New
New
Year 10
AQA

The Norman conquest (1066)

I can recall that the Normans conquered England in 1066 and made a number of changes to English life, such as creating the feudal system and reforming the Church.

New
New
Year 10
AQA

The Norman conquest (1066)

I can recall that the Normans conquered England in 1066 and made a number of changes to English life, such as creating the feudal system and reforming the Church.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. In 1066, the English King, Edward the Confessor, died without an heir, triggering a succession crisis.
  2. William of Normandy believed he was the rightful heir and that Edward had promised him the throne.
  3. William invaded England in 1066 and defeated Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings.
  4. Almost all Anglo-Saxons lost land which was transferred to the Normans in the creation of the feudal system.
  5. The Normans built a number of new buildings such as castles and monasteries and reformed the English Church.

Common misconception

England had not been invaded before the Norman Conquest.

Britain had been invaded many times before the Norman Conquest: by the Romans, the tribes known as Angles and Saxons and by the Vikings.

Keywords

  • Normans - the people who settled in Normandy in the 10th century

  • Succession - the right or sequence of inheriting a title or position

  • Monasteries - a building housing a community of monks

  • Feudal system - the social system introduced to England by the Normans, which greatly increased the power of the king

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which word describes a member of the Scandinavian seafaring people who raided Britain from the late 8th century?
Correct Answer: Viking, Vikings, A Viking
Q2.
Complete the sentence: The Anglo-Saxon defeat against the Vikings in the 991 Battle of Maldon led to the ...
Correct Answer: Danegeld
Q3.
Which empire did England become part of under King Cnut?
Mongol Empire
Correct answer: North Sea Empire
Byzantine Empire
Q4.
Who did King Cnut marry in 1017 once he became king of England?
Lagertha
Freydís Eiríksdóttir
Correct answer: Emma of Normandy
Q5.
When was the St Brice’s Day Massacre?
793
Correct answer: 1002
1016
1035
Q6.
Match the factors to the correct reasons for the invasion of England by the Danish Vikings in 1013.
Correct Answer:key individuals,Gunhilde, the sister of Sweyn Forkbeard, was killed at the massacre

Gunhilde, the sister of Sweyn Forkbeard, was killed at the massacre

Correct Answer:government,Aethelred’s decision to order the St Brice’s Day Massacre

Aethelred’s decision to order the St Brice’s Day Massacre

Correct Answer:economic resources,the Danegeld encouraged the Vikings to return frequently

the Danegeld encouraged the Vikings to return frequently

6 Questions

Q1.
Who was crowned as the king of England on 6th January 1066?
Edward the Confessor
Correct answer: Harold Godwinson
William of Normandy
Edgar Aetheling
Harald Hardrada
Q2.
William of Normandy's invasion of England began when he landed his army at...
Correct Answer: Pevensey, pevensey
Q3.
Which statement best describes the changes that took place to land ownership under the Normans?
William retained almost all of the Anglo-Saxon landholders.
Correct answer: William replaced almost all of the Anglo-Saxon landholders with Normans.
William replaced every single Anglo-Saxon landholder with Normans.
William retained all of the Anglo-Saxon landholders.
Q4.
Under Norman rule, all the land was owned by the...
Correct Answer: king, King
Q5.
Which was the only Anglo-Saxon cathedral not to be knocked down and rebuilt by the Normans?
Canterbury
Durham
Winchester
York
Correct answer: Westminster Abbey
Q6.
More than % of English words used today derive from Anglo-Norman.
Correct Answer: 50, fifty

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