Independent study & practice
Medieval Britain
24 questions · Land, law and changing power. Study the notes, then practise without the clock.
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Study notes: make the connections
Land, law and changing power
Feudalism linked landholding to service. Magna Carta limited the monarch, while Parliament gradually developed from the king’s council. The Black Death changed the balance between landowners and workers.
Keep the Wars of the Roses families and symbols together: Lancaster red, York white, then the combined Tudor rose.
| Remember the link | Key fact |
|---|---|
| the landholding system based on military service | Feudalism Under feudalism land was granted in exchange for service, especially in war. |
| peasants tied to a lord’s land | Serfs Serfs farmed some land for themselves but also had obligations to their lord. |
| the charter limiting King John in 1215 | Magna Carta Magna Carta established that the king was subject to the law. |
| the family symbolised by a red rose | House of Lancaster The red rose represented Lancaster in the Wars of the Roses. |
| the family symbolised by a white rose | House of York The white rose represented York in the Wars of the Roses. |
| the victor who became king after Bosworth | Henry VII Henry Tudor became Henry VII after Richard III died at Bosworth. |
| the Scottish victor at Bannockburn | Robert the Bruce Robert the Bruce led the Scottish victory in 1314. |
| the English victor at Agincourt | Henry V Henry V defeated the French at Agincourt in 1415. |
| the poet who wrote The Canterbury Tales | Geoffrey Chaucer Chaucer wrote stories about pilgrims travelling to Canterbury. |
| the pioneer of printing books in England | William Caxton Caxton used a printing press to produce books in England. |
| the Scots poem by John Barbour | The Bruce Barbour’s The Bruce concerns Robert the Bruce and Bannockburn. |
| the English-controlled area around medieval Dublin | The Pale The Pale was the area around Dublin controlled by the English. |
Handbook reference: Chapter 3: A long and illustrious history — The Middle Ages. These are original revision notes, not a reproduction of the handbook.
Three quick study checks
Which term or name matches the landholding system based on military service?
Feudalism
Under feudalism land was granted in exchange for service, especially in war.
What is associated with Feudalism?
the landholding system based on military service
Under feudalism land was granted in exchange for service, especially in war.
Which term or name matches peasants tied to a lord’s land?
Serfs
Serfs farmed some land for themselves but also had obligations to their lord.