Migration Flashcards
Who are the Anglo-Saxons?
German derived Christians who made up the majority of the English from the 5th century to 1066 AD
What was England divided into before it was united?
A heptarchy (7 different kingdoms)
When and where and why was the first attack on England by the Vikings?
Lindisfarne
793 AD
A monastery (on the east coast of Northumbria) as that’s where Anglo Saxons inverted their money
After deciding to stay, which part of England did the Vikings attack and when (not lindisfarne)
Northumbria / The North in 850AD
What was the last of the 7 kingdoms to be ruled by a Saxon and who was the ruler
King Alfred (the Great) of Wessex (the strongest of the 7 kingdoms)
When and why did the Vikings decide to stay?
The Vikings initially came to loot England, however they saw that the land was fertile and there were good environmental resources so they decided to create settlements.
They decided to settle in 850 AD
What two Kings were the cause of a united England?
Alfred the Great (initially)
And later his grandson
Aethelstan
What was the Viking Capital and when was it claimed?
York / Jorvik
866 AD
Where did the Vikings come from?
Scandinavia
Denmark, Norway and Sweden
Why did the Vikings invade Britain? (4)
● They knew how Wealthy some of the Anglo Saxon Kingdoms had become
● Better farming land
● Oppurtunities for younger brothers who did not inherit land in Scandinavia
● Scandinavia was becoming overcrowded
In what battle did the Gurthrum and the Vikings send King Alfred into hiding
The Battle of Chippenham (878)
where the Vikings gained temporary control over Wessex
How did Alfred defeat the Vikings?
●After some successes against the Vikings, Alfred and his army were driven back and forced into hiding
● Whilst hiding Alfred sent secret messages to his soldiers and orchestrated an attack on the Vikings
● Alfred beat the Vikings in 878 AD at the battle of Edington and discussed peace terms with viking leader Guthrum
What were the peace terms of Alfred beating the Vikings? (3)
● Guthrum became a Christian (and Alfred’s godfather)
● He had to agree not to attack Wessex again
● A boundary had Vikings living in the North of the country (Danelaw - the area of land owned by the Vikings)
What happened during Alfred’s reign in Wessex and the Vikings’ in the danelaw? (3)
Vikings still attacked
Most Vikings and saxons lived in peace and there was even intermarriage
Trading was done between the two
What two rulers had control over the Saxons after Alfred died? And what did they do?
Alfred’s son Edward (the Elder) took back most of the land from the Vikings (excluding Northumbria)
Edward’s son Aethelstan took back Northumbria and united England as one (no longer a heptarchy) and even successfully attacks Scotland
What was the order of Saxon rulers in England
Alfred -> Edward (son) -> Aethelstan (son)
Why is Edgar the Peaceful referred to as such?
While he was ruling, the kingdom is very stable
Who were Edgar the Peaceful’s sons
Edward the Martyr and Aethelred
How did Aethelred become king?
Edward was older, but not a very popular king.
He ruled for 3 years and was then murdered, making Aethelred the heir.
Why was Aethelred the Unready known as such?
He was a young king and was ill advised by his corrupt ministers and advisers
What happened during Aethelred’s reign? (2)
The Vikings returned to attack England.
A huge Viking invasion led by Sweyn Forkbeard in 991
The English were badly defeated and had to pay Danegeld (which was very expensive (£900,000 today)) to stop the Vikings from attacking
What was the name of the army that attacked Aethelred’s England?
Great Heathen Army
Why did Aethelred marry Emma of Normandy? (3)
Aethelred had to pay the Vikings Danegeld so he had to increase the English’s taxes, however he was disliked for this.
So instead he decided to ally with the Duke of Normany and he agrees that he will not let the Vikings rest in Normandy (where they stayed before attacking England) to decrease the amount of attacks England had and hence the prices of Danegeld and Taxes.
As a result, Aethelred married the Duke’s sister, Emma, to give him some power in England
What is the St Brice’s Day massacre?
After Aethelred felt he regained some power by minimalizing Vikings’ attacks and marrying Emma, he commanded a mass killing of Vikings in England.
As a result, the Danish King Sweyn’s sister (Gunhilda) and her husband are killed, and he is infuriated.
Sweyn then initiates a huge invasion of England.
What does Aethelred do after the St Brices Massacre?
He flees to France with his family and Sweyn rules England (while ruling Denmark and Norway) until he dies a year later
Who did Sweyn want to rule after him? Who actually ruled?
Sweyn Forkbeard wanted his son Cnut to rule, however, Aethelred returned at the end of Sweyn’s life and reclaimed the throne.
Cnut went back to Viking territories
What two Kings rule after Aethelred?
Aethelred’s son (Edmund (Ironside)) inherits the throne, however later than year, Cnut returns to claim the throne that was his father’s (King Sweyn)
At what battle did Cnut retake the English Throne?
The battle of Assandun in 1016
What did they decide at the battle of assandun?
Edmund will rule wessex, Cnut will rule everywhere else, and whoever lives the longest will rule the whole country
(Edmund dies a month later (wasted 💀))
What countries make up Cnut’s North Sea Empire (4) ?
Denmark, Norway, England and parts of Sweden
How did Cnut view England? Why?
As his main domain, not a part of his Danish empire because it was his richest country
Who did Cnut marry and why? Who was their child?
