OCR GCSE History Paper 1: Complete Notes. Mapped to individual specification points and complete with timelines for memorisation. Only resource used to get a grade 9 (90%+) in my final exam.
Power: Monarchy and Democracy c.1000-2014
Medieval Period (c.1000-1485)
The Medieval Period sees the emergence of Parliament, and subtle shift of power away from the
monarch and towards the nobility,
AD840-1016: Various Anglo-Saxon Kings build the foundations of government.
o Alfred the Great: used efficient administration to collect taxes, raise armies build a
navy and established some semblance of peace via the Danelaw.
o Athelstan: united various Saxon and Viking Kingdoms by force of arms.
o Eadgar: laws on crime, protection of the Church and merchant regulation.
o This progress resulted in:
A population of 2.5 million, 10% of which lived in towns.
Efficient administration, legal systems, and coinage (minted under royal
control from imported silver, suggesting prosperity).
A prosperous Church where new laws and taxes were announced; which
was a source of learning; influenced the reputation of the King, as they
wrote history in their administrative roles.
o Anglo-Saxon power in England operated under some key principles:
The King was chosen by the Witan, a council of earls and bishops.
Generally, the Earl of Wessex was selected (the largest and richest
landowner in England).
Kingship did not automatically pass down a line of inheritance, due
to challenges.
The King was generally responsible for:
Using his wealthy to raise and pay for armies.
Protecting and nurture the Church.
Enacting laws and ensure they were followed.
Nobles were generally responsible for:
Providing the King with troops and advice.
Encouraging loyalty and keeping control of their land.
Thegns carried out administrative roles such as bailiffs, estate
managers or tax collectors in shires and hundreds.
AD968-1016: Aethelred’s Kingship suffers due to Viking invasions.
o AD991: The £10,000 Danegeld is given to the Vikings.
o AD994: The Vikings were paid off again with £22,000.
o A treaty was made with Norman rulers to prevent Vikings uses ports in Normandy.
o 1002: Issues an order to kill all Danes – unpopular amongst nobles and caused
revenge.
1013-1064: Sweyn Forkbeard successfully invades England.
o 1014: The Witan refuses to accept Cnut; however, he conquers the country.
o Cnut balances land between his loyal followers and Anglo-Saxon nobles.
Northumbria and East Anglia were ruled by Danes, while Mercia and Wessex
were given to Anglo-Saxons.
1040: Edward the Confessor becomes King, after the death of Harold and Harthacnut
o Introduced sheriffs (thegns who collected taxes and ran law courts) and writs.
o Normans were appointed to key positions, to the chagrin of Godwin and others.
o Supported initially by the Earl Godwin of Wessex.
However, later raised an army and forced thegns onto his side, effectively
becoming the de facto ruler of the country.
Harold Godwinson (his son) becomes Earl of Wessex.
1066: Edward the Confessor dies, and there are different claimants to the throne.
, o Initially, the Witan selects Harold Godwinson in a simple succession.
He was the richest and most powerful baron, being Earl of Wessex.
Edward the Confessor had promised him the throne on his deathbed.
The only better legal claim was from a 15-year-old (Edgar Atheling).
o William, Duke of Normandy, also claimed the throne.
Claimed Edward the Confessor promised it in 1051.
Claimed Harold Godwinson pledged loyalty to him in 1064.
Had the support of the Pope.
o Harald Hardrada, the King of Norway, also claimed the English throne.
1066: William, Duke of Normandy, is crowned King of England,
o Harald Hardrada invades York, supported by Tostig and northern thegns.
He uses Godwinson’s expectation for a Norman invasion in the south.
o 25th September 1066: Hardrada is killed at the Battle of Stamford Bridge.
o 28th September 1066: William invades, requiring Godwinson’s army to travel
another 200 miles back to the south coast.
o 14th October 1066: Harold Godwinson is killed.
o Ultimately, the Normans succeed in the Battle of Hastings due to:
Superior military force and tactics: Anglo-Saxon army was made up of fyrd;
Normans had cavalry, crossbows, and nobles; the use of a feigned retreat to
penetrate shield wall; more experienced due to instability in France.
