William the Conqueror and the Norman Invasion
Origins William I was born in 1028 in Normandy He was the Duke of Normandy from 1035-1087 King of England from 1066-1087
Normandy
King of England William visited his cousin Edward the Confessor in 1052 (King of England) Edward promised William that he would succeed him after his death Edward passed away in 1066
Trouble England’s nobles decided to elect Harold as the king of England William rebelled and got the support of Pope Alexander II William assembled a fleet of 600 ships and 7000 men to invade England
Invasion begins William landed in England September 28, 1066 He assembled a pre-made wooden castle on Harold’s personal estate This made Harold react quickly without thinking
Battle of Hastings Harold was fighting a rival in northern England at the time Harold marched his army 250 miles in 9 days to fight William The Battle of Hastings would begin October 14th, 1066
Battle of Hastings Both sides had about 7,000-8,000 men The English (Anglo-Saxons) were defeated Harold was wounded in the face with an arrow and later killed with hand weapons
Aftermath William began to make his way toward London William was crowned King of England Christmas Day 1066 Resistance remained in northern England until 1075
Bayeaux Tapestry This is a tapestry that is 20 inches by 230 feet It’s believed that Queen Matilda, William’s wife, ordered its creation It depicts the Norman victory of 1066
Bayeaux Tapestry William coming to England
Bayeaux Tapestry Some think this may be a picture of Harold’s death
Significance William commissioned the creation of the Domesday Book This was similar to modern census The purpose was to determine what people owned and where they lived This was so they could be taxed
Significance William built many castles to stop rebellions Also constructed the Tower of London Land was taken from the church and given to loyal Normans
Tower of London