William The Conqueror Legacy

For William the Conqueror, success was a way of life. During his reign as king of England, William conquered three locations. The first was in Pevensey in the South of England, after, he went toward Hastings and Fought at Senlac Hill, lastly he took England. William the Conqueror was one of the most influential men in history.

In 1028, William was born in Falaise, Normandy, France. “In 1035, Robert (William’s father) died, leaving his only surviving heir, William, to become Duke of Normandy at the age of eight (HistoryLearning 1). While in power he struggled with the violence of war, but overcame this with the help of King Henry I of France. William was on a mission to prove his status as Duke of Normandy and planed to do so. While the Normans
Ironically William was illiterate and never spoke a word of English however he had the largest impact on the English language than anyone before or since his time. He had four sons, five daughters and every monarch of England since, has been a direct descendent. In addition to his impact on the English language, “William is credited with kick starting England into the phase known as Medieval England; William was the victor at the Battle of Hastings; he introduced modern castle building techniques into Medieval England and by his death in 1087, he had financial tied down many people with the Doomsday Book.” (HistoryLearning 1). As mention, William died in September of 1087 when he suffered major internal damages caused by a blow to his stomach from a pommel on the saddle of a horse he was riding (HistoryLearning 1). After the bizarre injury William did not die immediately. He was taken to a suburb of Rouen where he suffered for five weeks in presence of his half brother Robert and his two youngest sons (Barlow 1). “His burial in St. Stephen’s Church, which he had built at Caen, was as eventful as his life. The funeral procession was disrupted by a fire in the town, a local noble complained he had been dispossessed of the land in which William was to be buried, and William’s body was broken as it was being forced into the stone coffin.” (Barlow
Amazingly, after becoming Duke of Normandy at very young age of eight, William grew to become know as William the Conqueror because of his learned ability to battle and take whatever he set his mind to. Being one of the most influential men in history, William left a legacy that would forever affect the English