Hello, welcome to History here at Oak National Academy.

I'm Mr. Newton and I'll be your teacher for today guiding you through the entirety of the lesson.

Let's get started.

Over the next few lessons, we will be thinking about our big inquiry question.

How did Anglo-Saxons resist Norman rule? This is the question we will use to investigate the events that followed William's victory at Hastings.

After William's victory at Hastings in 1066, he set about securing control of England.

Many Anglo-Saxons resisted a Norman rule, which had involved violence, plunder, and large scale castle-building.

From 1068 to 1071, there were rebellions against William across the kingdom.

These rebellions poses a real threat to Norman rule.

The 1069 Northern rebellions escalated out of control as a result of the leadership of Edgar Aethling, a legitimate Anglo-Saxon claimant of the throne who had the backing of Denmark and Scotland.

Later in 1070 to '71, the gathering of English rebels in the marshes of East Anglia would turn out to be a last stand.

By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to explain the key events of the Northern and East Anglian rebellions.

Before we begin, there are a few key words we need to understand.

A revolt is when a large number refuse to be controlled or ruled and take action against authority, often violent action.

Harrying is persistently harassing or carrying out attacks on an enemy or an enemy's territory.

Today's lesson is split into three parts, where we will learn about three major rebellions against William's rule.

Let's start with the Revolt of Earls Edwin and Morcar in 1068.

The Anglo-Saxon Earls Edwin and Morcar had not fought at the Battle of Hastings, and William had allowed them to keep their earldoms. Take a look at the map.

It shows Edwin and Morcar's former earldoms. In the centre of England is Mercia, which was Edwin's earldom, and in the north was Northumbria, which was Morcar's earldom.

But by 1068, the brothers were angry.

William had reduced the size of their earldoms, selling part of Morcar's Northumbria to another Anglo-Saxon, Gospatric.

It seems that William was willing to give land to whoever he believed would help him control that region, whether they were Anglo-Saxon or Norman.

As for Edwin, the most powerful surviving Anglo-Saxon Earl, William had promised he would have great authority in Mercia and that he would marry William's daughter.

However, William gave away part of Mercia when he created the March of Earldoms. He also broke his promise of his daughter's hand in marriage.

Okay, let's have a check for understanding.

Fill in the correct missing word, pause the video, fill in the blank, and then come right back.

Okay, great.

Welcome back.

Let's read how that sentence should have been completed.

It seems that William was willing to give land to whoever he believed would help him control that region, whether they were Anglo-Saxon or Norman.

Edwin and Morcar revolted against William and many joined the revolt including Gospatric, Maerleswein, the governor of York, and perhaps most importantly, Edgar the Aethling, a legitimate claimant to the throne who was now allied to the King of Scotland.

Okay, let's have a check for understanding.

Why did Edwin and Morcar revolt against William? Select two correct answers.

A, William failed to defend their lands from Viking invasions.

B, William broke his promise that Edwin would marry his daughter.

C, William had reduced their earldoms. D, William excluded them from his council.

Pause the video, have a think, and come right back.

Okay, welcome back.

Well done if you knew the two correct answers were that William broke his promise that Edwin would marry his daughter and William had reduced their earldoms. Okay, let's continue.

The rebels were stationed in the north and William marched there, building castles as he went.

By the time he reached the north and castles were under construction, the rebels had surrendered.

Have a look at the map.

We can see William marching north and castle-building as he went, he began building castles in Warwick, Nottingham, and then York.

Castles were almost unknown in England, and this gave William a huge military advantage.

William's march was also accompanied with harrying.

Edwin and Morcar were taken prisoner.

Whilst Gospatric, Maerleswein, and Edgar fled to Scotland, the Welsh, Scottish, and English had all found a common enemy in the Norman invaders.

However, for the time being, Edwin and Morcar were imprisoned.

Okay, let's have a check for understanding.

Which of the following tactics did William use to put down the revolt in 1068? Select two correct answers.

A, building alliances with Viking forces.

B, building castles in rebellious areas.

C, establishing new trade routes.

D, harrying the population.

Pause the video, have a think, and come right back.

Okay, welcome back, and well done if you knew it was building castles in rebellious areas and harrying the population.

Okay, let's move on to task A.

The main reason that Edwin and Morcar revolted in 1068 is because William broke his promise that Edwin would marry his daughter.

Working with your partner, discuss other reasons for the revolt.

Pause the video, have a go at the task, and come right back.

Okay, welcome back.

Let's see what possible reasons you may have discussed.

Another reason for the revolt was that William had reduced the size of their earldoms, selling part of Morcar's Northumbria to another Anglo-Saxon, Gospatric.

And furthermore, we could have another reason for the revolt.

Edwin was angered by his loss of wealth, power, and status.

He was the most powerful surviving Anglo-Saxon Earl and William promised him great authority but gave away part of his earldom when he created the March of Earldoms. Okay, now let's move on to a second major rebellion that William had to face, Edgar and the rebellions in the north in 1069.

Seeing that there were dangers to leaving Anglo-Saxon leaders in place, William appointed an outsider, a Flemish Norman ally, Robert Cumin as Earl of Northumbria.

