800-1500 Flashcards
(28 cards)
Who migrated to England (what groups)?
Vikings
Normans
Jews
skilled European workers
What was medieval England like and why was it appealing?
- natural resources: rich mineral deposits of iron, lead, copper, tin and silver]
-fertile land
-sheep produced high-quality wool essential for cloth-making - Island- lots of fish
- well established trade routes inland and with Europe
-wealthy monasteries and abbeys
-fortified towns (burhs) grew in number and developed as trading centres
-part of the Christendom
Why did the Vikings migrate to England ?
Money:
From c789 to c865 Vikings raided England and Scotland- especially monasteries near the coast as contained expensive luxuries
Land:
In 865, the Viking Great Army landed in East Anglia- wanted to become settlers as wanted to harness the fertile soil for agricultural purposes
Why did the Normans migrate to England?
- they believed William had been promised the English throne by both Edward the Confessor and Harold Godwinson
-they received the support of the Pope who backed the invasion because of what he believed were broken promises
-England’s wealth, fertile soil and trading links made it an attractive place to settle
When did the Normans migrate?
After the invasion and conquest of England culminating in the Battle of Hastings in 1066, Norman rule was subsequently established
Why did the Jews migrate to England?
William I’s plans for England involved spending a great deal of money mainly on castles and cathedrals though, due to the Christian attitude towards money lending as they weren’t allowed to charge interest, usury, William turned to Jewish people
A group of Jewish merchants lent him the money he required and in 1070, they were invited to England and were given ‘special status’ as ‘property of the king’- their families followed and soon established a community
Why did European skilled workers migrate to England?
- The Hundred Years’ War disrupted work and trade, especially in France, while England was a stable country
- The Black Death killed 30-40% of England’s population in the years 1348-51. This meant that wages were higher and there was a lot of work available
-Henry III wanted to replace Jewish moneylenders with Christians due to newly arising Anti-Semitic attitudes- invited powerful banking families to England
Give two examples of powerful banking families who migrated to England?
In the 1220s, the Bardi and Ricciardi families moved to London to work as bankers under royal protection
How was the Danelaw established?
- In 866, Vikings captured York and used it as a base for defeating Northumbria, East Anglia and Mercia
-In 878, Alfred of Wessex ( the one remaining Saxon kingdom ) and Guthrum, leader of the Vikings, agreed to the Treaty of Wedmore- established a part of England as Viking territory where they could make their own laws (Danelaw)
What was the experience of the Vikings?
- lived settled lives in the Danelaw and established their own communities and culture
- laws were debated and established in meetings called Things held within the Danelaw
- relations worsened with Saxons after Danelaw brought under Saxon control in 937
- in 1016, King Cnut became first Danish King of England- set up new earldoms (gave few Saxon nobles large areas of land)
What event worsened relations between Vikings and Saxons in 1002?
The St Brice’s Day Massacre- King Ethelred orders the killing of all the Vikings outside the Danelaw
What was the experience of the Normans?
-experienced hostility and resentment from Saxons; forced to destroy villages to clear space for castles
- feudal system ensured that Normans held positions of authority over Saxons
-land in England was completely owned by the king who shared some with Norman nobles; knew the value of the land from the Doomsday Book
What was the experience of Jewish migrants?
- kept safe by monarchs who protected them in return for lending money
-well-respected in society; offered financial support to small businesses
-experienced Anti-Semitism; people were resentful for having to pay high interest ( Jewish people had more taxes to pay)
-The 1275 Statute of Jewry made them forced to wear a yellow armband and forbade them from charging interest on loans; they became desperately poor
What happened to the Jewish people in 1290?
Jews were expelled from England by Edward I
What were the experiences of European migrants?
- Flemish weavers had skills that the English lacked- integrated well as taught English their skills helping the cloth trade flourish and employment increase
- by the mid-1400s, German merchants controlled most of the English cloth industry
- from 1220, there were powerful Italian banking families in London who did especially well after the expulsion of the Jews in 1290 (Lombardy bankers)
What impact did migrants have on government?
- Vikings in the Danelaw introduced Things, where members voted on law (democratic)
-Normans developed Saxon system of government into an established parliament
-Forest Laws: created royal forests where king decided who could hunt
-Normans introduced the murdrum- fine paid by Saxons if Norman was murdered and culprit not found
Give two examples of laws specific to migrants
1370: Letters of denization gave initial migrants the same rights as English people
1440: parliament imposed a tax on first generation migrants
What impact did the Normans have on the Church?
- built thousands of churches, cathedrals and monasteries- construction of many religious buildings was financed by loans from Jewish migrants
-number of monks and nuns increased 400% from 1066-1500
-Church organisation became more hierarchal drawing English church more firmly into Christendom
What was the impact of migrants on the built environment?
-Viking raids led to Saxons to build burhs, fortified towns
-Normans replaced wood in construction with stone
-towns in East Anglia developed because flemish weavers settled there
-ports grew because of the Hansa merchants ( traders from Germany )
How did migrants influence culture?
- new words crept into the language; gradually Norman French and Saxon English came together to form Middle English, although French was official language until 1362
-feudal system changed land ownership and duties between people with different standing in society
How was trade impacted by migrants?
-skilled weavers wove high quality, fine woollen cloth that was exported to Europe, where it was in high demand
-England’s economy changed from being based on raw materials to being based on manufactured goods
-merchants traded goods in Europe. They grew rich and invested their money in banks turning England into a key trading centre
- Lombardy bankers loaned money to finance trade and help pay for buildings- helped London become a financial hub
When did the Vikings settle in York?
866
Why did the Vikings settle in York?
- centre of Anglo-Saxon government in the north and had the only mint (place where coins were manufactured) in northern England
-surrounded by fertile land
-good trade routes inland and overseas
-wealthy
What was the impact of the Vikings on York?
-between 876 and 950, 10,000-15,000 people migrated to York
-hundreds of houses and workshops were built
- York became a multicultural city- as well as Scandinavia, migrants came from Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland and Scotland
-trade flourished- merchants used the old Roman roads for moving goods inland and River Ouse was route to North Sea