Luck: Harald Hardrada’s invasion coincided with the Norman’s, meaning
they had travelled 400 miles.
o William subsequently became King as there was no other reasonable claimant to the
throne (excluding Edgar Atheling) and he had the strongest army in the face of a
weakened England.
1066: The Normans aggressively gain control over England, via:
o Military efficiency and ruthless violence.
1069: The Harrying of North; homes, barns and crops were burned down in
response to rebellion from the King of Scotland.
o Castles
Consolidated power along the Welsh border.
A lack of Anglo-Saxon castles allowed swift control, with no sieges.
Made England less susceptible to invasion.
A status symbol that changed perceptions of the King.
o The Feudal System
King Barons (land for fealty) Men-at-arms (land for protection)
Serfs (labour for food and security).
Consolidated the King’s power and increased its remit.
1066: The Norman Conquest caused change in England.
o Barons gained power and land (4000 thegns were replaced with 200 barons).
o However, traditional Anglo-Saxon administration of scribes, local courts and sherrifs
were still used.
1100s: The Church was extremely significant in England.
o It was extremely wealthy and owned significant amounts of land.
Annular revenue of £400,000.
Domesday Book of 1087 showed it owned 25% of land in England.
Meant it controlled where people lived and worked.
o Exhibited significant control over people’s actions, based on the idea of heaven and
hell.
It was illegal not to attend Church.
Doom paintings were used to encourage conformity.
, o Exhibited significant political influence.
New laws and taxes were announced in Church services.
Churchmen wrote positive history books, and looked after royal accounts
and official documents, in return for land.
Pope Alexander II ordered Battle Abbey to be built as retribution for the
Norman Conquest.
The Archbishop of Canterbury could rule in place of the King.
1100: Henry I is crowned King.
o Henry seized power after Robert, with a stronger claim, went on a crusade.
o As the barons’ felt Robert was the rightful heir, Henry made concessions in the
Coronation Charter.
His control over the marriage of barons’ children was reduced.
1154-89: Henry II is crowned King.
o Restored peace and stability after previous turmoil under King Stephen.
Illegally built castles were seized, and fair taxes for barons were
reintroduced based on their lands and income.
Thomas Becket was integral to this success.
o Henry attempted to increase his control of the Church by:
Increasing the power and remit of royal courts.
Increasing his influence over the appointment of bishops and abbots.
o 1162: Thomas Becket becomes Archbishop of Canterbury, through which he:
Resisted demands to have churchmen tried in royal courts.
Refused taxation on the Church.
Prevented Henry from having influence on appointments.
o This resulted in an attempted reconciliation aided by the Pope, however, after
Becket’s excommunication of Henry’s supporters, four knights murder him,
supposing that is what he wanted.
o In some ways, this weakened the power of the monarch:
1172: The Compromise of Avranches gave concessions to the Pope.
Granted the Church greater rights to self-governance.
However, the monarch retained the power to appoint bishops.
o It also weakened Henry’s personal standing as monarch:
Forced to accept Becket’s excommunication of his advisors.
Agreed to be whipped by monks in Canterbury Cathedral.
o However, Henry also improved his relationship with the Church, continuing to
appoint bishops and collect money from some bishoprics.
o All in all, it was a short-term loss for the monarchy, however, it had little significant
or long-term impact on the power of the monarchy.
1199: John is crowned King, however, is extremely unpopular due to:
o Increased taxation
Amassed £1.3 million to pay for a costly war in France against King Philip.
Forced barons to pay to inherit their estates or marry.
o Lack of consultation
For example, Matilda de Braose was imprisoned after she blamed John for
the murder of his nephew. He starved her to death after demanding
£25,000.
o Abuse of the justice system
Abolished assizes and began to sell justice (judged in favour of those who
paid the most) after becoming suspicious of his Chief Justice.
o A major clash with the Church
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