Notes

Anglo-Saxan came about when the Anglos and the Saxans combined to from Angoland, now England. Shires were like sheriffs now, they collected taxes. Alfred the Great was the first king, the last Anglo-Saxan king was Edward the Confessor. When Edward died a war started because he had no heir, 2 people fought for the throne, Herald Godwinson he was the brother-in-law and the other person was the Duke of Normandy, William, he was Edward's cousin. This lead to one of the top 100 most important battles in history, the Battle of the Hastings, it was over quickly, William beat Herald terribly and was named William the Conqueror. He wanted to get things done quickly, he the first to take a census since Roman Times, the census tracked everything in your household and was used to tax you, the imformation was put into a book called the Domesday book, they nicknamed it the Doomsday book, when he dies he is succeeded Henry I. He was replaced by his grandson Henry II.
     Henry II decides he wants to make the church clergy accountable and together with the government. His friend, the archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket disagrees with Thomas and goes to meet with him and the argument gets very heated. Thomas leaves and Henry says "I wish he was dead" Not meaning for it to happen. Four knights eavesdropping on the conversation and decide to carry out his wish. They follow Thomas and stab him in the church, on Christmas Eve. This effectively ended Henry II's rule. Thomas Becket was canonized 150 years later.
     Henry was replaced by his son John, he went to war and had to tax heavily, as much as 87%, the people meet in the town of Runny Mean and create the Magna Carta. John is forced to sign it. The Magna Carta is the basis of our constitution.
     The Magna Carta is a cornerstone in many modern governments including the US Constitution. It was designed to limit the king's power. It also gave a group of barons the right to fight him if he violated it.