A Truckload of Trouble Flashcards
What did the Norman soldiers do when the Saxons cheered William the Conqueror outside Westminster Abbey?
The attacked them because they couldn’t speak English and thought that the Saxons were rebelling against their new Norman rulers who spoke French.
Which historian describe the changes brought about by the Normans ‘as a violent rush, decisive, bloody, traumatic; as a truck-load of trouble, wiping out everything that gives a culture its bearings - custom, language, law, loyalty’?
Simon Schama
What system did William the Conqueror introduce to control England?
The feudal system, which organised society into a strict hierarchy based on land ownership and loyalty.
Why did some English people rebel against Norman rule?
The Normans imposed heavy taxes, redistributed land from Saxon nobles to the Norman Lords, and treated the Saxon people them harshly.
What was the Harrying of the North, and why did it happen?
It was a brutal campaign where William destroyed villages and crops in northern England to crush rebellion by Edwin and Morcar and prevent further uprisings. Houses were burned down and the salt was tilled into the soil so that nothing would grow there.
How did the Normans use castles to maintain control over England?
Castles were built across the country to control the Saxons, protect the Norman Lords and their soldiers, and serve as strongholds against rebellion.
What name was given to the type of Castles built by the Normans?
Motte and Bailey
Which group in society were forced to build the castles for the Normans?
The Saxon peasants known as serfs.
How did the Norman conquest affect English landowners?
Most English landowners lost their lands, which were given to Norman lords loyal to William.
What changes did the Normans make to England’s legal system?
They introduced new laws, including forest laws that restricted hunting.
How did the Normans change the English Church?
The Normans replaced many Anglo-Saxon bishops with Normans, built lots of churches and monasteries.
What language did the Normans bring to England, and how did it affect society?
The Normans brought Norman French, which became the language of the court, law, and nobility, while common people continued to speak Old English.
How did Norman rule affect English culture?
The Normans introduced new styles of art, architecture (like stone castles and cathedrals), and customs, blending their culture with Anglo-Saxon traditions.
What is this hierarchy known as?
The Feudal System
This is the Saxon hierarchy. What different titles are used that the Normans didn’t use?
Thegns and Churls
