Question

What impact did the Anglo-Saxons have on the development of the English Nation?

Answer 1

Answer:

• The Anglo-Saxons were a people who inhabited Great Britain from 450 to 1066; their reign saw the creation of a unified English nation, culture, and identity, setting the foundation for modern England.

Explanation:

• The Anglo- Saxons were comprised of people from Germanic tribes who migrated to Great Britain from continental Europe; they inhabited the island from 450-1066.
• In the 5th century, Britain fell from Roman rule and established an independent culture and society.
• In the 6th century, Christianity was re-established and Britain began to flourish as a center for learning and cultural production.
• By the 7th century, smaller territories began coalescing into kingdoms, with the kingdom of Mercia one of the most dominant.
• The 9th century saw the rise of the Wessex kingdom, especially with King Alfred the Great, who fashioned himself “King of the Anglo-Saxons” and oversaw an increasing unity of the English people and improved the kingdom’s legal system and military structure and his people’s quality of life.
• During the course of the 10th century, the West Saxon kings extended their power first over Mercia, then over the southern Danelaw, and finally over Northumbria, thereby imposing a semblance of political unity.
• This society continued to develop and thrive until the Norman Conquest in 1066.
• The Anglo-Saxon culture was centered around three classes of men: the working man, the churchman, and the warrior.