Part 1: The Norman Conquest Flashcards
Who was the King of England Before 1066
Edward the Confessor
What was England like before 1066
Peasants worked on farms
There was a minting system
It had lots of recourses
Anglo Saxons were Christian
The land was divided into 6 Earldoms
England was ruled peacefully
It had Hardly any Castles
Most people were populated in the south
What was important about the Godwin family
Edith Godwin was married to King Edward
The Godwin Earldom was the largest in the kingdom
Harold Godwinson would keep the county running whilst Edward was being religious
What was the link between England and Normandy
Emma a sister of a Duke Of Normandy was married to a king CNUT
Emma sent her sons Edward and Alfred to Normandy
They agreed their son would be king but instead CNUT’s first son HarthaCnut was king
Emma then called back Edward and Alfred
In the end Edward was the heir to HarthaCnut but Alfred died
HarthaCnut then died in 1042
How was William related to Edward
Williams Grandfather was the brother of Emma which was the mother of Edward
Who were the 4 claimants to the throne
Harold Godwinson
William the Duke Of Normandy
Harald Hardrada
Edgar
What is the Witan
The council that chose and advised the king
What was the criteria for the Witan
If you were an experienced leader
If you were a good soldier
If you were English
If you were related to the old king
What was Harold Godwinson’s claim to the throne
Was an Anglo Saxon
Richest man in the kingdom
Had experience as a leader
Related to the old king
Claimed that Edward promised him the throne on his deathbed
What was William’s claim to the throne
Related to Edward
The Pope supported William
Was a strong leader and a good soldier
Bayeux Tapestry shows that Harold Godwinson swore that William would be his successor on religious relics so if he did not fulfil the promise he would be going against god
However:
William was not English
What was Harald Hardrada’s claim to the throne
Harald Hardrada was a fierce leader and a powerful warrior
He Claimed that his father was promised to be the king after HarthaCnut
However:
He was not English
What was Edgar’s claim to the throne
Nephew of king Edward
His father was Heir to the throne
Was English
However:
He was only 15
Had no experience as a leader
Had no experience as a soldier
Who became the king after Edward
Harold Godwinson
How did Harold Godwinson prepare for the invasions
He put most of his troops down in the south where he expected William to invade England first
However, the winds changed and William could not get to England
Harald Hadrada landed in the north
How did Harald Hadrada prepare for war
Harald Hadrada had support of Tostig Godwinson who joined Harald after losing his land and being exiled from England
This made it more likely that Harald would be supported by England