Chapter 5 – The Decline of Feudalism
1. Introduction
Click to read caption
In this lesson, you will explore key events that contributed to the decline of feudalism. This decline took place
in Europe from the 12th through the 15th centuries.
There were many causes for the breakdown of the feudal system. In this lesson, you will focus on three:
political changes in England, a terrible disease, and a long series of wars.
In England, several political changes in the 12th and 13th centuries helped to weaken feudalism. A famous
document known as Magna Carta, or Great Charter, dates from this time. Magna Carta was a written legal
agreement that limited the king’s power and strengthened the rights of nobles. As feudalism declined, Magna
Carta took on a much broader meaning and contributed to ideas about individual rights and liberties in England.
The terrible disease was the bubonic plague, or Black Death. The plague swept across Asia in the 1300s and
reached Europe in the late 1340s. Over the next two centuries, this terrifying disease killed millions in Europe.
It struck all kinds of people—rich and poor, young and old, town dwellers and country folk. Almost everyone
who caught the plague died within days. In some places, whole communities were wiped out. The deaths of so
many people led to sweeping economic and social changes.
Lastly, between 1337 and 1453, France and England fought a series of battles known as the Hundred Years’
War. This conflict changed the way wars were fought and shifted power away from feudal lords to monarchs
and the common people.
How did such different events contribute to the decline of feudalism? In this lesson, you will find out.
Themes
Cultural Interaction Feudal culture declined as new military technology reduced the importance of castles
and feudal lords.
Political Structures Reforms in England and the Hundred Years’ War weakened the nobility and strengthened
the power of both the monarchy and the common people.
1
, Chapter 5 – The Decline of Feudalism
Economic Structures The plague caused trade and commerce to slow, and the feudal model of agricultural
production was undermined as peasants gained greater opportunities.
Social Structures The hierarchical structures of feudal society were challenged by war and disease as the
common people gained influence throughout this period.
Human-Environment Interaction The bubonic plague spread from Asia to western Europe and caused mass
death along the way.
2. Political Developments in England
There were many reasons for the decline of feudalism in Europe. In one country, England, political
developments during the 12th and 13th centuries helped to weaken feudalism. The story begins with King
Henry II, who reigned from 1154 to 1189.
Henry II’s Legal Reforms Henry made legal reform a central concern of his reign. For example, he insisted
that a jury formally accuse a person of a serious crime. Cases were then tried before a royal judge. In theory,
people could no longer simply be jailed or executed for no legal reason. There also had to be a court trial. These
reforms strengthened the power of royal courts at the expense of feudal lords.
Click to read caption
Henry’s effort to strengthen royal authority led to a serious conflict with the Catholic Church. In the year 1164,
Henry issued the Constitutions of Clarendon, a document that he said spelled out the king’s traditional rights.
Among them was the right to try clergy accused of serious crimes in royal courts, rather than in Church courts.
Henry’s action led to a long, bitter quarrel with his friend, Thomas Becket, the archbishop of Canterbury. In
1170, four knights, perhaps seeking the king’s favor, killed Becket in front of the main altar of Canterbury
Cathedral. The cathedral and Becket’s tomb soon became a popular destination for pilgrimages. In 1173, the
Catholic Church proclaimed him a saint. Still, most of the Constitutions of Clarendon remained in force.
King John and Magna Carta In 1199, Henry’s youngest son, John, became king of England. John soon
made powerful enemies by losing most of the lands the English had controlled in France. He also taxed his
barons heavily and ignored their traditional rights, arresting opponents at will. In addition, John quarreled with
the Catholic Church and collected large amounts of money from its properties.
2
1. Introduction
Click to read caption
In this lesson, you will explore key events that contributed to the decline of feudalism. This decline took place
in Europe from the 12th through the 15th centuries.
There were many causes for the breakdown of the feudal system. In this lesson, you will focus on three:
political changes in England, a terrible disease, and a long series of wars.
In England, several political changes in the 12th and 13th centuries helped to weaken feudalism. A famous
document known as Magna Carta, or Great Charter, dates from this time. Magna Carta was a written legal
agreement that limited the king’s power and strengthened the rights of nobles. As feudalism declined, Magna
Carta took on a much broader meaning and contributed to ideas about individual rights and liberties in England.
The terrible disease was the bubonic plague, or Black Death. The plague swept across Asia in the 1300s and
reached Europe in the late 1340s. Over the next two centuries, this terrifying disease killed millions in Europe.
It struck all kinds of people—rich and poor, young and old, town dwellers and country folk. Almost everyone
who caught the plague died within days. In some places, whole communities were wiped out. The deaths of so
many people led to sweeping economic and social changes.
Lastly, between 1337 and 1453, France and England fought a series of battles known as the Hundred Years’
War. This conflict changed the way wars were fought and shifted power away from feudal lords to monarchs
and the common people.
How did such different events contribute to the decline of feudalism? In this lesson, you will find out.
Themes
Cultural Interaction Feudal culture declined as new military technology reduced the importance of castles
and feudal lords.
Political Structures Reforms in England and the Hundred Years’ War weakened the nobility and strengthened
the power of both the monarchy and the common people.
1
, Chapter 5 – The Decline of Feudalism
Economic Structures The plague caused trade and commerce to slow, and the feudal model of agricultural
production was undermined as peasants gained greater opportunities.
Social Structures The hierarchical structures of feudal society were challenged by war and disease as the
common people gained influence throughout this period.
Human-Environment Interaction The bubonic plague spread from Asia to western Europe and caused mass
death along the way.
2. Political Developments in England
There were many reasons for the decline of feudalism in Europe. In one country, England, political
developments during the 12th and 13th centuries helped to weaken feudalism. The story begins with King
Henry II, who reigned from 1154 to 1189.
Henry II’s Legal Reforms Henry made legal reform a central concern of his reign. For example, he insisted
that a jury formally accuse a person of a serious crime. Cases were then tried before a royal judge. In theory,
people could no longer simply be jailed or executed for no legal reason. There also had to be a court trial. These
reforms strengthened the power of royal courts at the expense of feudal lords.
Click to read caption
Henry’s effort to strengthen royal authority led to a serious conflict with the Catholic Church. In the year 1164,
Henry issued the Constitutions of Clarendon, a document that he said spelled out the king’s traditional rights.
Among them was the right to try clergy accused of serious crimes in royal courts, rather than in Church courts.
Henry’s action led to a long, bitter quarrel with his friend, Thomas Becket, the archbishop of Canterbury. In
1170, four knights, perhaps seeking the king’s favor, killed Becket in front of the main altar of Canterbury
Cathedral. The cathedral and Becket’s tomb soon became a popular destination for pilgrimages. In 1173, the
Catholic Church proclaimed him a saint. Still, most of the Constitutions of Clarendon remained in force.
King John and Magna Carta In 1199, Henry’s youngest son, John, became king of England. John soon
made powerful enemies by losing most of the lands the English had controlled in France. He also taxed his
barons heavily and ignored their traditional rights, arresting opponents at will. In addition, John quarreled with
the Catholic Church and collected large amounts of money from its properties.
2
