1. Prediction & Thinking
Based on this artwork, what predictions can you make about the people in it? They are called the Normans.

2. BATTLE OF HASTINGS!

3. Let’s meet the characters…..
Edward the Confessor King of England Leader of the Anglo Saxons
William Duke of Normandy
Harold Godwinson
Anglo-Saxon King of England

4. The Story
William was the Duke of Normandy. In 1051 William visited England and met with Edward, his cousin. Edward was childless, so he promised to make William king of England when he died. On Edward’s death bed he granted the kingdom to Harold Godwinson. Edward died in 1066 and Harold claimed the throne.
William was not happy! He disputed this claim!
What do you think happened next?

5. Setting
Normandy
& Hastings

6. Primary Source
A unique primary source exists to document the Battle of Hastings
It is an embroidered piece of linen 210’ long and 20” tall.
It is called the Bayeux Tapestry
It is not really known who embroidered the cloth. Some say it was William’s wife and other women of the court. Most historians believe it was the work of English seamstresses. The main reason for the generally accepted belief that it was created by English was the spelling of certain Latin words. Further it is believed that the design was sketched by someone of a military background because only someone with a knowledge of military tactics and the Battle of Hastings itself would have been able to so accurately recreate the elements of the battle.

7. William the Conqueror

8. William’s Legacy
To better understand (and tax) his new subjects, William created a detailed census book which listed every man, woman, and animal in England.
This book, known as the Domesday Book, was commissioned in 1085 and was the first census taken since the collapse of the Roman Empire.
This established claim for the Normans who were given land by William. It was used for centuries to determine land rights
There would not be as comprehensive a census taken again until the 1900s.
Pronounced “doomsday” The Domesday Book gives historians today a detailed account of life in England in the late 1000s. It told how much land each member of the aristocracy controlled. How many knights existed and how much service they owed to their overlords and their king.
The Domesday Book established claim for the Normans who were given land by William after his conquest.

9. William’s Legacy
Every ruler of England since William the Conqueror can trace their ancestry back to him.
His introduction of Norman administrators has been credited with making England a world power.

10. CLOSE READING Read the article closely and carefully
Answer the questions in your composition books

11. POWTIDE ASSESSMENT
What was William the Conqueror’s most important contribution to society?
Write a paragraph using POWTIDE explaining the contribution and why it was so beneficial to society.