Lancaster's rights  of  inheritance,
     1399
d)   The Acts of  Henry IV's first parliament, 1399
e)   The reluctance of the Lords to attend Parliament, 1454.
f)   The first battle of St Albans, 1455
g)   An  indenture  between Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick  and  Sir
     John Trafford, 1461.