The Scottish Wars of Independence 1286-1328

1. In order to support your knowledge and understanding of this topic it is advised you use these power points in conjunction with the following sites. • http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/higherscottishhistory/warsofindependence/successionandgreatcause/index.asp • http://www.bbc.co.uk/apps/ifl/learningzone/clips/queryengine?ContentType=text%2Fhtml%3B+charset%3Dutf-8&SuppressCaching=1&page=1&pagesize=12&results=search&config=results_pre&attrib_1=SCHOOL_LEVEL_NAME&oper_1=eq&val_1_1=&attrib_2=SUBJECT_NAME&oper_2=eq&val_2_1=&attrib_3=TOPIC&oper_3=eq&val_3_1=&attrib_4=SearchText&oper_4=eq&val_4_1=scottish+wars+of+independence&clipsSearch.x=3&clipsSearch.y=9

2. The Scottish Wars of Independence 1286-1328

3. The problems over succession. • Overview :- The problems over the “succession crisis” were created when King Alexander III died and left no heir to the Scottish throne. • This was due to the fact his only son had died and his new wife Yolande had not fallen pregnant yet.

4. The only heir to his throne was his 3 year old grand daughter Margaret, the Maid of Norway. • This caused major problems !! • She was in Norway • She was only three years old therefore a regent was required to run the country for her • She could not lead an army into battle which was expected of a King during this period • Whoever married her would become King of Scotland, therefore great care had to be taken to avoid sovereignty issues in future years

5. Death in infancy was a common problem during the 13th Century • Her father the King of Norway would need to grant her permission to become Scotland’s Queen • Who would rule Scotland until she was old enough? • There was a possibility of a civil war breaking out in Scotland

6. To maintain Scotland’s peace, six influential men were selected • These were known as the Guardians • The Guardians approached King Edward I of England for help. • King Edward had always hoped of merging Scotland and England • He immediately agreed • To ensure this he arranged for his son to marry the Maid of Norway. • In order to gain her release and approval, the Treaty of Salisbury was signed.

7. The Treaty of Birgham was later signed which meant King Edward would respect Scotland’s borders. • The election of Scottish churchmen would remain free from Edward’s judgement • Scottish crimes would be dealt with in Scotland by Scottish Courts • All taxes raised in Scotland would remain in Scotland • Edward ordered the Guardians to meet at Norham where, with his large army, he tried to impose himself onto Scotland as their feudal overlord • The Guardians escaped this decision by claiming only the King of Scotland could make such a decision. • However, they did give him the power to select Scotland’s next King

8. At the age of seven, the Maid of Norway boarded a ship and headed to Scotland to become Queen. • Unfortunately, on her voyage she became sick, her ship ended up in Orkney where the Maid died. • Scotland faced a “Succession Crisis”

9. The Great Cause • The Great Cause relates to the problems facing Scotland • With no immediate heir to the throne, possible candidates began to gather their supporters with a view to becoming King • Of the thirteen possibilities it came down to just 2 • First to claim his rights was Robert Bruce

10. John Balliol also believed he had a valid claim to be Scotland’s new King • After the meeting of the Guardians with King Edward at Norham, it was decided he would select Scotland’s next King • After hearing the claims of both men it was decided Balliol had the best claim • The line of primogeniture was followed • Due to being the only son of the oldest daughter, gave Balliol the throne.

11. What YOU should know by the end of this section! • In paper II you will be asked to answer 2 questions worth 10 marks and 2 questions worth 5 marks each. • In order to prepare fully for these questions, by the end of the four sections, you should have the answer to at least 10 questions/per section. • This will then enable you to answer any 10 mark question which may be asked in the exam. • The following 2 slides contain 10 questions. • You should now answer each question as fully as possible.

12. By the end of Section A you should have answers to the following questions??? • When King Alexander III died, who governed Scotland temporarily? • Who was next in line to the throne? • Why were some if not all the people concerned about having a female leader? • Who were the Guardians of Scotland and why did people obey them? • Explain the details of the Treaty of Salisbury • Explain the details of the Treaty of Birgham?

13. What event took place at Norham? • How did King Edward gain control of Scotland? • What was the Great Cause? • Why was there a problem of who should rule Scotland?