KS3 · History

Edward I and the conquest of Wales and Scotland

Edward I won battle after battle in Wales and Scotland, yet died without ever being king of all Britain. Weigh up the case first, then find out why.

Weigh it up

Did Edward I succeed in uniting Britain under his rule?

The claim

Edward I succeeded in uniting Britain under his rule.

Place each piece of evidence to load the balance. Mark the strong ones — they count double.

  1. He invaded Wales successfully in 1277 and 1283, and won major victories over the Scots in 1296, 1298 and 1304.

    Evidence 1: does it support or challenge the claim?

  2. In Wales he built great castles and extended English common law across the country.

    Evidence 2: does it support or challenge the claim?

  3. He had the Stone of Destiny, used in the coronations of Scotland's kings, carried to London and placed beneath the English coronation throne.

    Evidence 3: does it support or challenge the claim?

  4. He was a strong leader skilled in warfare, who worked with parliament, kept Scottish law going and appointed Scottish sheriffs.

    Evidence 4: does it support or challenge the claim?

  5. He never became king of all Britain, and by the end of his reign he had not fully united it under his rule.

    Evidence 5: does it support or challenge the claim?

  6. He faced rebellion in both Wales and Scotland.

    Evidence 6: does it support or challenge the claim?

  7. His approach was often brutal, with sacked towns, hostages and horrific executions, and that led to ongoing resistance and stronger anti-English unity among the Welsh and the Scots.

    Evidence 7: does it support or challenge the claim?

  8. Robert the Bruce declared himself king of Scotland in 1306. Edward died in 1307 preparing another invasion, and the Scots defeated the English at Bannockburn in 1314.

    Evidence 8: does it support or challenge the claim?

Check what you think

Before the story: what did Edward actually want?

Edward I of England sent armies into Wales and Scotland. Which sentence is closest to what you think?

Pick the idea that feels closest to your own, then say how sure you are.
How sure are you?

History · Cause & effect

Wales: how an overlord became a conqueror

Tap an event to see what led to it and what it led to.

Causes ←

What led here

Dafydd was turned in by his own people and charged with treason.

Event

Dafydd executed

1283

English common law was extended across Wales as well. Some Welsh knightly families welcomed it, believing it would give them better access to justice.

→ Consequences

What followed

He became one of the first people executed by being hanged, drawn and quartered, and his execution marked the final defeat of the Welsh resistance.
To secure his victory Edward built great castles around Wales, with the latest military technology, much larger and more impressive than motte-and-bailey castles, and built to terrify and dominate the local population. Many defended a town where no Welsh people were allowed to live, so English officials could safely rule Wales.
Later, in 1301, Edward's son (also Edward, born at Caernarfon Castle in 1284) was given the title Prince of Wales, a title the heir to the throne still holds today.
Watch out: Notice that the second event is both a result and a cause: Edward's harsh rule after 1277 helped trigger the revolt, and the revolt triggered the war of conquest.

Scotland: swings between English victory and Scottish resistance

Tap any event for the detail, and watch who is winning at each step.

Why Wales fell and Scotland didn't

WalesvsScotland

Same king, same hammer. Look at what changes from row to row.

Focus

Edward's aim

Wales

Overlord first. After the 1282 revolt, direct control as king of Wales.

Scotland

Overlord first: homage from the Scots, not conquest. He invaded in 1296 after they sided with France.

The insight

Both campaigns began with Edward as an overlord, not a conqueror.

Size of army

Wales

800 knights and 15,000 soldiers in 1277, about 9,000 of them Welsh (an estimate).

Scotland

25,000 soldiers and 1,000 knights in 1296.

How united the resistance was

Wales

Divided between the Welsh princes. Many cooperated with Edward in 1277.

Scotland

An experienced government and monarchy.

What Edward's harshness did

Wales

Heavy-handed officials helped many Welsh come together behind a common Welsh identity.

Scotland

Brutality led to ongoing resistance, and Scottish resistance helped to develop a common Scottish identity.

Outcome

Wales

Conquered. Dafydd's execution in 1283 marked the final defeat of Welsh resistance.

Scotland

Victory in 1304, yet Bruce declared himself king in 1306 and the English were beaten at Bannockburn in 1314.

WHAT YOU'VE LEARNED

A quick recap of today's lesson.

Wales, Scotland and the limits of the hammer

What you need to know

  • Britain means England, Scotland and Wales together, so Britain and England do not describe the same area.
  • Edward I wanted to be overlord of all Britain: the lord above all lords, ruling through vassals rather than directly.
  • Have a goYour classmate Sam says: 'Edward wanted to rule Britain, so he must have wanted to rule England.' Why does Sam's sentence sound odd?

