1. The Medieval Period

2. The Norman Conquest
The Normans, or “north men,” were descendants of Vikings who had invaded the coast of France in the 9th century.

3. The Battle of Hastings
In 1066 Edward the Confessor, the English King, died. Harold II was crowned his successor, but William, Duke of Normandy, claimed that the throne was promised to him. William’s forces met Harold’s in the Battle of Hastings—Harold was killed and William took the throne.

4. Impact of Norman rule…
William confiscated the lands of the Anglo-Saxon nobility, giving Normans the rule of all levels of government.
French becomes the language of the aristocracy.
Over time, Old English is influenced by the French of the Court and the Latin of the Church. We refer to the dialect that emerged as Middle English.

5. Feudalism

6. Knighthood
Page—At 7, boys were sent to the homes of wealthy lords or relatives to begin their educations.
Squire—At 14, pages were elevated to squires, where they learned the duties of knighthood through training and service. Training usually took another 7 years.
Each order of knighthood had its own code of chivalry.