Hello and welcome to today's history lesson.

My name is Mr. Merrett, and I'll be guiding through today's lesson.

So let's get started.

Today's lesson is looking at the impact of conquests and settlements on mediaeval Britain.

And by the end of today's lesson, we'll be able to recall causes and impacts of migration for mediaeval Britain.

In order to do that, we need to use some key terms. And our key terms for today are Danelaw, Viking, Normans, conquered, and Angevin Empire.

The Danelaw was the area of England in the North and East controlled by the Vikings.

A Viking is a member of the Scandinavian seafaring people who raided Britain from the late 8th century.

The Normans were the people who settled in Normandy in the 10th century.

Conquered means that you're taken over territory by force.

And the Angevin Empire were territories in England, Wales, Ireland, and France that were held by Henry II and his descendants in the 12th and 13th centuries.

Today's lesson will consist of three separate learning cycles, and our first learning cycle is looking at migration and conquest in England.

So let's get going.

Now, after the Roman Empire left Britain in 409 CE, the native tribes of Britain, Picts and Scots, had a new group of invaders contend with, and they were the Germanic tribes of the Anglo, Saxons, and Jutes.

The Anglo and Saxons in particular were able to dominate the native tribes and push them to the extremities of the island until about 793 CE when a new group of peoples made an appearance, and these were the Vikings.

This group from the Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden were initially content with raiding the coastlines and rivers and taking plunder to their homes.

But soon enough, Vikings began settling in the north and east of England in order to extend their raiding season.

The Vikings were exceptional warriors.

And if not for the leadership of King Alfred the Great, the Saxon Kingdom of Wessex in 878 CE, they would've conquered all of England.

Instead, the north and east of England became a distinct Viking region known as the Danelaw.

And on the map on the screen in front of you there, you can see where Danelaw is.

It's just to the eastern north of that red dotted line that's running through Mercia.

Within the Danelaw, Viking culture became an established part of the land.

For example, the Viking words law, dirt, and freckles, to name just a few random ones, were all introduced to the English language.

There were many, many words that the Vikings introduced.

This is just a very small assortment of them.

Well, I have a quick check for understanding now to true or false statements.

The only impact the Vikings had on England was raiding the coastline and rivers.

Is that true or is that false? Make your choice now.

Okay.

If you chose false, then congratulations.

That is a correct answer but let's justify that now.

Why is that a false statement? Is it false because the Vikings invested in England in order to make them a better trading partner? Or is it false because the creation of the Danelaw saw Viking culture become established in England? So choose your justification now.

All right, if you chose B, then very well done.

That is the correct answer.

Now, Alfred the Great managed to halt the Viking conquest, which enabled his descendants to push the Vikings back.

And actually it was Alfred's grandson, Athelstan, who became the first king of a United England in 927 CE.

However, there was still a large Viking heritage population that he ruled over.

And Viking culture essentially just became intertwined with Anglo-Saxon culture, especially in the area that was previously the Danelaw.

The Vikings were not a spent force either.

And with the obsession of Aethelred the Unready in 978 CE, the Vikings began once again to raid and then to conquer England.

The Danish King, Sweyn Forkbeard, was able to briefly incorporate England into a North Sea Empire in 1013, which also included Denmark and Norway.

But his premature death in February 1014 meant that the Empire did not become a political force until his son, Cnut the Great, was able to fully reestablish it in 1028.

Although the North Sea Empire did not last for long, it was actually falling apart during Cnut's reign and then during the reigns of his two sons that completely fell apart.

England was for a time, a part of something greater than itself.

An individual such as Emma of Normandy, who was the wife of two kings of England, and then the mother of two more, helped to bridge the cultural divide during periods of conquest and consolidation.

The Danish conquest foreshadowed the Norman Conquest of 1066 in which the descendants of Vikings, and by that I mean the Normans is actually.

The word Norman is derived from Northman, which refers to their Viking heritage, they incorporated England into their existing territory of Normandy.

Unlike the Danes though, the Normans were able to fully establish control over the whole of England and bring in sweeping changes that a really formative impact on the country.

Right.

Let's hit another check for understanding now.

So I'd like to choose two ways in which Emma of Normandy had an impact on England.

Did she assassinate two kings of England? Did she declare war against two kings of England? Was she the mother of two kings of England, or was she the wife of two kings of England? So make two of those choices now.

Okay, if you chose C and D, then very well done.

Those are the correct answers.

Let's go for our first task now then.

So I'd like you to explain two ways in which the Danish conquest and the Norman conquest was similar.

And in order to answer this question, I'd like to use evidence from this lesson and your own knowledge to support your answer.

So pause the video now while you complete that task, and I'll see you again in just a moment.

Okay.

Welcome back.

Hopefully you got okay with that task.

Let's think of what you could have said then.

So you could have said, "One way in which the Danish conquest and the Norman conquest were similar was that both introduced new words into the English language.

For example, 'law', 'dirt' and 'freckles' were all introduced by the Vikings, whilst 'justice', 'mansion' and 'pork' were introduced by the Normans.

