Pearson Edexcel · GCSE · History
Course version: 1HI0 · Version from Sept 2016
Key topic 3: Norman England, 1066–88 - 1 The feudal system and the Church:…
Full specification wording
Option B1: Key topic 3: Norman England, 1066–88 - 1 The feudal system and the Church: The extent of change to Anglo-Saxon society and economy.
The Norman Conquest brought significant changes to Anglo-Saxon society and economy.
Checked against the Pearson Edexcel 1HI0 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 3 of 3
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
The Norman Conquest brought significant changes to Anglo-Saxon society and economy. The feudal system drastically altered land ownership, replacing the Anglo-Saxon aristocracy with a Norman elite and reducing many free peasants to the status of bound villeins. The economy saw the decline of trade with Scandinavia in favour of Normandy, and the devastation of the North severely impacted local economies. However, the Normans retained the efficient Anglo-Saxon geld tax system, coinage, and the basic agricultural village structure. Evaluating the extent of change requires balancing the profound shift in the ruling class and land tenure against the continuity of daily peasant life and administrative systems.
What earns the marks
- Identify changes in land ownership, specifically the replacement of English thegns with Norman barons and knights.
- Explain the social impact on peasants, noting the decline in the number of free peasants and the rise of villeinage.
- Describe economic changes, such as the shift in trade routes from Scandinavia to the continent and the economic devastation of the North.
- Highlight continuities, including the retention of the geld tax, the shire system, and the silver penny.
- Assess the overall extent of change, contrasting the complete transformation at the top of society with the relative continuity at the bottom.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Claiming the Normans changed absolutely everything.
Put it right: Acknowledge continuities like the tax system, coinage, and the basic agricultural routine of the peasantry.
Confusing the social status of peasants before and after 1066.
Put it right: Specify that many previously free Anglo-Saxon peasants lost their freedom and became villeins tied to the land.
Ignoring the economic impact of the Conquest.
Put it right: Discuss the shift in trade patterns and the destruction of wealth in rebellious regions.
Exam tips
- Use the Domesday Book as evidence when discussing changes in land ownership and the economic value of manors.
- Structure answers about the extent of change by explicitly comparing the situation before 1066 with the situation by 1088.
- Differentiate between the impact on the elite, which was a massive change, and the peasantry, which was a gradual but significant loss of freedom.
Try the lesson
The start of the Option B1: Key topic 3: Norman England, 1066–88 - 1 The feudal system and the Church: The extent of change to Anglo-Saxon society and economy. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
What happened to the practice of slavery in England following the Norman Conquest?
Listen
The Norman Conquest brought significant changes to Anglo-Saxon society and economy. The feudal system drastically altered land ownership, replacing the Anglo-Saxon aristocracy with a Norman elite and reducing many free peasants to the status of bound villeins. The economy saw the decline of trade with Scandinavia in favour of Normandy, and the devastation of the North severely impacted local economies. However, the Normans retained the efficient Anglo-Saxon geld tax system, coinage, and the basic agricultural village structure. Evaluating the extent of change requires balancing the profound shift in the ruling class and land tenure against the continuity of daily peasant life and administrative systems. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Identify changes in land ownership, specifically the replacement of English thegns with Norman barons and knights. Explain the social impact on peasants, noting the decline in the number of free peasants and the rise of villeinage. Describe economic changes, such as the shift in trade routes from Scandinavia to the continent and the economic devastation of the North. Highlight continuities, including the retention of the geld tax, the shire system, and the silver penny. A common slip: Claiming the Normans changed absolutely everything. Instead, Acknowledge continuities like the tax system, coinage, and the basic agricultural routine of the peasantry. Exam tip: Use the Domesday Book as evidence when discussing changes in land ownership and the economic value of manors.
See it
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Continuity and change
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Social hierarchy
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Economic shifts
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Feudalism
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
See every definition
- Continuity and change
- The balance between what stayed the same in Anglo-Saxon society and economy and what the Normans altered.
- Social hierarchy
- The ranking of society, in which English thegns were replaced by Norman barons and knights and many free peasants became bound villeins.
- Economic shifts
- Changes in the economy, including trade moving from Scandinavia to the continent and the devastation of the North.
- Feudalism
- The system that drastically altered land ownership, replacing the Anglo-Saxon aristocracy with a Norman elite.
Label the diagram
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1Box 1
2Box 2
3Box 3
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