Edexcel GCSE History - Anglo-Saxon and Norman England Questions and Answers

Edexcel GCSE History - Anglo-Saxon and Norman England Questions and Answers Anglo-Saxon - People who had settled in England after the Romans left Britain - Came from different parts of what is now Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands Beacon fires A large fire lit to send warnings quickly over large distances Church - With a large C is the organization in charge of religion - With a small c, it is the buildings in which religious services are held The Danelaw The part of England (north and east) where Danish (Viking) power had been strongest and which kept some of its Danish laws instead of Anglo-Saxon ones Embassy A person or group of people sent to discuss important matters with a foreign ruler Hides - The measurements used for land in Anglo-Saxon and Norman England - One hide was about 120 acres: the amount a family needed to support themselves Oath - A solemn promise to do something - Sworn on holy relics to make them especially binding - A relic was a body part of a dead saint, kept in a special casket Reeve An Anglo-Saxon official in a country (shire-reeve/or sheriff) or a hundred Witan - Or Witanagemot was a meeting of powerful lords and bishops who were advisors to the King - Played an important role in succession Anglo-Saxon Society The Social System - Hierarchical - Status could increase (success) or decline (as punishment for crime) Anglo-Saxon Society The Social System: King - Defend the country - Pass and enforce law - Defend the Church and appoint its leaders - Manage his lords (nobles) Anglo-Saxon Society The Social System: Earls - Usually no more than 6 - Most powerful of the King's lords, acting as advisers - Ensured laws were enforced in their regions - Raised men for the King's army Anglo-Saxon Society The Social System: Thegns - <1% of population - Less powerful lords - Granted land in return for military service Anglo-Saxon Society The Social System: Ceorls - 10% of population - Freemen who owned their own farms - All male ceorls had to serve in the army Anglo-Saxon Society The Social System: Peasants - 70% of population - Worked the land of their lord and formed their own rented land - All men could be asked by the lord to fight in wartime Anglo-Saxon Society The Social System: Slaves - 10% of population - No freedom - Worked on their lord's land or in his house Anglo-Saxon Society Monarchy and Central Government: Royal Household The King, his family, housecarls (household soldiers) and servants Anglo-Saxon Society Monarchy and Central Government: Royal court Royal household plus those consulted for important decisions e.g. advisers, chief landowners (Earls), bishops Anglo-Saxon Society Monarchy and Central Government: Witan - Met when requested by the King and open only to those invited - King held power over final decision - Consulting showed respect and helped generate support for the King's decisions Anglo-Saxon Society Local Government and Earls: Earldom - Northumbria, Mercia, East Anglia, Wessex - Shires/counties - 40 - Hundreds (contained 12 villages) - Villagers King appointed a thegn as shire-reeve (sheriff) in each country - They collected tax and fines, carried out justice in the shire-courts, raised soldiers for the King's army. Hundred-courts held monthly to deal with less serious crime Anglo-Saxon Society The Legal System: Wergild - A fine paid to victims of crime or their families. - Levels of fine were set by the King's law and reflected social status and society (killing a lord = 300 shillings, a peasant was a lot less) Anglo-Saxon Society The Legal System: Capital and Physical Punishment - Death penalty for treason - Hand cut off for stealing from the Church. - Re-offending led to mutilation (hands, ears, eyes) - This punishment meant that prison only required before trial Anglo-Saxon Society The Legal System: Policing - 'Tithing' for all men over twelve made them responsible for one another's behaviour. - If crime was committed, the 'hue and cry' was raised - All villagers were expected to help catch the criminal. Anglo-Saxon Society The Legal System: Trial by Jury (Shire or Hundred-Court) Men who knew the accuser and accused Anglo-Saxon Society The Legal System: Trial by Ordeal (Church) If a jury couldn't decide, God became the judge e.g. trial by hot water. - If the wound healed cleanly, it was a sign of innocence. - If it didn't, they were guilty. Anglo-Saxon Society Life in Towns and Villages: