Features of Anglo-Saxon England (AQA GCSE History)

Summary

In c1060, Anglo-Saxons had ruled England for approximately 600 years. The Anglo-Saxons originated from tribes in modern-day Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The end of Roman rule in England in c410 CE allowed the Anglo-Saxons to establish their control over the country. The government, ruled by a king, became very powerful by the 11th century.

In 600 years of Anglo-Saxon rule, England's economy had grown. Anglo-Saxon England was a highly organised, wealthy, and religious country. The Anglo-Saxons were a farming community. They established strong trade links across Europe by selling produce like wool and cloth.

The possibility of gaining wealth from its people and natural resources meant that, even before 1066, it had attracted attention from foreign rulers. Anglo-Saxon England faced challenges. The Vikings invaded numerous times over the centuries and attempted to take control of England. One of their most famous attempts was the raid on Lindisfarne in Northumbria in 793 CE. Vikings came from Scandinavia. Through their raiding and pillaging, the Vikings created settlements in Northern England. The king had to treat Viking settlers differently to ensure they did not attack Anglo-Saxons.

Anglo-Saxon society

• Anglo-Saxon society was organised in a strict hierarchy

• The population of England in 1065 was around 2 million and the majority of people were ceorls who lived in small villages

  • Ceorls were peasants that did not belong to any thegn but paid them rent and usually worked for them in exchange for access to farmland

  • Villeins were also peasants but were not free and were the legal property of either thegns or ceorls and had very few rights

  • Thralls were enslaved people and had no rights

Anglo-Saxon government

• King Edward the Confessor was the absolute ruler of Anglo-Saxon England

  • He was advised by six powerful earls who each ruled an earldom

• Alongside the most important bishops, the earls made up the Witan 

  • The Witan gave the king advice and tried to influence his decisions but could not force him to do anything

• Much of the day-to-day running of the country was done by the thegns

  • They collected taxes, judged in court cases, and formed the key part of the king’s army when needed

  • There were around 4,000 thegns

Anglo-Saxon defence

• There were around 2,500 to 3,000 professional warriors known as housecarls that the King and Earls relied upon to defend England

  • In times of emergency, villeins, and thralls were also pressed into fighting in the army

Anglo-Saxon religion

• The Catholic Church was very powerful in Anglo-Saxon England and Christianity was central to most people’s lives

• The ultimate head of the Catholic Church was the Pope in Rome but the English Church had developed its own identity.

  • This was due to the influence of Irish missionaries such as St Patrick 

• The Church owned large amounts of land and its most important bishops were members of the Witan 

  • The Church also made rules on issues such as marriage and inheritance which meant they were very influential in Anglo-Saxon society

Anglo-Saxon wealth

• England was a wealthy country for several reasons

  • It had large areas of very fertile soil which meant crops could be grown and animals could be raised in large numbers

  • Wheat, barley, oats, and especially wool and woollen cloth were traded with Normandy, France, and Scandinavia

• Metals such as copper, iron, and lead were also mined in England and its large areas of ancient woodland provided excellent timber

• England’s economic management in terms of taxation and coin minting was also very advanced compared to most other European countries

  • The treasury, where coins, jewels, and important documents were kept, was located in the city of Winchester

Anglo-Saxon land

• The land was an extremely important source of wealth and power in Anglo-Saxon England

  • Rents could be charged from people who lived on it and crops and animals that were raised on it could be sold

  • Most of the land in England at this time was covered in forest

  • The areas immediately surrounding villages were cleared of trees to allow crops to be grown

• The King was the biggest landowner

  • Earls were landowners but the size of the earldoms often changed as the king could give or take away land from the earls as a reward or punishment

  • The Church also owned large areas of land