William the Conqueror
William the Conqueror was born in 1027 to Robert 1 the Duke of Normandy. Robert was killed on his way back from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 1035. At the age of 8, William was forced to become the Duke of Normandy. There was much violence in the early years of his reign because feudal barons were fighting for power. In the chaos a few guards and William’s teacher were killed. King Henry 1 of France helped the young Duke through these hard times and in 1042 knighted him. In 1064 William had already conquered two neighboring provinces, Brittany and Maine.
William’s Rise to Power
Edward the Confessor, who was the King of England, had promised William the throne after his death because he had no children. When Edward died Harold Goodwin stole the throne. Angry at the betrayal, William assembled an army on the French coast but they were delayed several weeks because of strong winds from the north. On October 14, 1066, the battle of Hastings took place. In the ensuing chaos Harold and his two brothers were killed by William’s vast army of skilled soldiers. William was crowned King on Christmas day, 1066. The new King brought in strong Norman administrators who changed England's government into a feudal system and made England one of the politically strongest nations in Europe. William the Conqueror died in 1087 of an intestinal infection, but his legacy surrounds us as every English monarch since has been descended from him.
Concerning the Dark Ages and William’s Impact on Them
The Dark Ages: were they actually dark? A man looking at William the Conquerer’s biography might say they were a time of war and destruction but if you look closely there is some light. For example, after William the Conqueror took the throne his Norman administrators changed England's government from anarchy to feudalism and the system has worked for many decades. William himself was not a war-ridden man. The Battle of Hastings was fought because the throne was stolen from him; it’s not because he just wanted to kill men. William wanted what was right for his country and the rest of Europe. In the end William contributed a lot to the light moments of the Dark Ages.
By: Logan S.
William the Conqueror was born in 1027 to Robert 1 the Duke of Normandy. Robert was killed on his way back from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 1035. At the age of 8, William was forced to become the Duke of Normandy. There was much violence in the early years of his reign because feudal barons were fighting for power. In the chaos a few guards and William’s teacher were killed. King Henry 1 of France helped the young Duke through these hard times and in 1042 knighted him. In 1064 William had already conquered two neighboring provinces, Brittany and Maine.
William’s Rise to Power
Edward the Confessor, who was the King of England, had promised William the throne after his death because he had no children. When Edward died Harold Goodwin stole the throne. Angry at the betrayal, William assembled an army on the French coast but they were delayed several weeks because of strong winds from the north. On October 14, 1066, the battle of Hastings took place. In the ensuing chaos Harold and his two brothers were killed by William’s vast army of skilled soldiers. William was crowned King on Christmas day, 1066. The new King brought in strong Norman administrators who changed England's government into a feudal system and made England one of the politically strongest nations in Europe. William the Conqueror died in 1087 of an intestinal infection, but his legacy surrounds us as every English monarch since has been descended from him.
Concerning the Dark Ages and William’s Impact on Them
The Dark Ages: were they actually dark? A man looking at William the Conquerer’s biography might say they were a time of war and destruction but if you look closely there is some light. For example, after William the Conqueror took the throne his Norman administrators changed England's government from anarchy to feudalism and the system has worked for many decades. William himself was not a war-ridden man. The Battle of Hastings was fought because the throne was stolen from him; it’s not because he just wanted to kill men. William wanted what was right for his country and the rest of Europe. In the end William contributed a lot to the light moments of the Dark Ages.
By: Logan S.