harrying of the north Flashcards
when did the harrying of the north take place
1069-1070
causes of the harrying of the north
the threat of denmark- many peple in the north were anglo danish- they would prefer and anglodanish king the danes invaded in 1069 and could destroy everything william established in england.
death of robert cumin and his men- william swore revenge.
the northen rebellions- they refused to meet him in battle field scattering as soon as he advanced- then lunching attacks on his men.williams response was to make it impossible for rebels/anyone to stay in the area
influence of the north- the rebeliions in the north were triggering uprisings - across the counrty causing william and soldiers frustration. and it was not possible for him to keep dragging his troops from one hotspot to another. and William hadn’t realized how defiant the north was.
resistance of norman rule- the north resented norman rule and how they closely aligned iwth their danish heritage.
two features of the harrying of the north
William’s forces destroyed villages, burned homes, and ruined crops, leaving the northern countryside devastated. This was done to cripple the local economy and make the area uninhabitable, thereby preventing further resistance.
The destruction of crops and livestock led to widespread famine in the north. Many people died from starvation, and the harsh conditions forced surviving rebels to surrender or flee.
short term impacts
without any crops to live on or livestock and with little protection from the cold people starved or froze to death.
william troops also destroyed seeds for next year crops- thousands of refugees fled the region.
reports of cannibalism and people selling themselves into slavery for food.
long term impacts
the wealth of the North continued to decline during William’s reign - The Domesday Book compared landholding from 1066 to 1086 60% of Yorkshire was deemed wasteland with no livestock.
–This meant that William could not tax the land as nothing grew there
The North experienced a long-term decline in population
In 1086, the population declined between 80,000 and 150,000 from 1066
-William no longer trusted Anglo-Saxon earls
He used the Harrying of the North to replace Anglo-Saxon earls with Normans
-the Pope condemned William for the Harrying of the North,William devoted time and money to the Church to earn forgiveness for his actions