Villages (12-15 houses) - Simple homes made of 'wattle and daub' - Shared by valuable livestock (sheep, pigs, cattle) in bad weather - Ploughs valuable - Most churches were wooden - Fish (eels - river) & (herring - sea) could be used to pay rent Anglo-Saxon Society Life in Towns and Villages: Towns (100 in 1060/10% of population) - Higher status residents - Markets sold a wide range of goods that were not available in villages - jewellery, weapons, leather and cloth, spices and gems - Significant towns - Ludenwic (London), Eoforwic (York) and Winchester Anglo-Saxon Society The Economy: Subsistence Villagers produced just enough food, clothing, pots and other goods for their own families Anglo-Saxon Society The Economy: Exchange Economy - If extra was produced, bartering was used to swap for other goods e.g. milk for bowls - This was used more regularly than money Anglo-Saxon Society The Economy: Towns - Made (minted) money (silver pennies) and were important for trade - Export (wool, iron, cheese) - Import (precious metal, glass, wine, gems, spices) Anglo-Saxon Society The Church - Rich and powerful (owned 25% of land) influencing government and everyday life - Belief in Heaven and Hell meant that the Church was very important - Role in celebration of Holy days (holidays), including Saints Days were time for feasting and games Anglo-Saxon Society The Church: Structure - 2x Archbishops - 15x Bishops (diocese/see) - Priests - Monasteries (monks) led by an abbot - Convent (nuns) led by abbess - Acted as advisors to lords and the King 1066: Death, succession crisis and claimants to the throne The house of Godwin - Earl Godwin (d.1053) supported King Edward and married his daughter Edith to the King - Richest family in England - Lands produced income of £8,500 (£2,000 more than the King's land) 1066: Death, succession crisis and claimants to the throne Harold Godwinson, Earl of Wessex - Led successful military campaigns against the welsh () - Became sub regulus (2nd to the King) - Religious belief evident in founding a monastery (Waltham Abbey) and going on a pilgrimage (Rome) - Unofficial 'Danish' marriage to Edith Swan-neck (20 years, 5 children) - Official marriage to Edith of Mercia (Less than 1 year) 1066: Death, succession crisis and claimants to the throne Harold's embassy to Normandy - Accounts (Norman) suggest that Harold visited Normandy in 1064 and swore an oath renewing the King's (Edward) promise to William of the throne and giving William his loyalty - Other accounts (Saxon) claim Harold went to Normandy to recover hostages 1066: Death, succession crisis and claimants to the throne Harold, Tostig and exile - Tostig (Harold's brother) made Earl of Nurthumbria in 1055, defending the north of England against Scottish and Viking invaders. - He was unpopular due to taxation and his harsh treatment of rivals - In 1065 Northumbrian thegns rebel against Tostig and demand a new earl (Morcar) - The King sent Harold to speak to the rebels - he supports them and the King replaces Tostig - Tostig went into exile and became Harold's enemy 1066: Death, succession crisis and claimants to the throne Edward the Confessor died on the 5th January 1066 without an heir. Led to Succession Crisis Harold Godwinson () - Appointed successor by the King on his deathbed. Proven in battle and had put the country ahead of his family (Tostig). Had support of the Witan Edgar Aethling () - Only living blood relative of the King. But only 14 in 1066 and had not support amongst the earls Harald Hardrada () - King of Norway and descendent of King Cnut (Danish King of England). Harald was encouraged to invade by Tostig. Weak claim but had 15,000 warriors and lots of battle experience William of Normandy () - Believed Edward had promised him the throne in 1051 - a pledge reaffirmed by Harold in 1064. Had the backing of the Pope and lots of military experience 1066: Death, succession crisis and claimants to the throne The Witan and reign of Harold Godwinson - Harold was crowned on the 6th January supported by the Witan - Created a strong alliance with Northern Earls (of Mercia and Northumbria) by marrying their sister, Edith - Positioned the largest army England had seen on the south coast and a fleet in the Channel - expensive and in September the Fyrd had to be disbanded for harvest 1066: Invasions and battles: Causes, significance and outcomes of battles Gate Fulford, 20th September 1066 - Hardrada and Tostig had landed with 10,000 warriors and marched towards