Sir William Wallace

1408 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: warfare during the middle ages

The Help of Sir William Wallace
Sir William Wallace is one of Scotland’s greatest generals and was a great help towards the freedom of Scotland because he brought patriotism to the minds of his fellow Scotsmen in order fight for the freedom for which was nearly taken away by the their English neighbors. He would ride through Scotland gathering clans both from the high and lowlands. Over the years after his death, Scots have proclaimed Sir William Wallace as their countries hero and the man who made freedom run through the blood of so many who were by his side.
Hundreds of years before the time of Sir William Wallace, Roman troops tried to conquer parts of Scotland but failed. The savagery of the Scots put the fear in the Romans and caused them to build Hadrian’s Wall. The wall separated Scotland and England (which was part of the Roman Empire). When the great empire fell to destruction by many Germanic tribes, Scots began to live a more peaceful life. During the Norman conquest of 1066, a group of people called the Normans invaded England, killed many Anglo-Saxon and Celtic tribes, and took over the country. England was now under Norman rule and would stay that way. (Compton’s Home Encyclopedia CD Rom)
In 1296, English troops invaded the lowlands of Scotland burning villages, killing innocent Scots, and trying to over rule the vast countrysides of the lowlands and the highlands. The new ruler of England, King Edward I the Long Shanks, started all this.

He believed that he should have control of the whole island itself. His idea about conquering Scotland was that if he can’t beat them out, then he could breed them out. He brought the old English custom called Prima Noctes; if a woman is married in the country of Scotland, an English lord has every right to take her away from her husband for a few days and have his ways with her. Clans of lowlanders came together to form an army. It took awhile for the highlanders to know about this. Conflicts brook out between the Scottish rebels and English troops. Bows and arrows and other combat weapons were taken from the Scots except for their swords and axes. (Compton’s Home Encyclopedia CD Rom)
The answer to Scotland’s problems came with the birth of William Wallace. His exact date of birth is unknown but he was born in the 1270’s.

Show More
Related

  • William Wallace: Leader for Scotland´s Independence

    964 Words  | 2 Pages

    William Wallace is considered a legend in Scotland. For years, England and Scotland were at war, and behind many of the battles for Scotland’s independence was William Wallace. While the information about him, like any good hero, might be over exaggerated by some historians, what’s true is that he gave the country hope that Scotland could be free from English Tyranny. For years after he died, others took his place in saving Scotland from English rule.

    Read More

  • Battle of Tippecanoe

    2350 Words  | 5 Pages

    ... forces to take advantage of situation to shape the battle in his favor. Daring and willing to take calculated risks he was able to effectively negate all of the varying tactics the Indians attempted to employ at him to achieve his victory.

    Read More

  • Interactions Between the Vikings and Natives

    2036 Words  | 5 Pages

    Upon first encountering one another, the vikings and the natives of Scotland often experienced violent confrontation. However, through the passage of time they contributed in shaping each other in equal and sometimes opposite measure. There are several hypotheses that describe the details of the first viking-indigenous interactions.1 Out of the many propositions, two theories appear most often. The first asserts that the vikings set up an earldom and thenceforth ruled over the native Scottish population. Sometimes this earldom is portrayed as peaceful, at other times more violent. The second proposition asserts that a genocide took place in which the vikings eliminated and replaced the native people.2 The evidence for either model is contradictory and variably justifiable. The best explanation therefore is a syntheses of both hypotheses. Namely, that both earldom and genocide took place in different circumstances. Bands of viking ships were often federations, and as such individual rulers within the federation must have had some measure of latitude. In some areas viking captains completely exterminated the indigenous people they found. In other instances, the leaders simply subjugated the people they encountered. In areas where the local population were left alive they influenced the Scandinavian settlers in terms of religion and material culture to different degrees. Conversely, the viking presence in Scotland forced the native inhabitants to become more militant and politically united.3 Furthermore, the natives eventually adopted parts of Scandinavian language, material culture, and custom as well.

    Read More

  • Sir John Alexander Macdonald

    1985 Words  | 4 Pages

    John Alexander Macdonald was born in Glasgow, Scotland on January 11, 1815. His family immigrated to Canada (Kingston, Ontario) in 1820, Macdonald was five years old at the time. In 1829 Macdonald ended his schooling, his parents could not afford to send him to university. Macdonald would later say that if he had went to university he would have ended up in literature, not politics. (Waite, John, 7-10)

    Read More

  • Macbeth's Killing of Duncan in William Shakespeare's Macbeth

    2237 Words  | 5 Pages

    upon him that lead to him deciding to kill Duncan; who is his king. I

    Read More

  • 1066: Year Of The Conquest

    910 Words  | 2 Pages

    1066: The Year of the Conquest, written by David Howarth, tells of one of the most important dates in the history of England. In 1066, William the Conqueror and William of Orange fought the historical Battle of Hastings. The outcome of this battle lead to many changes to the English people. The Norman people became assimilated into the English way of life. Howarth proceeds to tell the tale of the Battle of Hastings through the eyes on a common Englishman.

