A first book in American history with European beginnings . Northmens Ship. was called Normandy and the people Normans, whichwas really the softer southern pronunciation of the nameNorthmen. The dukes, or rulers, of Normandy grew in time tobe as powerful as any king; and at last one of them,William of Normandy, became king in reality. But itwas king of England and not of France. This is how ithappened. About fifty years after the reign of Canute, the Eng-lish throne was held by Edward the Confessor, who diedwithout leaving anyone of his blood to succeed him. Hehad appointed his chief adviser,
A first book in American history with European beginnings . Northmens Ship. was called Normandy and the people Normans, whichwas really the softer southern pronunciation of the nameNorthmen. The dukes, or rulers, of Normandy grew in time tobe as powerful as any king; and at last one of them,William of Normandy, became king in reality. But itwas king of England and not of France. This is how ithappened. About fifty years after the reign of Canute, the Eng-lish throne was held by Edward the Confessor, who diedwithout leaving anyone of his blood to succeed him. Hehad appointed his chief adviser, a great nobleman calledEarl Harold, to reign in his place, and Harold wascrowned as soon as the king was dead. But William of 41 A FIRST BOOK IN AMERICAN HISTORY Normandy insisted that Edward had once promised thethrone to him, and that Harold himself had sworn asolemn oath to help him get it. On these very slightclaims William came from northern France to seize theEnglish Harold Taken Prisoner. Harold tried to defend his rights, but he was killedat the battle of Hastings in 1066, and the victoriousWilliam, Duke of Normandy, marched to London andforced the bishops to crown him king of England. History knows him as William the Conqueror—a titlewell befitting his character. He was like his Viking fore-fathers, a giant in size and strength, and he had a willthat overcame all obstacles. He was stern and cruel,but he held his kingdom firmly together, and brought 42 BRITAIN, OR ENGLAND Anglo-Saxons, Danes, and Normans under one centralgovernment. And this union was what was needed. Realizing that his new subjects hated their Normanconquerors, he took the lands and estates from the Eng-lish people and gave them to Norman nobles, in returnfor their oath to obey and serve him always. ThusWilliam made the Norman barons responsible for orderbeing kept throughout his possessions, and he couldcount on their loyalty, as upon it depended all theirwealth. He placed f
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