Cnut married the sister of the Duke or Normandy and the widow of Aethelred the Unready.
He used her to forge his way into ruling Enlgand and expanding his North Sea Empire with land she owns
They had a son known as Harthacnut
What happened to Viking attacks after Cnut became king?
They stopped
What are the names of Emma’s sons? (3)
Edward the Confessor and Alfred (irrelevant) (with Aethelred)
Harthacnut (with Cnut)
Who became King after Cnut?
Cnut’s son with his FIRST wife
(Harold I)
Who becomes king after Harold I?
Harthacnut (Cnut’s second born)
Who becomes king after Harthacnut?
Edward the Confessor (half brother of Harthacnut, though their mother)
Why did Edward the Confessor live in France?
He, Aethelred, and his mother fleed there when King Sweyn of the Vikings attacked England
Why is Edward the Confessor known as Edward the Confessor?
He was very religious
What happened when Edward the Confessor died?
- He had no heir, but multiple people felt they deserved the throne. A crisis of monarchy
Harold Godwinson- Anglo-Saxon, powerful sub-regulus of Edward TC
William the Conqueror- Claims that Edward promised him the throne in France and that Godwindon swore on holy relics that he would be king
Harold Hardrada- Claims the throne belongs to his (Viking) ancestors
How was the King of England chosen
Harold Godwinson was chosen by the Witan
He had to fight off Harald Godwinson in the North, however, and beat him.
But, lost to William the Conqueror and his soldiers (whom he promised would get land in England if they overthrew Harold, which they did) in the south
What battles took place when Harold was crowned king
Battle of Stamford Bridge (Harald Hardrada defeated by Harold Godwinson)
Battle of Hastings (Harold Godwinson defeated by William of Normandy)
How did the Normans manage to beat the Saxons?
The Saxons had higher ground and had a firm wall that the Norman’s couldn’t break, so they faked a retreat and were followed by the English. This, resulted in the Englishbreaking their wall and losing their high ground advantage, so the Normans took advantage of this, attacked them, and won.
When was William the Conqueror crowned?
On Christmas Day 1066
How did William control the English? (4)
● He gave Normans land in return for loyalty and support
● Feudal system
● Gave supporters jobs in churches
● Encouraged Norman barons to build castles to control England
What was the Domesday book and how was it used?
The domesday book was a record of a survey of English lands and landholdings made by order of William the Conqueror about 1086.
This was uses for taxing based in what people owned, and if one lied, they were severly punished
How did William treat England, compared to Normandy?
Unlike Cnut, William left England under the control of his barons while he spent half of his time in France securing his power in Normandy
How did England change under the Normans? (3)
● French customs were introduced
● French became the language of those in power
● New churches, monasteries and cathedrals were built
How did William first approach the English when he won the Battle of Hastings?
He burned the houses of rebels
What happened when William TC died?
He split his land between his three sons;
■ Robert (Duke of Normandy)
■ William (King of England)
■ Henry I (Nothing(💀))
How did Henry I later become king of England AND Duke Normandy?
His brother, William dies and he becomes King Henry I of England
Henry defeats his other brother, Robert, and becomes Duke of Normandy
Who did Henry want to be his heir and how did he orchestrate this?
Henry wanted his daughter Matilda to rule so he married her to Geoffery of Anjou (a powerful French lord)
What stopped Matilda from ruling?
A powerful noble and her relative Stephen felt he had a claim to the throne, so for 19 years he battled with Matilda and Geoffery until they agreed in, 1153, that Geoffery could rule as long as Matilda’s son (Henry II) would be the next in line.
Who ruled after Stephen and when?
A year later, Stephen died and Henry II was crowned king
How did Henry II claim Ireland?
Ireland was separated into small kingdoms with one High King as the ruler.
Ireland was a Christian country but was not under the control of the Pope. In 1155 the only English Pope (Adrian IV) declared that Henry II could take over Ireland under the church’s authority.
He followed up attacks from Strongbow (who was called to regain land from the High King for the King of Leinster) who had been very successful.
How did Henry II initially maintain his power over Ireland?
He stayed in Ireland for 6 months and built castles to ensure Angevin’s superiority.
How else did he benefit from gaining the Irish land (financially)
In 1175 he signed the Treaty of Windsor (with the High King) who agreed to pay homage to Henry and leave Henry in control of the Pale
What was the Pale?
A section of land on the East Coast of Ireland.
What land did Henry II attain and through whom? (5)
■ Normandy (through mother)
■ Anjou and Maine (France) (through father)
■ Nantes (through treaty)
■ Acquitaine (through wife (Eleanor of Aquitaine))
■ Brittany (through son’s wife)
What is the Angevin empire and why is it called that?
The Angevin (from Anjou (Henry’s father Geoffery) empire consisted of all of England, Western Central France as well as Wales, Ireland and Scotland
How and Why was there a revolt against King Henry II?
Henry’s sons (with the support of his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine and the French King) revolted against him.
The sons were unhappy with how the Angevin Empire was split between them. Young Henry was crowned King (in 1170) while Henry II was still alive and Henry later faced the revolt of his eldest sons in 1173.
The fight lasted 18 months, however, Henry II managed to keep control and his son (Young Henry) died before him
Who were Henry II’s important sons? (2)
Richard (the Lionheart)
King John
