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From the Heptarchy to the Norman Conquest - Coggle Diagram
From the Heptarchy to the Norman Conquest
The Heptarchy
after the Anglo-Saxon invasion, Britain was divided in seven main local kingdoms (7 century)
= East Anglia (the modern East Angles), Essex (the modern Est Saxons), Kent, Sussex, Northumbria, Mercia and Wessex (the modern West Saxons)
The last three ones are the most powerful by the middle of the 7 century
The Vikings
in 8 and 9 centuries new enemies arrived from overseas: the Vikings
They camed from Borway, Sweden and Denmark
in 793, after an attacked at the monastery of Lindisfarne they gradually settled in the country
From Alfred the Great to Athelstan
King Alfred the Great of Wessex united the Anglo-Saxons after the invasions of the Vikings
He won back the occupied territories, reorganised the army, built a fleet fortified towns
He gave importance to religion and encouraged the writing of a history of England
in the 879 Mercia accepted Alfred's lordship so the kindgom of Anglo-Saxons was created
the state of Alfred organised in local. He encouraged the costruction of towns
Alfred's son Edward was a great war leader, in fact he extened his power into the Midlands and East Anglia
The Northumbria was finally conquered kingdom, taken by Edward's son Athelstan (927)
Athelstan was the father of the English state because he created a kingdom of all England establishing the idea of royal autority, law and coniage
Viking kings
The viking violence returned to England in the 990s, and the policy of the Danegeld (protection money paid in return for being left alone), was practised regulary
1012: the Archbishop of Cantebury was murdered, and within one year the Danish king Sweyn Frokbeard was on the throne
His son, Canute, became the king of a North Sea empire, bringing an end to the Vikings attacks + he became king of England
He was succeeded by Edward the Confessor, who devoted himself to religion
in fact, he built the Westminister Abbey consacreting him
He died in 1066, leaving power to his brother-in-law Harold II Wessex
The last Anglo-Saxon king
The Norman conquest
1066: William invaded Britain and defeated Harold II at Hastings
William was the led of the Norman Vikings who had settled in northern France
He was crowned by William I in Westminster Abbey on Christmas
English monarchs have been crowned in the Abbey since then