In "Braveheart" the antagonist is Edward I. He's the king who throws his son's gay lover from a window (actually he just exiled him) and eventually had William Wallace executed.
Today is his 1239 birthday.
While he is pictured as a villain, a movie could easily have been made with Edward as progagonist.
During his father's reign, he pacified yet another revolt by the barons (their third since Magna Carta) and, while participating in the Ninth Crusade, learned that his father had died. He was crowned at Westminster Abbey in 1274.
During his reign the Welsh people revolted and Edward responded with sufficient force to crush the rebellion and incorporate Wales entirely into England. If you visit Wales today, all the castles that have become tourist destinations were erected during Edward's reign. He also moved large number of the English people to populate the area around these castles.
As the "Hammer of Scotland" he added that nation to England's control. Across the channel, Edward reclaimed land previously conquered by France.
All these military operations were costly. Charging interest on loans (Usury) was forbidden to Christians, so Jews became the money lenders of Europe. Borrowing heavily from the bankers, Edward then exiled the Jewish population from England, negating the debts and enriching himself by confiscating their property.
In an effort to tax the growing middle class directly the king created the first Parliament that included clergy, nobility and tradesmen from the cities. This becomes the mechanism to approve all new taxes...and in time this "power of the purse" will gain legislative power.
Edward also reform British criminal law which regarded all violations as inspired by the devil and demanding punishment. During his reign crimes became either misdemeanors or felonies.
By his first wife, Eleanor of Castile, Edward had at least 14 children, perhaps 16...five daughters survived to adulthood, but only one son (who was a disappointment to his dad). His second wife produced only 3 (slacker).
While attempting to put down another Scottish revolt by Robert the Bruce, Edward I died of dysentery in 1307.
Was George Washington sterile? Today marks the 1731 birth of Martha Dandridge Custis Washington, our first "First Lady", although the term was not in use at the time. She married for the first time at age 19 to Daniel Parke Custis who was almost 20 years her senior. During their seven year marriage which ended with his death, Martha gave birth to four children, two survived to adulthood. Custis' death left Martha a very wealthy widow. On her own she managed five plantations that were left to her, with 300 slaves and the equivalent of $4,000,000 in today's money. And she apparently negotiated with her British factors in an able manner. Unlike the matronly, frumpish image we have of Lady Washington today, contemporary accounts demonstrate the 28 year old whom Washington (and others) courted to be attractive and lively. Since early colonial days, in New England love was considered to be a necessary prerequisite for marriage. Not so in Virginia wher...
Comments
Post a Comment