New
New
Year 10
AQA
William's consolidation of power
I can describe how William maintained royal power.
New
New
Year 10
AQA
William's consolidation of power
I can describe how William maintained royal power.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- After the Battle of Hastings, William took the land of all those who had fought against him.
- At first William kept some Anglo-Saxons in positions of power to help him be accepted as England’s new king.
- The uprisings against Norman rule changed William’s mind about including Anglo-Saxons in positions of power.
- William used his control over England’s land to transfer power from Anglo-Saxons to Normans.
- William’s methods of maintaining control included: military strength, harrying and castles, and government power.
Keywords
Tenants-in-chief - tenants-in-chief were the large Norman landholders who held land directly from the monarch
Tenant - a tenant is a person who pays for the use of land or a building
Common misconception
William the Conqueror was hostile towards all Anglo-Saxons from the start.
Some Anglo-Saxons, if they had not fought against William at Hastings, were allowed to keep their land.
Get students to craft their version of a royal seal, exploring its symbolism and the utility of seals in maintaining royal authority.
Teacher tip
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).
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
What was the main threat to William’s control of northern England in 1069?
an uprising by Eadric the Wild and the King of Wales
the construction of castles in the north
Q2.
What were the aims of the Harrying of the North?
to build castles across Yorkshire and secure the area
to negotiate peace with the rebels and end all the rebellions
Q3.
Complete the following sentence: The Harrying of the North caused a devastating , more than 100 000 people perished from starvation.
Q4.
What did the Harrying of the North involve?
Land was offered to the rebels for peace.
The Danes were paid to leave England.
Q5.
What were the consequences of the Harrying of the North?
The population of the north increased.
The population gained support from the Danes and continued to rebel.
Q6.
What happened to the population in Yorkshire after the Harrying of the North?
The population continued to rebel against the Normans with support from Denmark.
Norman settlers moved in and the population increased by 75%.
Exit quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
Whose land did William claim for the Normans?
all Anglo-Saxon earls
only the House of Godwin
Q2.
Which of these changed William's attitude to including Anglo-Saxons in positions of power?
the building of castles
the creation of the Domesday Book
Q3.
What was the name of the large Norman landholders who held land directly from the monarch?
housecarls
thegns
Q4.
Complete the sentence with the correct answer: William introduced a new system of landholding that more strictly tied the landholder to the .
Church
peasants
Q5.
Fill in the blank: At first, William allowed Earls Edwin and to keep their earldoms, to help him be accepted as England’s new king.
Q6.
How did William maintain royal power when he was abroad?
by increasing taxes
by sending letters to the king of Scotland
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