Cumin carried out more violence and plunder against the local population.

Have a look at the map.

We can see Cumin and his Norman soldiers in place to secure the north.

After the previous rebellion there, Cumin's aim was to quickly assert his dominance, and he inflicted violence and plunder on the area.

This provoked an uprising by the Anglo-Saxons in Northumbria, resulting in Cumin and his men being killed in Durham on the 31st of January, 1069.

From here, the Rebellion grew.

Gospatric, Maerleswein, and Edgar joined an attack on Norman troops at York.

Have a look at the map.

We can see that Cumin and his men are killed in Durham and Gospatric, Maerleswein, and Edgar joined the rebellion and attacked the Normans at York.

William's response was typically swift and brutal.

A large Norman army descended upon York.

Gospatric and Maerleswein escaped whilst Edgar fled back to his ally in Scotland, King Malcolm III.

William returned south but soon got the news that the rebellion had restarted in York.

At the bottom of the map, we can see William arrive with a large force and Gospatric and Maerleswein quickly flee whilst Edgar escapes back to Scotland.

Harold Godwinson's mother, Gytha, had convinced the Danish king, Swein Estrithson, that the English would welcome the return of Danish rule.

If you have a look at the map, we can imagine Gytha going to Denmark and trying to convince King Swein to join the rebellion.

King Swrin would've known that the north of England had a strong Viking connection and may welcome his rule, especially after William had been quite violent with harrying and castle-building across the kingdom.

Okay, let's have a check for understanding.

I want you to fill in the correct missing names.

Pause the video, have a go, and come right back.

Okay, welcome back.

Let's see how the sentence should have read.

Harold Godwinson's mother, Gytha, had convinced the Danish king, Swein Estrithson, that the English would welcome the return of Danish rule.

In the late summer of 1069, a fleet of 240 of Swein's ships landed on the east coast of England.

The Viking army were joined by Gospatric, Maerleswein, and Edgar.

After raiding the East coast, killing 3,000 Norman soldiers and sacking York, the Danes return to their ships.

Have a look at the map.

It shows Swein's ships raiding the east coast of England.

The Vikings were then joined by Gospatric, Maerleswein, and Edgar, and after sacking York, the Vikings returned to their ships.

This was a common Danish tactic, using ships to launch raids and then exiting quickly.

This made it difficult for William to draw them into battle.

By now, uprisings were occurring in other parts of England.

Anglo-Saxon and Welsh rebels were attacking the much hated Norman castles, and William must have felt surrounded by war on all sides.

As soon as he dealt with one rebellion in the north, a new uprising sprouted in the south.

If you have a look at the map, we can imagine how William felt surrounded with uprisings with the rebellions and the Danes in the north, and then also along the Welsh border and in the southwest of England.

So we can imagine that William must have felt surrounded by war on all sides.

William had a two-part solution.

Firstly, he paid the Danes a large sum of money to leave England.

Secondly, to ensure no further rebellions reemerged, he enacted a large scale harrying.

Thousands died, and this notorious event became known as the Harrying of the North.

If you have a look at the map, we can see the Danes returning to their ships, receiving their money, and then exiting England.

This was the first part of William's solution.

And the second part was the most notorious act of William's reign, the Harrying of the North.

With William facing uprisings across England and being unable to draw many of his enemies into battle, he decided to enact this two part solution of paying the Danes and notoriously harrying the north.

Let's have a check for understanding.

Who joined the rebellions in 1069? Select two correct answers.

A, Earl Edwin, B, Edgar the Aethling, C Robert Cumin, D, Swein Estrithson.

Pause the video, select your two correct answers, and then come right back.

Okay, welcome back.

Well done if you knew that the 1069 rebellions were joined by Edgar the Aethling and Swein Estrithson.

Okay, let's have another check.

Which two parts solution did William enact after the rebellions of 1069? Select two correct answers.

A, agreed to make Edgar the Aethling his heir.

B, enacted the Harrying of the North.

C, negotiated a Peace Treaty with Malcolm III.

D, paid the Danes money to leave England.

Pause the video, have a think, and come right back.

Okay, welcome back.

Well done if you knew William's two part solution was that he B, enacted the Harrying of the North, and D, paid the Danes money to leave England.

Okay, let's move on to task B.

What I want you to do here is starting with the earliest, sort these events into time order, and you can see I've given you four events on the left hand side, and I want you to place them into the correct order in the boxes on the right.

Pause the video, have a go at the task, and then come right back.

Excellent.

Welcome back, let's check those answers.

So the first event was Robert Cumin plunders Northumbria, and then Robert Cumin and his men are killed in Durham.

And then Edgar the Aethling and the Danish king joined the Northern Rebellion.

And finally, William pays the Danes and enacts the Harrying of the North.

Okay, let's move on to the final rebellion, Hereward The Wake and the rebellion at Ely in 1070 to 1071.

In May 1070, Swein himself arrived in England and sent his troops to East Anglia.

Seizing the town of Ely, which lay on an island surrounded by marshes.

