OCR GCSE History A J410
Castles: Form and Function c.1000–1750Historic environment
China 1950–1981: The People and the StateDepth study
Germany 1925–1955: The People and the StateDepth study
International Relations: The Changing International Order 1918–1975
Migration to Britain c.1000 to c.2010Thematic study
Personal Rule to Restoration 1629–1660British depth
Power: Monarchy and Democracy in Britain c.1000 to 2014Thematic study
South Africa 1960–1994: The People and the StateDepth study
The English Reformation c.1520–c.1550British depth
The Impact of Empire on Britain 1688–c.1730British depth
The USA 1919–1948: The People and the StateDepth study
The USA 1945–1974: The People and the StateDepth study
Urban Environments: Patterns of MigrationHistoric environment
War and British Society c.790 to c.2010Thematic study
Power: Monarchy and Democracy in Britain c.1000 to 2014
Claiming, keeping and losing power
- 3 things to know
- Paper 2
Overview
How rulers claimed the crown from the Witan to elections in 2014, how they kept it through castles, land, religion, display, patronage, censorship and concession, and how power was challenged from 1215 to the Chartists.
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
How did William III’s title to the throne differ from James II’s?
How did medieval kings use land to keep their nobles loyal?
Questions from this subtopic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
How did the Witan’s choice of a ruler differ from the rule of inheritance that took hold later?
Model answer
The Witan picked the fittest adult man from the royal house, whereas later the crown passed automatically to the eldest son, whatever his ability.
- 2
What made a medieval English king’s authority a religious matter as well as a political one?
Model answer
He was anointed with holy oil at his coronation, so he ruled as God’s choice and disobeying him was presented as a sin.
- 3
William of Normandy argued for the crown by inheritance, but what actually gave it to him?
Model answer
Victory in battle in 1066 and the seizure of English estates, so his rule rested on conquest rather than on the promise he claimed.
- 4
Why did Henry VII depend on more than descent to justify his rule?
Model answer
His blood claim was weak and came through an illegitimate line, so he relied on victory at Bosworth, an Act confirming his title, and marriage to Elizabeth of York.
- 5
What sort of claim did Henry VIII use to justify taking charge of the church in England?
Model answer
A legal one: Acts passed by Parliament declared him its Supreme Head, so his new authority stood on the law of the land.
- 6
How did William III’s title to the throne differ from James II’s?
Model answer
James held the crown by hereditary right, while William was offered it by Parliament on stated conditions, so his claim came from statute and consent.
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