The Normans invaded England in 1066 after defeating King Harold at the Battle of Hastings. As the Normans took control of the government, church, and business, French became an important language in England. However, in 1204 when King John lost his French lands, English patriotism increased and the upper classes began taking more pride in English over French. Ordinary people did not know French as it was the language of their Norman invaders. Between 1337-1453, the English rebelled against the Normans in the 100 Years War, and the Black Death in 1348-1375 killed many French-speaking teachers and clergy, allowing English to spread and become more important as their replacements only spoke English.