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First War of Scottish Independence
The First War of Scottish Independence was the first of a series of wars between England and Scotland. It lasted from the English invasion of Scotland in 1296 until the de jure restoration of Scottish independence with the Treaty of Edinburgh–Northampton in 1328. De facto independence was established in 1314 following an English defeat at the Battle of Bannockburn. The wars were caused by the attempts of the English kings to seize territory by claiming sovereignty over Scotland, while the Scots fought to keep both English rule and authority out of Scotland.
The First War of Scottish Independence should not be viewed in isolation from the Gascon War and Franco-Flemish War since Philip IV of France and Edward I of England sought allies in Scotland and Flanders as part of their initial conflict. John Balliol of Scotland allied himself with Philip IV of France in 1295 whilst Guy, Count of Flanders allied himself with Edward I of England.
When King Alexander III ruled Scotland, the realm saw a period of peace and economic stability. On 19 March 1286, however, Alexander died after falling from his horse. The only living heir to his throne was Alexander's granddaughter, Margaret, Maid of Norway. As she was still a child, the Scottish lords prepared for her ascension by setting up a government of guardians. However, Margaret fell ill while sailing to Scotland and died in Orkney on 26 September 1290. With Alexander's line now extinct, a new period began known as the Competitors for the Crown of Scotland or the "Great Cause", with several families laying claim to the throne.
With Scotland threatening to descend into civil war, King Edward I of England was chosen by the Scottish nobility to serve as arbiter in resolving the succession dispute; he agreed to do so only after the claimants recognised him as lord paramount. In early November 1292, at a great feudal court held in the castle at Berwick-upon-Tweed, judgement was given in favour of John Balliol having the strongest claim to the throne of Scotland.
Edward quickly exploited his new status by interfering with and even overturning the decisions of Balliol and his advisors. He humiliated the Scottish king by forcing him to present himself as a common plaintiff before the English court when he protested Edward's actions. John's weakness disgusted the Scots, who gave him insulting names such as "Toom Tabard" or "Empty Coat". John finally renounced his homage to England in March 1296.
That same month, Edward invaded Scotland and stormed Berwick-upon-Tweed, sacking the town and directly threatening the Scottish crown. In April, an army summoned by John to repel the invasion was overwhelmingly defeated at the Battle of Dunbar in East Lothian. By July, John was deposed as king and sent into exile; though he did not formally claim the throne for himself, Edward forced over 1,800 Scottish nobles (many of the rest being prisoners of war at that time) to swear homage, thus making him, in effect, ruler of Scotland.
There was widespread discontent and disorder after the English Crown extended its dominion over Scotland. Acts of defiance were targeted at local English officials. In 1297, the country erupted in open revolt. Andrew de Moray and William Wallace emerged as the first significant Scottish patriots.
Andrew de Moray was the son of a northern landowner, Andrew de Moray of Petty. Andrew and his father were both captured in the rout after the Battle of Dunbar in April 1296. Andrew the younger was initially held captive in Chester Castle on the Anglo-Welsh border, from which he escaped during the winter of 1296–97. He returned to his father's castle at Avoch on the northern shore of the Moray Firth, where he raised his banner in the name of Scotland's king, John Balliol. Moray quickly gathered a band of like-minded patriots, and employing hit-and-run guerrilla tactics, began to attack and devastate every English-garrisoned castle from Banff to Inverness. The entire province of Moray was soon in revolt against King Edward I's men, and before long Moray had secured the region, leaving him free to turn his attention to the rest of the northeast of Scotland.
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First War of Scottish Independence AI simulator
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First War of Scottish Independence
The First War of Scottish Independence was the first of a series of wars between England and Scotland. It lasted from the English invasion of Scotland in 1296 until the de jure restoration of Scottish independence with the Treaty of Edinburgh–Northampton in 1328. De facto independence was established in 1314 following an English defeat at the Battle of Bannockburn. The wars were caused by the attempts of the English kings to seize territory by claiming sovereignty over Scotland, while the Scots fought to keep both English rule and authority out of Scotland.
The First War of Scottish Independence should not be viewed in isolation from the Gascon War and Franco-Flemish War since Philip IV of France and Edward I of England sought allies in Scotland and Flanders as part of their initial conflict. John Balliol of Scotland allied himself with Philip IV of France in 1295 whilst Guy, Count of Flanders allied himself with Edward I of England.
When King Alexander III ruled Scotland, the realm saw a period of peace and economic stability. On 19 March 1286, however, Alexander died after falling from his horse. The only living heir to his throne was Alexander's granddaughter, Margaret, Maid of Norway. As she was still a child, the Scottish lords prepared for her ascension by setting up a government of guardians. However, Margaret fell ill while sailing to Scotland and died in Orkney on 26 September 1290. With Alexander's line now extinct, a new period began known as the Competitors for the Crown of Scotland or the "Great Cause", with several families laying claim to the throne.
With Scotland threatening to descend into civil war, King Edward I of England was chosen by the Scottish nobility to serve as arbiter in resolving the succession dispute; he agreed to do so only after the claimants recognised him as lord paramount. In early November 1292, at a great feudal court held in the castle at Berwick-upon-Tweed, judgement was given in favour of John Balliol having the strongest claim to the throne of Scotland.
Edward quickly exploited his new status by interfering with and even overturning the decisions of Balliol and his advisors. He humiliated the Scottish king by forcing him to present himself as a common plaintiff before the English court when he protested Edward's actions. John's weakness disgusted the Scots, who gave him insulting names such as "Toom Tabard" or "Empty Coat". John finally renounced his homage to England in March 1296.
That same month, Edward invaded Scotland and stormed Berwick-upon-Tweed, sacking the town and directly threatening the Scottish crown. In April, an army summoned by John to repel the invasion was overwhelmingly defeated at the Battle of Dunbar in East Lothian. By July, John was deposed as king and sent into exile; though he did not formally claim the throne for himself, Edward forced over 1,800 Scottish nobles (many of the rest being prisoners of war at that time) to swear homage, thus making him, in effect, ruler of Scotland.
There was widespread discontent and disorder after the English Crown extended its dominion over Scotland. Acts of defiance were targeted at local English officials. In 1297, the country erupted in open revolt. Andrew de Moray and William Wallace emerged as the first significant Scottish patriots.
Andrew de Moray was the son of a northern landowner, Andrew de Moray of Petty. Andrew and his father were both captured in the rout after the Battle of Dunbar in April 1296. Andrew the younger was initially held captive in Chester Castle on the Anglo-Welsh border, from which he escaped during the winter of 1296–97. He returned to his father's castle at Avoch on the northern shore of the Moray Firth, where he raised his banner in the name of Scotland's king, John Balliol. Moray quickly gathered a band of like-minded patriots, and employing hit-and-run guerrilla tactics, began to attack and devastate every English-garrisoned castle from Banff to Inverness. The entire province of Moray was soon in revolt against King Edward I's men, and before long Moray had secured the region, leaving him free to turn his attention to the rest of the northeast of Scotland.