Medieval History

Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms in England

The Anglo-Saxon period in England began during the sub-Roman Britain era, following the end of Roman control, and continued until the Norman Conquest in 1066. This period saw the establishment of several Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, each with its own culture, laws, and rulers. The major kingdoms included Wessex, Mercia, Northumbria, East Anglia, Essex, Kent, Sussex, and Middle Anglia. These kingdoms gradually coalesced into larger entities, with Wessex eventually achieving hegemony over the others. The conversion to Christianity by missionaries like Augustine of Canterbury significantly impacted these kingdoms, leading to the spread of Christianity throughout England

The Anglo-Saxons, who migrated to Britain from mainland northwestern Europe, were descendants of three different Germanic peoples: the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes. They settled in different areas of the country, forming several kingdoms, often changing and constantly at war with one another. By the 7th century, there were seven separate kingdoms, as follows: Kent, Mercia, Northumbria, East Anglia, and Essex, among others. These kingdoms sometimes acknowledged one of their rulers as a High King, known as the Bretwalda

The period of Anglo-Saxon England was marked by vicious bloodshed, religious fervor, and warring kingdoms. However, it also saw the development of great art, poetry, and institutions, from which emerged the unified kingdom of England. The name "England" itself derives from the land of the Angles. Prior to the emergence of a single unified kingdom under thelstan of Wessex, the land was dominated by various warring tribes and kingdoms, which eventually coalesced into the heptarchy, the seven kingdoms that controlled England

The Anglo-Saxon kingdoms gradually came under the overlordship of Egbert of Wessex in 829, leading to the gradual unification of England under the Wessex hegemony. This marked the end of the Heptarchy period, which lasted from the end of Roman rule in Britain in the 5th century until the 9th century

The Norman Conquest in 1066 marked the end of the Anglo-Saxon period, as England was invaded and occupied by an army made up of thousands of Norman, French, Flemish, and Breton troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, William the Conqueror

Overall, the Anglo-Saxon period in England was a time of significant cultural, political, and religious development, with the establishment of distinct kingdoms, the spread of Christianity, and the eventual unification of England under the Wessex hegemony.