The Norman Conquest of England began in 1066 when William the Conqueror crossed the English Channel and defeated King Harold II's Anglo-Saxon army at the Battle of Hastings. The Normans then crushed resistance across England, establishing Norman rule. French culture dominated the aristocracy while Anglo-Saxon culture persisted among lower classes. England's relationship with France and neighbors like Scotland and Ireland was often defined by conflict over the centuries. Feudalism created a strict social hierarchy with the King at the top and peasants at the bottom. The Church also wielded significant power and influence. By the late medieval period, England had developed economically and established universities, though most people still lived difficult agricultural lives.

1. The Norman Conquest