Lesson 65 essay

When the Polos were in China, a very important Scottish character was born. He would soon pave the way to Scottish independence.

William “Braveheart” Wallace was born in 1270. We don’t know much about his background other than he was a land owner. When he was a child, Scotland was ruled by Alexander III. This Scottish king ruled with peace and stability. It was a wonderful time in Scotland but, when he passed, his very young granddaughter took heir to the throne.

She was young so, there was ,what I call, “mini kings” to help her rule the land but, she soon passed leaving no true heir. Many families tried claiming the throne but this turned into a huge argument. The “mini kings” suggested that Edward I of England be king but, the people did not want an English king so instead, they choose John Balliol as their king.

John Balliol was a very weak king. In fact, Edward I pressured him to abdicate the throne at first, John didn’t but eventually, Edward became King of England and, Scotland.

The people of Scotland were outraged and William Wallace who was less than thirty years old, raised an army against their new “king.” First, they went to the city of Lanmark and burned it, killing the English sheriff there. Then, Wallace led his little army to defeat the strongholds of the English border. The English army had met them there near the Stirling and Fourth river. The Battle of Stirling Bridge had begun but Wallace’s men were outnumbered. but, due to Wallace’s great battle strategies, the Scots won the battle. They then headed for Stirling Castle and defeated the English there.

Wallace was knighted for his bravery and became the guardian of the kingdom. But, four months after this, Edward himself invaded Scotland for a second time. So, the Scots went to war again but this time secretly followed the English army and attacked them at their weak points. This worked but, Edward finally found the chance to get them back. His men had found where the Scots were camping. The English then attacked them and defeated the Scottish army and Edward I was crowned King of Scotland in 1304. Wallace managed to escape and lived as a refugee for one year.

In 1305, Wallace was captured and tried in Westminster Hall. Sadly, he was convicted of treason and was about to face his horrible death. He was dragged across the streets, hung to a bar and cut into pieces while he was still alive! It was quite sad and horrifying. The pieces of his body were placed all around Scotland as a warning to the Scottish people.

This warning didn’t seem to work though. This just influenced the Scottish heroes that would soon rise up. And that is just what William Wallace would have wanted.