York - Outnumbered, the earls of Mercia (Edwin) and Northumbria (Morcar) still marched from (fortified) York to meet them - Thousands of English troops were killed, wounded or taken hostage. York surrendered to Hardrada - Harold was forced to march north 1066: Invasions and battles: Causes, significance and outcomes of battles Stamford Bridge, 25th September 1066 - Harold marched 185 miles in 5 days, taking Hardrada's army by surprise (without their armour) - Hardrada and Tostig both killed 1066: Invasions and battles: Causes, significance and outcomes of battles Hastings, 14th October 1066: Leadership skills - William - Constructed a dedicated invasion fleet, keeping his army together whilst waiting to cross, risking a stormy crossing late in the year establishing a pre-fabricated castle near Hastings - Harold - Rushing to fight William, failed to surprise him 1066: Invasions and battles: Causes, significance and outcomes of battles Hastings, 14th October 1066: Troops and tactics Saxons (c.6,000): - Housecarls (disciplined shield wall, axes effective) - Thegns - Experienced but part-time soldiers - Fyrd - Not all well-trained disciplined or well-equipped - Relied on defensive shield wall tactic - Strong until late afternoon and had no archers Normans (7,500): - Knights - Highly trained, heavily armored, mounted on horse - Archers - Foot soldiers - Mercenaries so not all trained to fight with Knights - Mix of tactics, including 'feigned' (fake) retreat 1066: Invasions and battles: Causes, significance and outcomes of battles Hastings, 14th October 1066: Luck - Hardrada's invasion and the consequences weakened Harold's defence (loss of men, forced march) - William survived the storm at sea and weather changed in time for crossing - Luck on the battlefield. Battle lasted over 8 hours suggesting sides were evenly matched Bayeux Tapestry An embroidery telling the story of the Norman Conquest Coronation The ceremony when a King or Queen is crowned at the beginning of a reign Domesday Book A record of a survey of the lands of England made by William in 1086, giving ownership, size, and value, of the properties Domesday Survey The process of collecting the information summarised in the Domesday Book Genocide The deliberate killing of very large groups of people, especially those of one nationality or religion Motte and bailey castle An early type of castle built after 1066, known for their quick and cheap construction Pillage and plunder To raid and steal, often with violence Revolt and rebellion An act of armed resistance against the government or leader of a country Treason Planning to kill or harm the king or one of his family Securing the Kingdom William's Problems and Solutions: Problems after Hastings - Many English landowners were alive - England was a large country - He only had 7,000 men - Some of his men wanted to go home - He needed to protect Normandy - Still a risk of Danish invasions Securing the Kingdom William's Problems and Solutions: Submission of the earls, 1066 - The surviving English leaders gathered in London - William approached the city with a circular route, destroying towns and crops as they passed by - intimidated the English and resulted in Archbishop Stigand, Edwin and Morcar surrendering - William was then crowned in Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day, 1066 Securing the Kingdom William's Problems and Solutions: Castles - William built castles as soon as he landed in England - Motte and baileys - simple and quick to build - Allowed William to control over 2 million English people - Protected their very important warhorses - Built on the border with Wales and the coast to guard against the Danes - Also built in large towns like Lincoln, Norwich and York Securing the Kingdom William's Problems and Solutions: Rewarding followers - At first, William avoided provoking the English by keeping most things the same (e.g. laws, earls, thegns, archbishops) - To reward his men, he gave them the lands of the English landowners who had died at Hastings (e.g. Harold Godwin's land in Wessex) Securing the Kingdom William's Problems and Solutions: The Problem of the Marches - They were on the border between England and Wales - Welsh princes were raiding England after Hastings - To defend border, William created three new earldoms: Chester, Shrewsbury and Hereford - All three built new castles and began to extend their power into Wales Securing the Kingdom William's Problems and Solutions: William's early