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Year 7 - History

1066 and claims to the throne

The Norman Conquest: how do we know about the impact of the Conquest on England?

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils learn about the causes and conduct of the Norman Conquest of England. They develop their understanding of the sorts of evidence historians use to make claims, and how they do this, building an understanding of how we know about these events.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to describe the succession crisis of 1066 and explain how William of Poitiers' writing can be used by historians to investigate claims to the throne.

Key Notes

  • King Edward the Confessor died without an heir in 1066.
  • William of Normandy and Harold Godwinson claimed the throne.
  • William of Poitiers tried to justify William's claim in his "Gesta Guillelmi".
  • The Gesta Guillelmi claims that William was promised the throne by Edward and that Godwinson betrayed William.
  • Historians have to remember Poitiers' motives for writing when using his work to investigate claims to the throne.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • succession crisis: a period when there is no clear heir to a position
  • heir: a person who expects to inherit the property or position of another person when that person dies
  • papal: something related to the Pope

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Students may think that 'eyewitness' accounts produce a more reliable picture of historical events.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Summarise this historical learning in two key ideas.

King Edward the Confessor died without an heir in 1066. William of Normandy and Harold Godwinson claimed the throne.

2. Define this history term and explain why it matters in this topic. 'succession crisis'

a period when there is no clear heir to a position.

3. Correct this common history misconception using evidence language.

Mistake: Students may think that 'eyewitness' accounts produce a more reliable picture of historical events. Correction: Although 'eyewitness' accounts are valuable, they were produced for a particular purpose which may distort their contents.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 7 History guide library.