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Year 7 - History

Henry II's legal reforms

England under Henry II: how successfully did Henry reassert royal authority?

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils learn about England and the Angevin Empire under Henry II's rule. They then use their knowledge of Henry's rule to evaluate the degree to which he was a successful king.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to describe the importance of Henry II's legal reforms and how they centralised his control.

Key Notes

  • Legal matters were inconsistently dealt with by local courts and barons.
  • Henry II established the Assizes to settle property disputes in local areas.
  • Henry's reforms restored and increased his royal authority in legal matters across England.
  • The judgements of the Assizes developed the English Common Law.
  • Henry II's legal reforms represent an important change in the English legal system.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • legal: legal means connected to the law, for example, legal advice
  • Assize: an Assize was a royal court which travelled across England judging on local matters
  • authority: authority is the power or ability to control or demand obedience
  • reform: reform is when you make changes to improve something
  • common law: common law is developed from previous judgements rather than laws made by politicians

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • History is not relevant to today.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Summarise this historical learning in two key ideas.

Legal matters were inconsistently dealt with by local courts and barons. Henry II established the Assizes to settle property disputes in local areas.

2. Define this history term and explain why it matters in this topic. 'legal'

legal means connected to the law, for example, legal advice.

3. Correct this common history misconception using evidence language.

Mistake: History is not relevant to today. Correction: Henry II's reforms to the English legal system established the foundation of English common law, still in use today.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 7 History guide library.