Harold Godwinson: The Last Anglo-Saxon King

Reigned 1035 – 1040, Harold Godwinson was the last Anglo-Saxon king of England, the son of Godwin, Earl of Wessex. He was crowned king by the Witenagemot Council when Edward the Confessor, the king of England, died. But there was one man who did not agree with this vote to make Harold the king. Normandy Duke William was promised by Edward that he would be crowned. Normandy planned to invade and that was the start of a battle knows as the Battle of Hastings.

The Battle of Hastings was known as "the battle that changed history forever". This made a huge impact because it was the ending of the Saxon empire and the rise of the Norman king. This battle made a huge impact on the country and culture of England and also changed the views of it by many other countries.

Harold was defeated and Norman was king with no interruptions. Since he was king, their own culture and way of living for over 3000 years was wiped out and changed forever. He changed the system and no one could ever argue against the king. Norman as King was the beginning of the Feudal System. He developed and put a similar system into action in Normandy with no fail. The system’s original plan was to reward the best soldiers with a piece of land which creates a bond of loyalty and respect between troops and their leader. But William took the land owned by Anglo-Saxon land and redistributed it to nobleman. Anglo-Saxons were forced to work their own land for new landlords with a poor