success, 1066-67 - Spring 1067 - William returned to Normandy to show off his victory - Left Odo and William FitzOsbern in charge - However, Summer of 1067, there was a small rebellion in Kent - Initial shock had began to wear off Why Rebellions Broke Out and Failed Anglo-Saxon Resistance: Revolt of Earls Edwin and Morcar, 1068 - Edwin and Morcar realised that they had received less power than expected from William and felt humiliated - William marched to Mercia and the castles at Warwick and Nottingham - Then, he moved to Northumbria and built another castle at York - his men destroyed crops and housing as they moved - Edwin and Morcar surrendered Why Rebellions Broke Out and Failed Anglo-Saxon Resistance: Edgar Aethling and the Rebellions in the North, 1069 - Normans were attacked at Durham - English besieged York - Edgar (heir of Edward the Confessor) arrived from Scotland to lead the rebellion - William marched north, leaving a trail of destruction, and ended the siege - Second castle was then built in York - When Danish fleet raided east coast, Edgar headed south and seized control of York Why Rebellions Broke Out and Failed Anglo-Saxon Resistance: How William dealt with the Threat - William marched north and stormed York - English fled and the Danes didn't fight - William had won back the north Why Rebellions Broke Out and Failed Anglo-Saxon Resistance: Hereward the Wake and rebellion at Ely, 1070-71 - Hereward was allied with the Danes and seized the Isle of Ely - Morcar joined in 1071 - Danes were bribed with gold and left - Bridges constructed to cross the marshland around the island - Rebels were either imprisoned or had their hands/feet cut off as a warning to others Why Rebellions Broke Out and Failed Harrying of the North, 1069-70: Reasons - William was angry at the constant rebellions - Keen to punish the rebels - Needed to ensure that nobody dared to rebel again Why Rebellions Broke Out and Failed Harrying of the North, 1069-70: Features - Homes were burnt - Crops destroyed - Farm animals killed - Many locals killed - Survivors at risk of starvation - Refugees fled the north travelling as far as 160 miles Why Rebellions Broke Out and Failed Harrying of the North, 1069-70: Impact - Value of villages fell significantly - Considered a genocide by some historians while others think it has been exaggerated Why Rebellions Broke Out and Failed Changes in Landownership from Anglo-Saxon to Normans: After the Rebellions of 1069 William's policy changed from maintaining English landowners to the destruction of the English landowning class and their replacement with Norman/French landowners Why Rebellions Broke Out and Failed Changes in Landownership from Anglo-Saxon to Normans: Evidence in Domesday Book - By 1085, 5,000 English Thegns lost all their land - 25% of the land was held by just 10 Normans - William held twice as much land followed by Odo - 13/1,000 tenants-in-chief were English - New earldoms were created Why Rebellions Broke Out and Failed How William maintained Power after the Rebellions: William's actions - Robert was impatient to gain Normandy - sparked by an argument between William in his attempt to deal with fighting between his sons - Tried to take the castle at Rouen and failed but had the support of a large number of young Knights Why Rebellions Broke Out and Failed How William maintained Power after the Rebellions: Mutilation Blinding, removing hands and feet, of rebels Why Rebellions Broke Out and Failed How William maintained Power after the Rebellions: Destruction Whole villages were destroyed in the Harrying of the North - burning of crops, slaughtering of animals, killing local people Why Rebellions Broke Out and Failed How William maintained Power after the Rebellions: Imprisonment Leaders of rebellions were imprisoned Why Rebellions Broke Out and Failed How William maintained Power after the Rebellions: Confiscating Lands and titles were taken off Saxons and given to Normans Why Rebellions Broke Out and Failed How William maintained Power after the Rebellions: Castle Building Built in all towns, borders, and rivers (especially trouble-spots) Why Rebellions Broke Out and Failed The Revolt of the Earls, 1075: Reasons - Roger of Hereford - inherited some of his father's land but resented that he was given far less power and land - Ralph of Norfolk - resented that William had given him less power - Waltheof of Northumbria - inherited only the northern half of the earldom (far less wealthy than Norman earls)