The Rise of the Plantagenets

Join us this week as we explore a pivotal era that shaped medieval England from the reign of Henry II to the death of Edward I (1154–1307). This was a time of powerful monarchs and sweeping reform—when the Angevin Empire stretched from Scotland to the Pyrenees, royal authority clashed with the Church, and the seeds of English common law and constitutional limits were sown. We’ll examine the personal ambitions and political strategies that forged a dynasty, from Henry II’s legal revolution and Eleanor of Aquitaine’s influence, to the turmoil of King John and the conquest-driven reign of Edward I.

Topics for Discussion

• The Accession of Henry II and the Angevin Empire
• The Murder of Thomas Becket
• Eleanor of Aquitaine
• The Rebellion of Henry’s Sons
• Richard the Lionheart and the Third Crusade
• The Reign of King John and the Loss of Normandy
• Magna Carta and Its Legacy
• The Minority and Rule of Henry III
• Simon de Montfort and the Rise of Parliament
• Edward I’s Legal Reforms and Conquest of Wales
• The First War of Scottish Independence