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The Norman Conquest of England
William the Conqueror and the Battle of Hastings in 1066
William the Conqueror
• Viking descendant• Dad was Duke of Normandy
– Normandy- N. France given to Vikings
• Mother was a commoner • Father never married his
mom– Because of this- many nobles
said he was illegitimate – They tried to prevent him from
becoming Duke
William’s Rough Years
• Some of these nobles attempted to kill him and take his father’s lands
• Three of his guardians were killed by his enemies
• At 18 he claims his title and brutally puts down any rebellion
Claim to English Throne
• King of England Edward the Confessor dies without leaving an heir
• William and Edward are cousins
• William claims a right to the English throne
• But so did Harold II- Earl of Wessex
But….
• There were multiple claims to the English crown
• Viking kings from Norway and Denmark had taken over
• The Anglo-Saxons were struggling to get their power back
• And Anglo-Saxon named Harold II- was crowned King of England immediately following Edward’s death
• So…• William invades England- claiming
to be the rightful king
The Road to Norman Victory
• Both sides had between 7,000-8,000 soldiers
• When the Norman’s landed, Harold’s forces just fought a successful war against the Norwegians in northern England
• They had to march 240 miles to Hastings
Battle of Hastings: 1066
Heads up Harold!
• The Norman also fought with knights on horseback- they were crucial to their victory
• The English fought on foot
• King Harold II is killed in the battle- can you guess how he died?
Willy is now the Conqueror
• William was crowned King of England
• Kings and Nobles now own land in both England and France
• See the back board and take down the key ideas
William as King of England
• Kept one-fifth of England as his personal property• Took land and titles from Harold’s supporters• Norman knights and lords become nobles in England
– gave land to 200 Norman lords
• ***His nobles and successors had land in both England and France**
• Set up line of succession • Domesday Book-
– Property survey/census so taxes could be collected
• Built a number of castles/fortifications through England; the most famous is The Tower of London
Line of Succession
• Who gets the throne after the king croaks? • In theory- 1st Born son- is considered first for
any royal/noble title– If no son; it goes to oldest daughter, or another male
relative
• But many times in English history- this did not happen
• The king’s will, input of nobles, and multiple claims to the throne often make succession and bloody, messy and confusing issue
• The division of land and wealth often created conflict