It was reported that the Anglo-Saxon natives welcomed their Danish liberators.

If you have a look at the map, you can see King Swein himself arriving in northern England.

It actually turned out that the Danes, with their hit and run tactics in the 1069 rebellions, this is when they would exit their ships, launch raids, and then return back to their ships again, making it very difficult for William to draw them into battle.

It seems they were just buying time and waiting for the arrival of their king.

So Swein finally arrives and sends some of his troops to Ely.

At the same time, an Anglo-Saxon thegn called Hereward the Wake also began a rebellion.

Hereward had returned from exile to England after 1066 to discover the Normans had killed his brother and seized his lands.

Now an outlaw Hereward, saw the Danish invasion of Ely as an opportunity to take back what he deserved.

Together with the Danes, Hereward attacked Peterborough and seized its treasures.

Have a look at the image on the left.

It's an illustration of Hereward the Wake.

We can imagine how fired up he was for the prospect of a Danish takeover and getting rid of Norman rule.

Hereward's acts of resistance have entered the status of legend.

The story goes that Hereward, along with his sword known as Brain-Biter, and his band of outlaws would ambush Norman troops and then disappear into the misty marshes of Ely.

After helping Hereward to plunder Peterborough, the Danes struck a deal with William and returned to Denmark.

If you have a look at the map, we can see the Danes in England and they found it difficult to sustain themselves there.

So decided to strike a deal with William.

And when William offered them terms, the Danes once again returned to Denmark.

So William believed that he had put an end to another rebellion.

However, Hereward and his English supporters had other ideas and were now joined by Edwin and Morcar who had escaped captivity.

Hereward was camped in Ely, an island surrounded by marshes.

Take a look at the photo on the left.

In the distance, you can see Ely Cathedral, and we can see that the river is flooded too.

You can see that Ely is on higher ground surrounded by marshes.

We can imagine how Hereward could use this location to his advantage.

It would've been very difficult for William to attack Hereward here.

William used ships to blockade the island while his army built a two mile wooden causeway across the marshes.

Have a look at the image on the left.

It's an illustration of the building of William's Causeway on the island of Ely.

This enabled William's troops to cross the marshes and enter the island.

Okay, let's have a check for understanding.

Fill in the correct missing name, pause the video, have a go, and come right back.

Okay, welcome back.

Let's read how that sentence should have looked with the correct missing name.

An Anglo-Saxon thegn known as Hereward the wake rebelled against Norman rule after discovering the Normans had killed his brother and seized his lands.

Okay, let's continue.

The Normans stormed Ely and the English surrendered.

The rebels were imprisoned or set free after having their hands cut off and their eyes gouged out.

Edwin had died before the attack, and Morcar was imprisoned, but died soon after.

Hereward escaped undetected through the misty marshes.

Hereward's final acts of English resistance made him a celebrated folk hero like that of Robin Hood.

Okay, let's have a check for understanding.

How did William defeat the rebellion at Ely? A, he negotiated Hereward's surrender through messengers.

B, he built a two mile wooden causeway to access the island.

Or C, he waited for the rebels to run out of supplies.

Pause the video, have a think, and come right back.

Okay, welcome back, and well done If you knew it was B, he built a two mile wooden causeway to access the island.

Okay, let's move on to the final task, task C.

The main reason that the revolts against Norman Rule failed was because of William's leadership.

What I want you to do is explain why you agree with this statement.

You should include the following in your answer, harrying, castle-building, paying the Danes, blockade, causeway.

So you can see there the statement is making the argument that the main reason all of these revolts fail is down to William's leadership.

And undoubtedly, we've given you plenty of examples throughout the lesson, which we could use to back that up.

Pause the video, have a go at the task, and come right back.

Okay, welcome back.

Compare your answer with what I've written here.

William's leadership involved a combination of brutal military strength, bribery, and clever military tactics, which resulted in the failure of the 1068 to 71 revolt.

William's brutal response in dealing with the revolt of Earls Edwin and Morcar in 1068 involved harrying and castle-building, which led to the rebels quickly surrendering.

When the Northern rebellions persisted in 1069, William combined his military strength with political strength.

He enacted the Harrying of the North and paid the Danes to leave England.

Finally, in 1070 to '71, William used ships to blockade the island of Ely while his army built a two mile wooden causeway across the marshes.

The Normans stormed Ely and the English surrendered.

Okay, let's summarise today's lesson, the Northern and East Anglian Rebellions.

William initially allowed Anglo-Saxons like Earls Edwin and Morcar to keep their titles and land.

However, he reduced their earldoms, which caused them to revolt.

Much of the resistance emerged in the north with Edgar the Aethling and the Danish king joined the rebellions against William.

William used different tactics to put down the rebellions, including castle-building, paying the Danes to leave England, and the Harrying of the North.

Hereward the Wake was defeated when William used ships to blockade the island of Ely while his army built a wooden causeway across the marshes.

Well done on a brilliant lesson, and thank you for joining me as we learned about some of the Anglo-Saxon resistance against Norman rule and the legendary Hereward the Wake.

I will see you next time when we continue our inquiry.

See you in the next lesson.