Louis IX was commonly known as Saint Louis. He was a Capetian king of France who reigned from 1226 until his death in 1270. During his time reigning, Louis worked for the political unification of France. He reformed the system of taxation along with the courts. He made it so that every man in France had a better chance of receiving justice than they would have in the past. He also promoted that the law be written down so that the law would be clearer. And he made major strides toward completely eliminating trial by combat in favor of trial by jury. Louis IX’s reputation for integrity was so fierce that foreign monarchs regularly asked him to arbitrate their disputes. On top of that, he founded a hospital for the poor, sick, and blind.