Many of the words used in the English language today derived from these two invading groups." "Another way the Danish and Norman conquest were similar is that both invasions were caused by a disagreement over who should be the King of England.

Cnut the Great, the leader of the second Danish conquest, was forced out of England by Aethelred the Unready in 1014, and returned a year later to reclaim his throne.

William the Conqueror, the leader of the Norman invasion, had reportedly been promised the throne by the previous English king, Edward the Confessor, and fought Harold Goldwinson for the right to rule England." Now, if you've got two different similarities that I've chosen, that's absolutely fine, as long as you've explained how they are similar, and you've included specific details.

That's what's key to this particular question here.

All right, let's go for our next learning cycle of the day.

We're just looking at migration and conquest outside of England.

Now, following their conquest of England, the Normans began expanding the borders of their new territory.

Wales proved a difficult region to subjugate.

Repeated campaigns yielded some successes, particularly in Southern Wales, which was under Norman control since 1093.

But regular uprisings, and the leadership of the Welsh kings prevented a full conquest until 1277.

Scotland had been invaded by the Anglo-Saxons under Athelstan in 934 CE, but the Normans would simply content just to hold influence over the Scottish kings rather than invade themselves.

The Anglo Normans, who as they became known under Henry II, took over large sways of Ireland beginning in 1169.

Henry incorporated Ireland into the already vast Angevin Empire.

The Angevin Empire had been established in 1154 when Henry Fitzempress, as he like to be known, who was the Duke of Normandy and Anjou and married to Eleanor of Aquitaine, which is a vast region in Southern France, was crowned King Henry II of England.

The Angevin Empire soon fell apart under his unpopular and unfortunate son, King John.

And by the time of John's death in 1216, the region of Gascony was the only substantial territory in France that remained under the influence of the kings of England.

This territory did provide a staging post for English expansion in the Hundred Years War, though, which began in 1337.

At certain points in the 116 year long conflict, England ruled more than a third of modern day France, and in 1420, the English all but won the conflict when King Henry the V was made heir to the French throne.

The untimely death of Henry in 1422 though, and the rallying of the French under the Talisman Joan of Arc ultimately led to defeat in the Hundred Years War and the loss of almost all continental territory excepting for Calais, which remained in English hands until 1558.

We're gonna check for understanding now.

So which country in the British Isles did the Normans not invade? Let's say Ireland, Scotland, or Wales? Make your choice now.

Okay, if you chose B, Scotland, then very well done.

That's the correct answer.

Let's have another check for understanding now.

I'd like you to identify two regions that are part of the Angevin Empire.

Are they Anjou, Denmark, Flanders, or Normandy? So choose two of those options now.

All right, if you chose A and D, then very well done.

Those are the correct answers.

All right, let's go for another task now.

So I'd like to explain two ways in which the invasion of Ireland was significant.

And once again, I'd like you to use evidence from this lesson as well as your own knowledge to support your answers.

So pause the video while you complete this task, and I'll see you again in just a moment.

Okay, welcome back.

Hope you got on fine with that task.

Let's think what you could have said then.

So you could have said, "One way in which the invasion of Ireland was significant was that it extended the Angevin Empire.

Henry II was declared 'overlord of Ireland' after Anglo-Norman forces aided Dairmait of Leinster to retake his throne in 1171 and claimed his land after he died.

This increased the prestige of Henry II and made his Angevin Empire even larger and more powerful than it already was." "Another way in which the invasion of Ireland was significant was that the long-term impact of English occupation in Ireland.

The English have had a presence in Ireland since the Anglo-Norman invasion of 1171.

This has affected Ireland in a variety of different ways, such as its religion.

The Normans originally changed Irish Christianity, so it was more in line with accepted Roman Catholicism and land ownership.

Norman lords claimed most of the land from the native Irish." If you've got different ways in which the invasion of Ireland was significant than that I've used, then that's absolutely fine.

Once again, the key thing though, that you've chosen to and you've explained using detail how they were significant.

All right, let's move on then to our third and final learning cycle of the day, which is looking at how did migration change mediaeval England.

Now, migration and conquest brought a great deal of change to mediaeval Britain.

The English language became a mixture of Anglo-Saxon, Viking, and Norman.

The evolution of the language reflecting the influence of the different groups that laid claim to the island.

Laws and customs were subject to the same mixture of cultures.

The greatest change the landscape came under Norman occupation, and the reason being is that roughly 1,000 castles were built to control the populace and enormous stone cathedrals were erected to win over hearts and mines.

Even the concept of who owned the land changed under the Normans.

William the Conqueror introduced the feudal system, which granted him ownership of all land in England, which he then redistributed from the roughly 4,000 Anglo-Saxons who owned land before 1066 to fewer than 200 Normans after this point.

One of the greatest changes the mentality of the English people, was the concept of there being an English people, which came about as a rejection of French influence and language during the Hundred Years War.

Prior to this, the people of England refer to themselves as hailing from a very particular region rather than from the country itself.

And the Royal Court spoke French as standard.

No king of England spoke English until Henry IV in 1399.

There were elements of continuity that persisted throughout the mediaeval period in Britain though.

Christianity remained the overwhelming religion of choice in the British Isles regardless of whether England was invaded or doing the invading.