    England is only part of Britain. Britain also includes Scotland and Wales.

    Britain means England, Scotland and Wales together, so ruling all of Britain meant ruling beyond England.

  • Paying homage means publicly submitting and swearing an oath of fealty to someone above you in the feudal system.
  • Wales was divided between Welsh princes, Marcher lords and the English king, which made it harder for Welsh resistance to unite.
  • Harsh rule after the 1277 victory helped spark the 1282 revolt, and Edward answered with a war of conquest.
  • Scotland had an experienced government and monarchy, which made it easier for the Scots to unite against Edward.
  • Have a goImagine the Welsh princes had all stood together from the start. Would that probably have made Edward's job easier or harder?

    Probably harder for Edward.

    A divided Wales found it harder to unite against him, so a united one would likely have resisted better, as Scotland did.

  • In Scotland, Edward's first aim was homage, not conquest. He invaded in 1296 after the Scots sided with France.
  • Wallace beat the English at Stirling Bridge in 1297. Edward beat Wallace at Falkirk in 1298 and secured victory in 1304.
  • Brutality, such as sacked towns, hostages and horrific executions, led to ongoing resistance and stronger anti-English unity.
  • Have a goYour classmate Dev says: 'If a king is brutal enough, people stop resisting.' How could you answer Dev using what you've just read?

    Edward's brutality led to more resistance and stronger anti-English unity, not less.

    Sacked towns, hostages and horrific executions led to ongoing resistance among the Welsh and the Scots, so brutality did not end it.

  • Edward died in 1307 preparing another invasion, and the Scots defeated the English at Bannockburn in 1314.

The big picture

Edward I wanted to be overlord of all Britain, ruling through lords who paid him homage. In Wales, harsh rule helped spark a revolt, and he answered with a war of conquest. In Scotland he won big battles but met resistance that his brutality only strengthened, so he never became king of all Britain.

Key points

1Edward I began as an overlord of all Britain. In Wales, after the 1282 revolt, he wanted direct control as king of Wales.
2He won most battles in both countries, but he never became king of all Britain.
3Wales was divided between princes while Scotland had an experienced government and monarchy, and that shaped how well each could resist.
4Brutality led to ongoing resistance and stronger anti-English unity, which limited his ability to achieve lasting unification.

Worked example

Problem

Edward's army sacked Berwick in March 1296. Using what you know, explain one way this helped Edward and one way it may have hurt him.

⚠ Watch out

Thinking Edward set out to conquer Britain and simply succeeded. He began as an overlord who wanted homage. He won most battles, but he never became king of all Britain, and his brutality fuelled the resistance.

🧠

Memory hook

Overlord first, hammer second. The more Edward used his hammer, the more the Scottish resisted.

✓

Check yourself

Cover the page and answer in one or two sentences: why did Edward I win most of his battles in Wales and Scotland and still never become king of all Britain?

Flashcards

(14)
What does 'Britain' mean here?
England, Scotland and Wales together. Britain and England are not the same area.
What is an overlord?
The lord ranking above all other lords in the feudal system, who rules through his vassals rather than through direct rule.
What does it mean to pay homage?
To publicly submit and swear an oath of fealty to someone above you in the feudal system.
What is conquest?
Taking control of foreign land by force.
Who was a Marcher lord?
A noble appointed by the king of England to guard the border between England and Wales, known as the Welsh Marches.
Who used the title Prince of Wales first in this story, and who got it in 1301?
Llywelyn ap Gruffudd used it. In 1301 Edward I's son Edward was given the title, which the heir to the throne still holds today.
What was the Auld Alliance?
The relationship in which the Scots sided with the French king against Edward. They also invaded northern England.
What was the Stone of Destiny, and where did Edward put it?
It had been used in the coronations of Scotland's kings. Edward took it to London and placed it beneath the English coronation throne to symbolise English domination.
What was a schiltrom?
A military tactic using long spears to protect soldiers from cavalry charges. Wallace's schiltroms were defeated at Falkirk in 1298.
Why was Edward called the Hammer of the Scots?
His brutal campaign in Scotland later earned him the nickname.
What is brutality?
Behaviour that is very cruel or violent. Edward's led to ongoing resistance and stronger anti-English unity.
What happened at Irfon Bridge in December 1282?
Llywelyn ap Gruffudd was defeated and killed there.
What happened at Stirling Bridge in 1297?
Scottish resistance led by William Wallace defeated the English forces, boosting resistance to English rule.
What did Robert the Bruce do in 1306, and what followed in 1314?
He declared himself king of Scotland after murdering a rival claimant. In 1314 he defeated the English at Bannockburn.

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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