i . England.
General Statement.—In preceding chapters we have told of the origin of the English people, and traced their growth under Saxon, Danish, and Norman rulers (see pp. 375, 411, 433). We shall, in the present section, tell very briefly the story of their progress under the Plantagenet kings, thus carrying on our narrative to the accession of the Tudors in 1485, from which event dates the beginning of the modern history of England.
The era of the Plantagenets,[1] which covers three hundred and thirty-one years, was a most eventful one in English history. The chief political matters that we shall notice were the wresting of Magna Charta from King John, the formation of the House of Commons, the Conquest of Wales, the Wars with Scotland, the Hundred Years' War with France, and the Wars of the Roses. Magna Charta (1215).—Magna Charta, the "Great Charter," held sacred as the basis of English liberties, was an instrument which the English barons and clergy forced King John to grant, in which the ancient rights and privileges of the people were clearly defined and guaranteed.
King John (1199-1216), the third of the Plantagenet line, was as tyrannical as he was unscrupulous and wicked. His course led to an open revolt of the barons, who were resolved upon the recovery of their ancient liberties. The tyrant was forced to bow
- ↑ The name Plantagenet came from the peculiar badge, a sprig of broom-plant (plante de genêt), adopted by one of the early members of the House.
Following is a table of the sovereigns of the family: —
Henry II. 1154–1189 HOUSE OF LANCASTER. Richard I. 1189–1199 Henry IV 1399–1413 John 1199–1216 Henry V 1413–1422 Henry III. 1216–1272 Henry VI 1422–1461 Edward I. 1272–1307 HOUSE OF YORK. Edward II 1307-1327 Edward IV 1461–1483 Edward III 1327-1377 Edward V 1483 Richard II 1377–1399 Richard III 1483–1485
