Name
_______________________________ Core________ Date_________________
The Year 1066
When we study the past, we know that there is no way to know everything about how people in the past
lived. Instead, we often learn about the major events or important people that changed the way people lived.
The year 1066 marks one such point in European history, and it is a year that is still remembered today because
of the great changes it brought about in government and society.
Europe before 1066
The Roman Empire dominated Europe until its collapse in 476 CE. At that time, the single unified
government of the Romans was replaced by small kingdoms. The Roman roads were left untended and soon
crumbled. Kingdoms often went to war with one another over food and land.
Germanic tribes that lived along the North Sea began to invade Britannia. Britannia was the
northernmost province of the Roman Empire; it is the area we know today as Great Britain. These tribes—the
Angles, Saxons, Frisians, and Jutes—each had their own religion and culture. Still, together they are referred to
as Anglo-Saxons. As they moved into Great Britain, they drove the native Britons toward the western parts of
modern-day Ireland, England, Wales, and Scotland. All Roman towns were destroyed.
By 600 CE, the Anglo-Saxons controlled much of northern Europe. The Franks ruled lands south of the
Anglo-Saxons in France, the Ostrogoths settled the Iberian Peninsula, and the tribe of the Lombards controlled
Italy. The land east of the Mediterranean Sea and northern Africa was controlled by the remaining Eastern
Roman Empire from its capital of Constantinople.
The Rise of the Normans
The Early Middle Ages were a time of near-constant warfare between kingdoms. Scandinavian warriors
added another element of armed conflict to the kingdoms. Britain and the lands of the Franks were attacked
repeatedly by Vikings. In 911 CE, in an attempt to end Viking raids, a section of land in northern France was
given to the Vikings and was renamed Normandy. The name Normandy refers to the “north men” who settled
there.
The Normans established a type of community that consisted of manor houses. These were walled
compounds containing farmland, communal dining halls, and an armory. A walled village outside the main
manor compound was for the lord’s servants. All the land belonged to the lord, but the village was where his
servants could work a trade, such as being a baker, potter, blacksmith, or weaver. These villages were selfsustaining, meaning that they were able to survive without the support of the lord of the manor, and in times of
war were able to fend for themselves. Furthermore, villagers could defend themselves, as the manors and their
walls provided security. This became important as the Anglo-Saxons and Normans began to clash.
The King’s Empty Seat
In late September 1066, William, the Duke of Normandy, set across the English Channel to invade
Britain. He believed he was the rightful ruler of Britain. William was the cousin of Edward the Confessor, who
had become king of England in 1042. Edward was childless, and he had named William as his successor.
Edward died in January 1066, and William moved to claim his throne. But there were complications. On his
deathbed, Edward had given the throne to Harold Godwinson, the Earl of Wessex. Edward had been a Saxon
king, and many Britons wanted to keep the Saxon line.
As a Norman, William supported his claim to the throne through his marriage to Matilda of Flanders,
who was a descendant of King Alfred the Great—the Anglo-Saxon king from 871 to 899. Determined to be
king, William planned an attack on the southern coast of Britain. He obtained approval from Pope Alexander II.
With the pope’s backing, he had the Christian faith behind him. With the flags of Rome and Normandy flying,
William sailed into battle.
The Battle of Hastings
Large flat boats carried William’s armies and horses across the English Channel. They met the Saxons
in battle near the town of Hastings, along a hillside. The Normans attacked Harold’s armies, who were at the top
of the hill. The Saxons held the hill until a group of them began to pursue fleeing Normans. By doing this, they
broke into groups, and the Normans were able to surround them.
William saw that the Saxons who broke rank were quickly defeated. He ordered his men to pretend to
retreat. Even though the Saxon armies were ordered to remain where they were, they didn’t listen. Small groups
of Saxons were surrounded as they left the ranks of the larger army. The Saxons were now separated and
scattered. Harold was killed in battle, and, without their leader, the Saxons did not know how to defend
themselves. The Normans won the battle, and William stepped in to take the crown.
The Norman Rule of England
You may think that trading one tribal king for another would not have impacted the region very much.
The Battle of Hastings, however, paved the way for the Normans to take over all of England. While William
retained a majority of the structure of the Anglo-Saxon government, he took over lands of those who had been
loyal to Harold. As a payment to Rome for the pope’s backing, William gave the Church a percentage of land.
Christianity gained strength and influence in Britain.
The Norman Conquest, which started with the long day of fighting at the Battle of Hastings, is marked
by the large stone manor houses and cathedrals built after King William took the throne. These manor houses
were constructed to protect the new rulers. The cathedrals and churches were built to honor God and the pope.
The rest of the lands were divided among King William’s allies. In this way, a feudal system was established in
Britain. This meant that slavery decreased and serfs—land workers who were bound in service to the lord of the
manor—became the lowest class of the new society.
William also extended his kingdom north and west. The northern areas of Britain that the Romans and
Anglo-Saxons did not control were conquered by the new King William. His army rode into Scotland and
Wales and won battle after battle, earning him the name William the Conqueror. With each battle he won, he
enforced the Norman language and customs on the people he had conquered.
King William ruled for 21 years. In his time, he established Norman rule over Britain. The Norman
methods of warfare, social living, and religion became wholly a part of the people. A united country emerged
not just on the island of Britain, but across the English Channel into Normandy. Norman rule brought peace and
led to the development of the European nation-state. A nation-state is an independent territory united under one
government that speaks the same language and has one government. The year 1066 was an important turning
point in Great Britain’s history that had a great impact on European history. The introduction of a feudal system
under King William helped politically stabilize the region. England rose to become a powerful kingdom on the
European landscape.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Question (8 points)
1. What key events led to the creation of England as a nation-state? Why do you think England was able to
become such a powerful nation-state? Provide details and evidence to support your answer.