Reddit mentions of The Hundred Years War: Trial by Battle (The Middle Ages Series, Volume 1)

Awhile back I mentioned how I was reading Derek Beck's "Igniting the Revolution" and wondered why the Tea Partiers chose to identify themselves as Mohawks.

According to J.L. Bell (historian who specializes in colonial Massachusetts and Revolutionary War), at the time of the Tea Party the Mohawks were the nearest hostile Indian nation and were used as somewhat of a symbol of resistance.

Also it seems that the people involved in the Tea Party were calling their disguises "Mohawk Indians" as soon as the following March of the Tea Party.

Currently reading Trial by Battle: The Hundred Years War

I've long had interest in the 100 Years' War, but I've mostly focused on specific battle (mostly Agincourt). I find the 100 Years' War interesting because of the way that the longbow and Agincourt has entered the English national mythos in the same sort of way that the notion of the embattled farmer and Lexington & Concord have entered the American national mythos.

A case that might interest you is Louis X of France. Louis died in 1316 with a pregnant Queen Clementia, one daughter from a previous marriage, and no sons. As such his younger brother Philip was named regent until the baby’s birth.

There was some well recorded legal arguments going on at the time, as the existing inheritance law in France was the Salic law, which was essentially, women don't have any inheritance rights. This lead to arguments regarding what should rightfully happen if the child is born female. Made more complicated as Louis' daughter Joan was born into a previous marriage, and her paternity had been brought into question as Joan's mother Margaret had had an affair, leading many to speculate whether she was the King's actual daughter.

To make matters worse, there was no Pope at the time of Margaret's affair being made public, and as such Louis' marriage to her was not annulled, as Margaret died before a Pope was elected.
This left the question of inheritance very complicated if the new Queen had a daughter, Salic law had no guidelines for this sort of thing, and there would inevitably be squabbling if there were two female heirs with legally ambiguous family ties.

As such the peers of France eventually resolved that the King's brother Phillips should be regent until the baby was born, and if it was a girl, Philip would remain regent until the girls reached adulthood, hopefully allowing time for the laws to be resolved.
Fortunately, the matter was simplified when Queen Clementia gave birth to a boy 5 months after her husband's death, who became King John I. King John simplified things even further still, when he died at 5 days old. Philip was then in a position to argue that as John had been king, he (Philip), was in the right to inherit from his nephew, as under Salic law Uncles could inherit before sisters, and the complications surrounding Louis' marriages could be ignored. This didn't win everybody over, but it did win Charles Duke of Valois who was Philip’s own uncle and was previously championing Joan's rights to inherit. Charles had enough influence at court that Philip was Crowned Philip V, and although many people protested by not showing up to the coronation, people just sort of settled down after a while, and Philip V was generally considered to be a good king.

Sources:
Pretty much any book on medieval France will cover this material, as the Capetian dynasty are considered to be a pretty big deal. The inheritance squabbles and Salic law I briefly glossed over are considered major aspects in the build-up to the Hundred Years War between France and England.
In particular I can recommend Hundred Years War Vol 1 by Jonathan Sumption Who goes into the reins of Louis X and Philip V in chapters 1-5 as part of his set-up. Although I can't remember if Sumption goes into much on the topic of the arguments made for the inheritance.
In the same vein, Encyclopedia of the Hundred Years War by John Wagner is considered a good reference point on the Capetian squabbles, but I haven't read too much of it.

And to be honest the wiki entries of the parties involved are pretty much ok.

Louis X

Philip V

Salic law