-The Plantagenets

One of the king of the England was William I, duke of Normandy. He

has many sons and, when he died in 1087, his succession was
problematic.
Many years later became king Henry II Plantagenet, in 1154. He
organized many reforms, especially in the judicial system. While in
the past men were tried without any witnesses, now a judge was
helped by a group of people called a "jury". The king's courts
applied a common body of customary law called "common law".
This king decided to killed the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas
Beckett, after he recognized his guilt and he was whipped publicy.
Henry II died in 1189. His son was the new king: Richard I, the
Lionheart.
He reign from 1189 until 1199 and he was a brave soldier and a
crusader.
After Richard became king John, who was forced by the great feudal
lords to sign the "Magna Carta" in 1215. This document guaranteed
the right to a fair and legal trial.
During the reign of Henry III the nobles, led by Simon de Montfort,
elected a council and started a programme of reforms who was
called "Parliament".
Later Edward I became king and the Parliament became the
"Modern Parliament" with some changes.
-The hundred years war and wars of the roses
In 1300 rivalry with France was strong, and Edward III wanted to
regain the territories which had belonged to Henry II.
He tried to get them claiming the French Crown, but this clain was
rejected, so he declared war on France in 1337 and begun the
Hundred Years'War.
In the same years a plague called Black Death rached England.
The taxes which financed the war caused discontent among the
peasants and in 1381 there was the Peasants'Revolt. At the end
French reconquered his territories and the war finished.
In 1455 there was a civil wars called the Wars of the Roses that
involved two important families of England: The house of Lancaster
and the house of York. The war was called "wars of the roses"
because the flags of the families had the first a white rose, and the
second a red rose.
This war end with a marriage with Elizabeth of York and Enry Tudor,
later called Henry VI.

With him began the dinasty of the Tudors.

-Tudors, Henry VIII, Elizabeth
Henry VII was a clever sovereing and he created the royal navy and
he supported the merchant classes.
Henry VIII is remembered for the break with Rome. The power of the
church in England was great, and wasn't subject to the authority of
the king.
Henry VIII wanted that the Pope annulled his marriage. The Pope
denied the request and Henry , with the Parliament, proclamed
himself the head of the church of England (Act of Supremacy).
The king married six times. When he died Mary became queen and
she tried to restore catholicism and began the persecution of
protestants.
She died and became queen Elizabeth, son of Anne Boleyn and
Henry VIII.
Her reign coincided with the Golden Age. The queen never married.
Her closest heir was Mary Stuart the roman catholic queen of
scotland.
She consolidated the power of England .
The queen permitted private ships to attack spanish ships carrying
gold and silver.
Philip II decide to invade England but his armed ships the
"Invincible Armada", were defeated by the English fleet. When
Elizabeth died left the reign to James, the son of Mary Stuart.