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How far was the early history of Parliament affected by the circumstances of the Barons' War and its sequel ?
Assess the importance of taxation as an element in the growth of Parliament.
"It was the king's need for money, to pay for his wars, that brought Parliament into existence." Discuss.
"Statutes and parliaments were probably expedients rather than ends in the sight of Edward I." Discuss.
Assess the significance of the amalgamation of shire and borough representatives in a single House of Commons during the fourteenth century.
For what purposes were representatives of the commons summoned to parliaments before 1307 ?
"During the twenty years of Edward II's reign parliament ceased to be an experiment, and became and institution." Discuss.
"Until 1376 Parliament was a feudal assembly: thereafter it was an oligarchic instrument." Discuss.
Discuss the development of the House of Commons during the Lancastrian period.
What factors contributed to the development of parliament in the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries ?
Why were the revolutions of 1327 and 1399 of importance in the history of Parliament ?
How did the revolution of 1399 affect the fortunes of Parliament ?
To what extent, and for what reasons, had Parliament in England developed before the death of Edward II ?
"The reign of Edward III saw decisive advances in early parliamentary practice." What were they ?
What powers had parliament acquired by the end of the fourteenth century, and how had it acquired them ?
Discuss the place of the lords in the parliaments of the period 1340-1400.
"The election of a Speaker in 1376 is indicative of the power gained by Parliament during the reign of Edward III.' Do the facts support this statement ?
Account for the apparent fluctuations in the power of the House of Commons between 1376 and 1450.
Trace the most important stages in the growth of the influence of the Commons during the 14th and 15th centuries.
"That which is done in parliament can only be undone in Parliament." What led Sir Peter de la Mare to make this claim in 1376, and how far was it justified ?
"We must always remember that when the Commons first entered parliament they did so on their knees." Examine the development of the medieval parliament in the light of the quotation.
Comment upon the importance of political trials in later medieval England.
Account for the fluctuations in the powers of the House of Commons between 1399 and 1485.
Examine the importance of the idea of treason in English politics in the reigns of Edward III and Richard II.
Did the work of the Good Parliament have any lasting significance ?
To what extent did Henry IV, Richard of York and Edward IV seek a parliamentary title to the Crown, and why ?
Is it fair to describe the history of the 15th-century Parliament as "a matter of privilege and precedent".
Comment on the judgment that "under Edward IV and Richard III Parliament had no history."
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JSI/21/08/97
School of History and Welsh History - University of Wales Bangor