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History Essay

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Manorialism was an economic system that existed in Western Europe from about 1050 to 1300 CE. Serfs who worked for a lord farmed large fields. The lord owned the fields and lived in a large manor house. He owned between a third and a half of all the crops. The serfs also had a part of the fields for themselves. Serfs couldn’t leave the manor and they had to give the lord a certain amount of their crops, but they could keep the surplus. The serfs lived together communally and worked the fields together using the three crop rotation. There was also a church and a parson who had his own house and part of the crops. Lords who were warriors that defended the manor and attacked neighboring manors created manors. The serfs had …show more content…

A free man was also entitled to judgment before his equals and in accordance with the law before the state could enforce punishment. One short-term effect of the Magna Carta was that King John was denied the ability to finance a war with France. One long-term effect of the Magna Carta was that it limited government and bound the King to the law.(437)

Canon Law The Western Church developed Canon Law during the 12th century. The ideas that drove the creation of the Canon Laws were conceived during the papacy of Pope Gregory VII. He saw the Church as an active organization that had to create “right order in the world”. Gregory VII thought that the papacy was superior to Kings and Emperors and he was very confrontational with them. His ideas drove the papacy to strive toward a “papal monarchy”. The Canon Laws were created as a basis for the Church to preside over matters pertaining to clergy as well as many civil areas such as marriage, adoption, and inheritance. The pope and bishops had the final say on all Court appeals in Canon Law courts. This gave the Church both power and prestige. One short-term effect of Canon Law was that Pope Innocent III had control of Kings and some of the rule over Western Europe’s governments. He brought Fredrick II to power in Germany and gained financial control over England as a fief. He was also able to call the Crusades and raise money through income tax. One long-term effect of Canon Law was that it changed the Church.

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