How Did The American Influence William The Conqueror
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William the Conqueror began as the Duke of Normandy. He became a contender for the English throne after King Edward died. William believed that he had a claim to the throne because, according to the Norman accounts, Edward promised to make William his heir. However, before he died, Edward appointed Harold, the head of a prominent aristocratic family, as his heir. This caused a major upset in Normandy as William saw the throne as his rightful possession. As a result, he began the invasion of England.
The Battle of Hastings marked the end of the Anglo-Saxon era. William the Conqueror led the Norman conquest of England and overthrew Harold. This eliminated his only competition to the English throne. Many changes came with the influx of the Norman people. French became the language of the aristocracy and gradually mingled with the Anglo-Saxon of the commoners. This influence eventually shaped the language into modern English. The most notable influence is the existence of…show more content… Before the invasion, the Anglo-Saxons had other officials that were as important as the king. This gave the Saxons more freedoms and some say in the government. William introduced the feudal system to England, which made the king the principal authority figure. This took away any influence the people had on the government. Furthermore, in the feudal system, the king grants land to his warriors as a reward for their loyalty. This took land from the native Saxons, which naturally caused uprisings against William. His reign was a constant struggle to maintain control over his subjects. In order to secure his nobles, William had many castles built for them to hide in when the uprisings would occur. One of the most famous castles he ordered to be constructed was the Tower of London. It took the better part of ten years for William to quell the rebellions within his