What happened to the Anglo-Saxons?

Viking invasion

In the 8th and 9th centuries the people of Scandinavia, who were known as the Vikings, began to come to Britain. Anglo-Saxon accounts describe terrible Viking raids in which people were massacred, churches destroyed, and animals and precious objects stolen. By the end of the 870s, the Vikings occupied most of eastern England. Their territory was called the Danelaw.

Alfred the Great

By 878 the Vikings had conquered all of England except Wessex. Wessex remained Anglo-Saxon as King Alfred of Wessex defeated the Vikings in battle. Gradually, the areas of England under Viking rule were reconquered by Alfred's descendants.

The Norman Conquest

The Anglo-Saxon period came to an end in 1066 when Duke William of Normandy came to England and defeated Harold, the Earl of Wessex, in the Battle of Hastings. This was the beginning of the Norman period in English history.

Anglo-Saxon influence

The six centuries of Anglo-Saxon rule have had a lasting influence on England. Many places are still called by their Anglo-Saxon names, and many Anglo-Saxon words are still used today. Our system of law is also based on ideas that can be traced back to Anglo-Saxon times.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/anglosaxons/whathappened/index.shtml

Vocabulary