Introduction: A Country That Didn't Want to be Caught
Hi there! Welcome to your study notes on Resistance and Response. After winning the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William of Normandy probably thought the hard part was over. He was wrong! For the next five years, the English people fought back hard.
In this section, we are going to look at how different parts of England rebelled against their new Norman masters and the brutal way King William responded to keep his crown. Think of it like a new, strict headteacher taking over a school where the students (the English) really liked the old one and are doing everything they can to make the new teacher's life difficult!
1. The First Sparks: Resistance in the West and Mercia
The English didn't just sit back and watch the Normans take their land. Almost as soon as William was crowned, rebellions started popping up like "whack-a-mole."
The West (Exeter, 1068)
The city of Exeter refused to swear loyalty to William. They even strengthened their city walls. William didn't take this well. He marched his army down there and besieged the city for 18 days. Eventually, the city gave in, but William was surprisingly "nice" at first—he let them keep their old rights as long as they built him a castle to keep an eye on them.
Mercia (The Midlands)
In the heart of England, a man named Eadric the Wild led a rebellion. He used guerrilla warfare—this is when small groups of fighters use the landscape to launch surprise attacks and then disappear back into the woods.
Analogy: Guerrilla warfare is like a game of hide-and-seek where the person hiding is constantly jumping out to scare you before running away again.
Quick Review Box:
- 1067: Rebellions start in Kent and the Welsh border.
- 1068: Exeter rebels; William builds a castle there to maintain control.
- Eadric the Wild: A key English leader in the Midlands who refused to give up.
Don't worry if this seems tricky! Just remember that the rebellions started in the edges of the country (the West and the North) where William's power was weakest.
Key Takeaway: William couldn't be everywhere at once. Early resistance was disorganized but showed that the English Thegns (nobles) were not going to go down without a fight.
2. The North and the 'Harrying of the North'
The North of England was the biggest headache for William. It was far away from London, and the people there had strong links to the Vikings. In 1069, things turned serious when the Danes (from Denmark) joined the English rebels to attack York.
William's Brutal Solution
William realized that winning battles wasn't enough; he had to break the spirit of the North so they could never rebel again. This led to the Harrying of the North (1069–1070).
William used a "scorched earth" policy. This meant his soldiers:
- Burnt down houses and barns.
- Destroyed all the crops in the fields.
- Killed all the farm animals (livestock).
- Salted the earth so nothing could grow for years.
The Human Cost
The results were horrific. It is estimated that 100,000 people died. Most didn't die from the sword, but from famine (starving to death) because there was no food left. Some people were even forced to sell themselves into slavery just to get a piece of bread.
Did you know? Even 20 years later, the Domesday Book (a giant survey of England) recorded vast areas of the North as "waste"—meaning nobody lived there and no money could be made from the land.
Memory Aid: The 4 'S's of the Harrying
1. Scorched Earth (Burning everything).
2. Starvation (The main cause of death).
3. Salt (Ruining the fields).
4. Silence (The North was too broken to rebel again).
Key Takeaway: The Harrying of the North was a turning point. It was a clear message: Rebel against William, and you will lose everything.
3. The Last Stand: Hereward the Wake
The final major piece of English resistance happened in the East of England, in the marshy Fens of Ely (near modern-day Cambridge).
The "Robin Hood" of the Fens
Hereward the Wake was an English Thegn who had his lands taken by the Normans. He set up a base on the Isle of Ely. Because it was surrounded by water and thick mud, it was almost impossible for the Norman cavalry (knights on horses) to reach him.
The Fall of Ely (1071)
Hereward was joined by King Sweyn of Denmark and Earl Morcar. To defeat them, William had to build a mile-long causeway (a wooden bridge) across the marshes. Legend says Hereward escaped, but the rebellion was crushed.
Common Mistake to Avoid: Don't think Hereward was trying to become King. He was fighting to get his own land back and to protect his local area. By 1071, there was no single English leader left who could replace William.
Quick Review: The End of Resistance
- Location: Isle of Ely (East England).
- Leader: Hereward the Wake.
- Outcome: William built a bridge to reach the rebels; the rebellion failed.
- Significance: This was the end of large-scale English resistance. After 1071, William was firmly in control.
Key Takeaway: By 1071, the English "old guard" was gone. The leaders were either dead, in prison, or had fled the country. William had successfully established his rule through pure force.
Summary: Why did William win?
If the English were so angry, why did they lose? Here is a simple step-by-step breakdown:
- Disunity: The English rebels didn't work together. The West rebelled at a different time than the North.
- Norman Castles: Every time William defeated a rebellion, he built a castle. These acted like "police stations" to keep the locals under control.
- Extreme Violence: The Harrying of the North terrified the rest of the country into submission.
- Leadership: William was a determined and experienced general. The English lacked a single person that everyone would follow.
Think of it like this: The English were like a bunch of talented individual players, but William's Normans were a professional team with a strict coach and a better game plan.
Final Key Takeaway: Between 1067 and 1071, England moved from being a country under invasion to a country under occupation. The response to the resistance was so brutal that it changed the landscape and population of England forever.