    Read More

  • William Lyon Mackenzie King

    607 Words  | 2 Pages

    Neatby, H. Blair. "King, William Lyon Mackenzie." Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Last modified 2005. Accessed September 25, 2013. http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/king_william_lyon_mackenzie_17E.html.

    Read More

  • Essay On The Turmult Of The Metropolis By Georg Simmel

    674 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...lisation. Through early rivalry with the English the Scottish people were misunderstood to be English themselves. With their reputation of being violent, their change  friendly disposition reflected as a practical benefit. “If you are nice to people, people are nice to you. You have a better time” (George, Lothian).

    Read More

  • Macbeth Essay

    554 Words  | 2 Pages

    The English army under Edward I is preparing to invade. This is the result of Malcolm’s having fled there. In Act III a Lord tells Lennox, “The son of Duncan . . ./ Lives in the English court, and is receiv’d/ Of the most pious Edward with such grace . . .”

    Read More

  • The War between Scotland and England in the Reign of Edward I

    3499 Words  | 7 Pages

    Why did War break out between Scotland and England in the Reign of Edward I?

    Read More

  • The Hundred Years War

    2098 Words  | 5 Pages

    by a small English army. In 1350 Edward led an English fleet against the spanish from

    Read More

  • Pride Of A Scotsman Essay

    968 Words  | 2 Pages

    Events in the past have affected modern day Scots. When these events first occurred in Scotland, the Scots kept these memories and traditions with pride that stayed with them throughout years. As more and more generations pass, the sense of Scottish pride stays with them as they teach it to their children. The generations that followed Prince Charlie’s legacy grew up with Scottish patriotism. The families that survived the famine learned and passed on the ideal to not waste resources. Scottish emigrants kept their Highland culture by publicly showing their Scottish roots. The stereotype of Scots were caused by the pride that had been brought down from generation to generation that still live today.

    Read More

  • Macbeth As A Tragedy In Macbeth

    1298 Words  | 3 Pages

    While he did do many detastable things, he did them because he was a loyal Scottsman and family man. He wanted the best for Scotland. He believed that Scotland deserved the best and that the best was him. When he realized that his family line would not carry on he did his best, or what he thought was best, to continue it. His wife did nothing to discourage these bad ideas, infact, she encouraged them.

    Read More

  • Norman Conquest Research Paper

    2447 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Norman Conquest refers to the invasion of England by the Normans in the year 1066. Norman conquerors came from a province formerly in northwestern France called Normandy. The invasion happened under the leadership of Duke William II and William the conqueror (Thomas, 2008). The English people staged several attacks on the Normans with an aim to resist the invasion on their land. However, the strong leadership of the Normans led England to succumb to the pressure. The Norman Conquest had a number of consequences on the English people and their culture. The consequences were the elimination of an elite group from the society, expatriation of people from their native land, and the introduction of new governance systems. Others included the development of language, high rate of immigration, and intermarriages between the two groups. The Norman invasion marked a crucial time in the development of the English language. The conquest resulted in the development of two categories of the English language called the Old English and the Middle English (Thomas, 2008). Old English refers to the language used before the Norman Conquest, while the Middle English refers to the language used after the conquest following the addition of numerous French vocabularies. The main difference between the two categories is the grammatical elements and the collection of words (Butcher, 2013). The conquest also influenced the development of sound and structure elements of the English language. The Norman Conquest resulted in a complete transformation of the English language.

    Read More

  • Braveheart Movie Summary

    501 Words  | 2 Pages

    In 1280 A.D. Edward I of England, known as "Longshanks," has occupied much of Scotland, and his oppressive rule there leads to the deaths of William Wallace's father and brother. Years later and after Wallace has grown up with his uncle outside of Scotland, the Scots continue to live under the harsh thumb of Longshanks' cruel laws. Wallace returns, intent on living as a farmer and avoiding involvement in the ongoing "Troubles." Wallace rekindles a romance with his childhood friend Murron after showing her the carefully preserved thistle she gave him as a child, and the two marry in secret to avoid the primae noctis decree the King has set forth. After Wallace beats up a group of English soldiers attempting to rape Murron, the village Sheriff publicly cuts her throat before Wallace is able to save her. An enraged Wallace, with the assistance of his fellow townsmen, slaughters the English soldiers at the encampment, killing the sheriff in the same manner that Murron was killed. He then orders the burning of the local English fort, and unintentionally kindles a Scottish rebellion.

    Read More

More about Sir William Wallace

Open Document