The Growth of England's Political Institutions
A big contributor to the growth of English government was in fact Edward III (1327-1377). This was largely due to his constant need for money to fund the Hundred Years' War. In turn he left the, "fund raising," and money handling up to Parliament. Because Parliament was depended on by the king they came to play a very influential role in the government. At the same time they also began to organize themselves due to the increasing amount of work they had to do. Eventually Parliament split into two houses, that of the Lords and that of the Commons.
The House of Lords consisted of a group or panel of church leaders, while the house of Commons consisted of a group of representatives from cities, town and villages. The House of Lords handled most of the business of Parliament, while the House of Commons, at its best, proposed petitions, which the king either passed and made into laws or denied altogether.
At around the same time as the Hundred Years' War something else was also plaguing England. The aristocrats in England at that time were less worried about the war with France as they were about furthering their financial wealth. This eventually lead to King Richard II's (1377-1399) downfall. With the forming of factions, or groups of aristocrats with a common goal, as mentioned previously in the chapter, there came infighting in England. The leader of a particular faction, named Henry of Lancaster, was driven so far as to make war with Richard. Lancaster defeated him in the end and assumed the throne as king of England from 1399 to 1413. All of the infighting due to factions within England gave way to a series of English civil wars later called the War of Roses.
The House of Lords consisted of a group or panel of church leaders, while the house of Commons consisted of a group of representatives from cities, town and villages. The House of Lords handled most of the business of Parliament, while the House of Commons, at its best, proposed petitions, which the king either passed and made into laws or denied altogether.
At around the same time as the Hundred Years' War something else was also plaguing England. The aristocrats in England at that time were less worried about the war with France as they were about furthering their financial wealth. This eventually lead to King Richard II's (1377-1399) downfall. With the forming of factions, or groups of aristocrats with a common goal, as mentioned previously in the chapter, there came infighting in England. The leader of a particular faction, named Henry of Lancaster, was driven so far as to make war with Richard. Lancaster defeated him in the end and assumed the throne as king of England from 1399 to 1413. All of the infighting due to factions within England gave way to a series of English civil wars later called the War of Roses.