The Normans actually strengthened the church through the building of grand cathedrals and the sponsorship of monasteries.

The number of monasteries rose from 250 from just 60, thanks to the Normans, but they did not fundamentally alter the faith of the English people.

Elements of the traditional Anglo-Saxon language, customs and laws remained, and became a part of the new English culture.

Ultimately, though, the main thread of continuity that runs through the history of mediaeval Britain is one of migration.

England was repeatedly invaded by a variety of groups who all left their mark on the lands and in turn, the people of England invaded other countries and spread aspects of their hybrid culture to the people that they invaded.

All right.

Let's have a quick check for understanding now.

So I'd like you to identify two changes that occurred due to conquest in mediaeval England.

Was it that colonists travelled to North America? Was it land ownership? Was it language, or was it religious belief? Make your choices now.

Okay, if you chose B and C, then very well done.

There's the correct answers.

Let's have another check for understanding, a true or false statements.

So the Norman's made significant changes to the religion that people followed in England.

Is that true or is that false? Make your choice now.

All right.

If you chose false, then very well done.

That is indeed a false statement, but let's justify it now.

Why is that a false statement? Is it false because the Normans invested in new church buildings and monasteries to strengthen Christianity? Or is it false because the Normans left religion alone and focused on building their military strength with castles.

Make your choice now.

All right, if you chose A, then very well done.

That's the correct answer.

And let's have one more check for understanding.

So, which event caused England to begin developing its own separate national identity? Was it the Danish conquest, the Hundred Years War, or the Norman conquest? Make your choice now.

All right, if you chose B, the Hundred Years War, then congratulations.

That's the correct answer.

All right, let's go for our final task for today now.

So which of the following factors was the main cause of people migrating to England in the mediaeval period? Do you think it was war, or do you think it was key individuals? Now, I'd like you to give two pieces of evidence from this lesson and your own knowledge to support each factor.

So two pieces of evidence to support war, two pieces of evidence to support key individuals.

And then once you've done that, I'd like you to explain to me what your overall opinion is, and provide a strong argument as to why you think it's one factor rather than the other.

If you can try and find links between the two factors as well.

Pause the video while you complete this task, and I'll see you again in just a moment.

Okay, welcome back.

Hopefully you got okay with that task.

Let's think about what you could have said then.

So you could have said, "That war was a major contributor for the migration of people to England during the mediaeval period.

The Vikings' first interaction with the people of England was in 793 CE, and consisted of a violent raid on Lindisfarne.

From that, the Vikings continued expanding their aggressive interactions with the people of England until they had conquered the north and east of England and established the Danelaw.

Many Vikings migrated to the Danelaw due to the excellent farmland available there, which surpassed the farmland available in their native Scandinavian countries.

Similarly, war was the main factor that enabled William the Conqueror and the Normans to be able to migrate to England.

William defeated the Anglo-Saxon, King Harold II, at the Battle of Hastings, and then subdued Anglo-Saxon rebellions through the use of force.

Without Williams' war-like abilities, the Normans would not have been able to achieve their conquest of England.

Key individuals were also an important reason for the migration of people to England in mediaeval period, although arguably not as important as war was.

For instance, Sweyn Forkbeard and his son Cnut the Great established the Viking North Sea Empire, which increased trade and migration between Denmark, Norway, and England in the early 11th century.

The North Sea Empire broke apart upon the death of each of these men, demonstrating how important these individuals were for keeping their empires intact.

Likewise, key individuals were also an important reason as William the Conqueror facilitated Norman migration to England when he conquered the island in 1066.

Although only an estimated 20,000 Normans migrated from Norman to England at this particular point.

However, because they represented the elite of society, these Normans still had a significant impact on the country impacting such things as land ownership and the language used by the people of England.

Overall, war was the main cause of people migrating to England in the mediaeval period.

Key individuals were important, especially as they were frequently the ones who declared war on the people of England, and therefore opened up the opportunity for people to migrate there.

However, mediaeval England was known to be a rich country ripe for plunder, which would've been a major draw for people such as the Vikings and Normans.

Both of these groups were superb warriors who had a history of expansion through war.

So regardless of who was leading them, the chances are that they would've invaded and migrated to England just the same.

Now, if you've got a different overall opinion to me, then that's genuinely not a problem.

It's always absolutely fine.

The key thing is you are able to use your evidence to support your opinion.

So as long as you've got a similar structure in mind and you supported your argument with specific details, then you've been absolutely fine there.

All right, let's summarise today's lesson now.

So the Viking invasion saw the establishment of the Danelaw and the North Sea Empire, and the introduction of cultural changes.

The Norman conquest also brought a great deal of change to England to just change to the landscape, land ownership, and government.

The establishment of the Angevin Empire saw closer cultural connections between England and France.

These were severed after the Hundred Years War, which encouraged the English to develop their own separate national identity.

Throughout all the conquest and settlement, there were some elements that remained the same in Britain such as religion.

Thank you very much for joining me today.

Hopefully you enjoyed yourself, hopefully you learned something, and hopefully I see you again next time.

Bye-bye.