GCSE · History · AQA · Spec 8145

Norman revolts 1067–1075

Four revolts hit William in under ten years. Three look alike. The fourth turns the story upside down — and the dates give it away first.

History · Revolts, 1067–1075

Where does each revolt belong?

Drag each revolt to the year you think it began. A rough guess is fine — the interesting bit is what the finished line shows you.

A — The Revolt of the EarlsB — Eadric the Wild's revoltC — Hereward's rebellionD — The revolt in the North

History · Telling the revolts apart

Which revolt is it?

Pick a clue, then pick the year of the revolt it belongs to.

Still to sort

1067–68 (0)

1069 (0)

Where the line is: Easy to swap with 1070–71: 1069 is the North; 1070–71 is East Anglia.

1070–71 (0)

Where the line is: Easy to swap with 1069: 1070–71 is East Anglia; 1069 is the North.

1075 (0)

8 of 8 still to sort.

You've got the years. Now match each clue to its revolt — no names on the columns, just the dates, so you have to make the link yourself.

History · The big picture

What was the pattern?

Step back from the details. You've placed the four revolts and matched their clues — now, what's the story they tell together?

Which is closest to what you think right now?

Every one of the revolts was the English fighting against the Normans.The revolts got more serious each time, so the 1075 one was the worst.The 1075 revolt was by Norman earls, and English forces helped William stop it.

How sure are you?

I'm sureI think soI'm guessing

Every one of the revolts was the English fighting against the Normans.

This is a common misconception

True of the early revolts, but not the last. Hereward's rebellion in 1070–71 was the last major English rebellion William faced. In 1075 it was Norman earls who revolted — and English forces helped to stop them. By then the danger was coming from Normans.

The revolts got more serious each time, so the 1075 one was the worst.

This is a common misconception

It feels natural to expect a build-up to a big finish, but that's not what happened. William's most serious challenge came in the North in 1069 — right in the middle of the run. Coming last doesn't make a revolt the biggest.

The 1075 revolt was by Norman earls, and English forces helped William stop it.

This matches the evidence

That's the twist. Up to 1071 the revolts were against Norman rule. In 1075 two Norman earls rebelled because they wanted to overthrow William, and English forces were on William's side, helping to stop them.

Four separate revolts, not one long build-up: the most serious in the North in 1069, the last major English rebellion in 1070–71, and a final revolt by Norman earls that English forces helped to stop.

History · Explaining why

Your turn: explain why

Here's the one piece you haven't met yet. Under Norman rule, Anglo-Saxons lost land, money, power and influence — and as they did, resentment against Norman rule grew. Use that, plus what you already know about the four revolts, to answer the question below.

Explain why there were revolts against William between 1067 and 1075. [4 marks]

Your answer

0 words · your answer stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

The mark scheme

Says that under Norman rule Anglo-Saxons lost land, money, power and influence. (1 mark)
Explains that these losses made resentment against Norman rule grow. (1 mark)
Links that resentment to a revolt against Norman rule, such as Eadric the Wild's in 1067–68. (1 mark)
Shows that 1075 had a different reason: Norman earls wanted to overthrow William. (1 mark)

Model answer

Under Norman rule, Anglo-Saxons lost land, money, power and influence, so resentment against Norman rule grew. That resentment helps explain revolts against Norman rule like Eadric the Wild's in 1067–68. The revolt of 1075 had a different reason: it involved Norman earls who wanted to overthrow William himself.

Notice there are two different 'whys' here. The early revolts grew out of Anglo-Saxon resentment; the 1075 revolt came from Norman earls who wanted William gone. A strong answer keeps them apart instead of blending them into one.

WHAT YOU'VE LEARNED

A quick recap of today's lesson.

Four revolts in nine years — and the last one flips the story.

What you need to know

Resentment against Norman rule grew as Anglo-Saxons lost land, money, power and influence.
The order: Eadric the Wild (1067–68), the North (1069), Hereward in East Anglia (1070–71), the Revolt of the Earls (1075).
The most serious challenge was in the North in 1069; Hereward's rebellion was the last major English rebellion.
In 1075 two Norman earls revolted because they wanted to overthrow William, and English forces helped to stop them.

The big picture

William faced revolt after revolt between 1067 and 1075, and four are the ones to know. As Anglo-Saxons lost land, money, power and influence, resentment against Norman rule grew. Eadric the Wild revolted in 1067–68; the most serious challenge came in the North in 1069; and Hereward's rebellion in East Anglia in 1070–71 was the last major English rebellion. Then, in 1075, Norman earls revolted to overthrow William — and English forces helped to stop them.

Key points

1Four separate revolts, not one long rebellion: three close together in 1067–71, a gap, then 1075.

2Most serious is not the same as last — the North (1069) was the most serious; the Earls (1075) came last.

3'The last major English rebellion' means Hereward's (1070–71), not the last revolt of all.

41075 flips the story: Norman earls were the rebels, and English forces helped William.

5Two different reasons: Anglo-Saxon resentment behind the early revolts; Norman earls wanting to overthrow William in 1075.

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Worked example

Problem

Describe Hereward's rebellion. Aim for three precise details rather than a vague story.

⚠ Watch out

Reading 'the last major English rebellion' as 'the last revolt'. Hereward's rebellion (1070–71) was the last ENGLISH one — the Revolt of the Earls came four years later, in 1075, and it involved Norman earls.

🧠

Memory hook

Three, gap, twist. Eadric, the North, Hereward — three revolts against Norman rule, 1067–71. Then a gap. Then the twist in 1075: Norman earls rebel, and the English help William.

✓

Check yourself

Cover the page. Put the four revolts in order with their years. Which was the most serious? Which was the last major English rebellion? And what made the Revolt of the Earls different from the other three?

Flashcards

(9)

Why did resentment against Norman rule grow?

Anglo-Saxons were losing land, money, power and influence.

Who led a revolt against Norman rule in 1067–68?

Eadric the Wild.

Where and when did William face his most serious challenge?

In the North, in 1069.

Where did Hereward's rebellion take place?

East Anglia (1070–71).

Which was the last major English rebellion William faced?

Hereward's rebellion.

What did the Norman earls want in 1075?

To overthrow William.

How many Norman earls revolted against William in 1075?

Two.

Who helped to stop the Revolt of the Earls?

English forces.

Put the four revolts in order.

Eadric the Wild → the North → Hereward → the Earls.

Tap any card to flip it, or use Study as deck to go through them one at a time. In the full lesson these run as a spaced-repetition deck — you rate each card Hard, Good or Easy and the tricky ones keep coming back until they stick.

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Where does each revolt belong?

Which revolt is it?

What was the pattern?

Your turn: explain why

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