Kingdoms and the Magna Carta
William the Conqueror
In the early A.D. 400s, Germanic tribes had established many Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, but by the late A.D. 800s, the Vikings had attacked Britain. Under the leadership of Alfred the Great, the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms united and drove out the Vikings. These kingdoms became known as "Angleland," or England.
Key Players
King Alfred of Wessex
King Alfred or Alfred the Great, was responsible for uniting the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. He ruled England from A.D. 871 to 899. He hired scholars to rewrite Latin books in the Anglo-Saxon language and also founded many schools.
William the Conqueror
William was a descendant of the Viking ruler who had conquered Normandy. Normandy was a region that the Vikings had conquered in A.D. 900s. William ruled this land in the A.D. 1000s.
King John
John became king of England in 1199. He was known to have raised taxes and punish his enemies without trials. Nobles resented his power and refused to obey him unless his would guarantee them certain rights. In 1215 He was forced to sign a document of rights called the Magna Carta.
King Alfred or Alfred the Great, was responsible for uniting the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. He ruled England from A.D. 871 to 899. He hired scholars to rewrite Latin books in the Anglo-Saxon language and also founded many schools.
William the Conqueror
William was a descendant of the Viking ruler who had conquered Normandy. Normandy was a region that the Vikings had conquered in A.D. 900s. William ruled this land in the A.D. 1000s.
King John
John became king of England in 1199. He was known to have raised taxes and punish his enemies without trials. Nobles resented his power and refused to obey him unless his would guarantee them certain rights. In 1215 He was forced to sign a document of rights called the Magna Carta.
The Magna Carta: Using Primary Sources
This excerpt from the Magna Carta describes the right to a trial by jury:
"No free man shall be taken, imprisoned, disseised [seized], outlawed, banished,
or in any way destroyed, nor will We proceed against or prosecute him, except by the lawful judgment of his peers and by the law of the land." ---Magna Carta |