Normans Flashcards
Government
England was ruled by king Edward the confessor.
Government
It was divided into different areas ruled by earls
Defence
The king and earls had around 2500-3000 housecarl soldiers
Defence
They called upon these peasants to fight for them when necessary
Lay of the land
Most of the south half of England was covered in forest
Lay of the land
There were small villages where forest was cleared and the land was farmed
Population
There were 2 million people lived in Norman Britain but even fewer lived in northern parts of the country.
Population
Not many people lived there because it wasn’t well defended
Battle of Hastings
1066
Battle of Stamford bridge
25 September 1066
Who won the battle of Hastings?
William won the battle because he was well prepared and had good tactics.
He did a feigned retreat which worked by pretending to run away then turning and attacking when the enemy wasn’t ready
William becoming king
He could not become king after he killed the reigning king and only controlled a small portion Around pevensey.
William becoming king
He said he was the rightful king as Edward the confessor has promised him the thrown. He wanted to show the legitimacy of his claim but was still overpowered but very important earls
William becoming king
English people were unhappy with the normans and hated the Norman rule so he struggled to gain power.
The 3 earls
They plotted to overthrow William and divide all of the land between all three of them.
