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Year 10
Edexcel

The legacy of Anglo-Saxon resistance

I can describe how William maintained royal power.

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New
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Year 10
Edexcel

The legacy of Anglo-Saxon resistance

I can describe how William maintained royal power.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. After the Battle of Hastings, William took the land of all those who had fought against him.
  2. At first William kept some Anglo-Saxons in positions of power to help him be accepted as England’s new king.
  3. The uprisings against Norman rule changed William’s mind about including Anglo-Saxons in positions of power.
  4. William used his control over England’s land to transfer power from Anglo-Saxons to Normans.
  5. William’s methods of maintaining control included: military strength, harrying and castles, and government power.

Keywords

  • Tenants-in-chief - tenants-in-chief were the large Norman landholders who held land directly from the monarch

  • Tenant - a tenant is a person who pays for the use of land or a building

Common misconception

William the Conqueror was hostile towards all Anglo-Saxons from the start.

Some Anglo-Saxons, if they had not fought against William at Hastings, were allowed to keep their land.


To help you plan your year 10 history lesson on: The legacy of Anglo-Saxon resistance, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Get students to craft their version of a royal seal, exploring its symbolism and the utility of seals in maintaining royal authority.
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Teacher tip
content-guidance

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
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Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

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Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What was the main threat to William’s control of northern England in 1069?
an uprising by Eadric the Wild and the King of Wales
Correct answer: a rebellion led by Edgar the Aethling and King Swein
the construction of castles in the north
Q2.
What were the aims of the Harrying of the North?
to build castles across Yorkshire and secure the area
Correct answer: to destroy the spirit of rebellion across the country
Correct answer: to ensure that no future rebel army could support itself in the North
to negotiate peace with the rebels and end all the rebellions
Q3.
Complete the following sentence: The Harrying of the North caused a devastating , more than 100 000 people perished of starvation.
Correct Answer: famine, Famine
Q4.
What did the Harrying of the North involve?
Correct answer: crops, livestock and food were burned
land was offered to the rebels for peace
the Danes were paid to leave England
Correct answer: soldiers systematically hunted and killed rebels
Q5.
What were the consequences of the Harrying of the North?
Correct answer: it affected William's reputation throughout Europe
the population of the north increased
the population gained support from the Danes and continued to rebel
Correct answer: there were no further uprisings in the north
Q6.
What happened to the population in Yorkshire after the Harrying of the North?
The population continued to rebel against the Normans with support from Denmark
Correct answer: There was a decrease in population by 75% because of famine and refugees fleeing
Norman settlers moved in and the population increased by 75%

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Whose land did William claim for the Normans?
all Anglo-Saxon earls
Correct answer: Anglo-Saxons who had fought against him
only the House of Godwin
Q2.
Which of these changed William's attitude to including Anglo-Saxons in positions of power?
the building of castles
the creation of the Domesday Book
Correct answer: the uprisings against Norman rule
Q3.
What was the name of the large Norman landholders who held land directly from the monarch?
housecarls
Correct answer: tenants-in-chief
thegns
Q4.
Complete the sentence with the correct answer: William introduced a new system of landholding that more strictly tied the landholder to the ...
Church
Correct answer: landowner
peasants
Q5.
Fill in the blank: At first, William allowed Earls Edwin and to keep their earldoms, to help him be accepted as England’s new king.
Correct Answer: Morcar, morcar, Morkere
Q6.
How did William maintain royal power when he was abroad?
Correct answer: by appointing regents
by increasing taxes
by sending letters to the king of Scotland

Additional material

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