History

• How did the fall of the Roman Empire prompt the Dark Ages?

  There was no centralized government to maintain roads, foster trade, and support urban life
• Who was the last emperor of the Roman empire?

  Romulus Augustus
• What signalled the beginning of the Dark Ages?

  The fall of the Roman empire
• What was feudalism and when was it invented?

  Feudalism was a social-ranking system developed in around 1000 CE that established order. It was a hierarchy, with monarchs at the top and peasants/serfs at the bottom.
• Did Rome fall in just a day or was it a gradual decline?

  Gradual decline.
• Why did Rome fall?

  Various factors contributed to the fall of Rome, including economic instability, invasions by barbarian tribes, political corruption, and the division of the empire.
• What was the life expectancy in the Middle Ages?

  30 years
• What were serfs?

  Peasants bound to the land and obligated to work for the lord.
• What are the four levels of the feudal system?

  Monarch, vassals/lords/nobles, knights, and peasants/serfs
• Edward the Confessor was one of the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England, reigning from 1042 until 1066
• Edward's legacy as a leader was mixed, damaged by infighting and attempts by others to seize power
• Edward was deeply religious and responsible for building Westminster Abbey
• Edward died without an heir, leading to a succession crisis in 1066
• Four contenders claimed to be the rightful heir to the throne
• Harold of Wessex was in a position to take the crown and secure key buildings when Edward passed away
• Harold Hardrada and William of Normandy were powerful contenders from overseas
• Edgar the Aetheling had little support from nobles and was initially powerless to prevent others from seizing the crown
• Three contenders for the English throne were Harold Godwinson, Viking King Harald Hardrada, and William of Normandy
• Harold Godwinson had the best claim to the throne
• The Battle of Hastings took place because William of Normandy was invading from the south while Harold Godwinson was dealing with the Norwegians invading from the north
• Harold Godwinson became aware of the Norwegians invading from the north of England and marched his troops to meet them, resulting in victory against the Vikings and the death of Harald Hardrada
• William of Normandy invaded from the south, leading to a fierce battle at Hastings where Harold Godwinson was killed by an arrow through the eye, making William the Conqueror victorious
• The Bayeux Tapestry is over 1000 years old and was produced within 20 years of the Battle of Hastings
• The Bayeux Tapestry is an embroidery made of linen with pictures stitched in wool, measuring 68.8m by 53.6cm with writing in Latin explaining the events of 1066
• The Tapestry contains hundreds of images divided into scenes, each describing a particular event of the Battle of Hastings
• The Tapestry shows Bishop Odo, William's half-brother, who likely ordered its creation and appears frequently in the Tapestry
• The Bayeux Tapestry is significantly useful in helping us understand the Battle of Hastings as it provides visual and written records of the events
• The limitations of the Bayeux Tapestry include the possibility of missing information and potential bias due to being ordered by William's half-brother
• The Normans brought changes to England after the Battle of Hastings in 1066
• William was crowned king of England on 25th December 1066
• William claimed all the land for himself
• William had to deal with small rebellions throughout England until 1071 to get everyone under Norman control
• William introduced the feudal system to keep his Normans loyal and the Saxons under control
• The feudal system was based on the Saxon hierarchy but developed a system where land would be exchanged for loyalty
• William got rid of Saxon nobles who fought against him at Hastings and replaced them with Norman lords who supported him
• The Domesday Book was created by William to keep a record of all land and property in England
• The Domesday Book showed that the land was controlled by about 200 Norman nobles and no Saxon had their land anymore
• William wanted to understand what he owned as the King of England to correctly tax the Anglo-Saxons
• William ordered Norman royal commissioners to visit every town in England to collect information about the land and property
• The information collected helped William understand how the feudal system worked and keep it running smoothly