Wars of Scottish Independence Worksheets
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Summary
- The First War of Independence: 1296–1328
- The Second War of Independence: 1332–1357
Key Facts And Information
Let’s find out more about the Wars of Scottish Independence!
The Wars of Scottish Independence were a succession of military battles in the late 13th and 14th centuries aimed at safeguarding the independence and sovereignty of the Kingdom of Scotland, which faced threats from the Kingdom of England. The conflicts constituted a significant crisis for Scotland, marking one of the most pivotal eras in its history. Upon the conclusion of both protracted conflicts, Scotland maintained its position as an independent, sovereign nation.
Key figures during the War of Scottish Independence
The First War of Independence: 1296–1328
- When King Alexander III of Scotland died in 1286, his three-year-old granddaughter Margaret, Maid of Norway, became the new queen. The Treaty of Birgham in 1290 set up her marriage to Edward of Caernarvon, the son of Edward I. It also made it clear that Scotland would keep its laws, customs, and independence. Around September 26, 1290, Margaret died in the Orkney Islands. This led to thirteen people claiming the Scottish throne.
- Robert de Brus, the 5th Lord of Annandale, and John Balliol, the Lord of Galloway, were the two main candidates. The Guardians of Scotland asked Edward I to help stop a civil war.
- Edward took advantage of the situation to get recognised as Lord Paramount of Scotland. The claimants, who were afraid of losing English estates, agreed to his terms. On 11 June 1291, Edward took over Scottish castles and told officials that they had to be reappointed by him. At Upsettlington, Scots swore loyalty to Edward, and by 27 July, everyone had to pay their respects.
- The “Great Cause” hearings in Berwick from May to August 1291 limited the claimants to Balliol, Bruce, Floris V of Holland, and John de Hastings. Edward chose judges, gathered papers, and on 17 November 1292, Balliol was named king and crowned on 30 November at Scone Abbey. On 26 December, Balliol swore loyalty to Edward, who saw Scotland as a vassal state. John Balliol refused to send troops and money for a French invasion in 1294 because Edward was demanding them, and the Scots were angry.
- Scotland set up a council and worked out the Auld Alliance with France. They also tried to get help from Norway, but that never happened.
- In 1295, Edward I learnt about the secret alliances. He ordered Balliol to give up important castles and made the northern defences stronger. In March 1296, English troops moved north, so John called for Scottish troops. Some of them, like Robert Bruce, Earl of Carrick, didn't answer the call.
- Edward’s invasion in 1296 started the First War of Scottish Independence. He sacked Berwick, beat the Scots at Dunbar, and made Balliol give up his throne. William Wallace and Andrew de Moray led revolts from 1297 to 1298, winning battles like Stirling Bridge. However, Edward beat the Scots at Falkirk in 1298. Wallace’s campaigns went on until he was caught and killed in 1305. After that, Robert the Bruce and John Comyn were in charge. Bruce killed Comyn at Greyfriars Kirk in Dumfries in 1306, claiming the throne and starting a new round of fighting.
- Key victories at Loudoun Hill, the Pass of Brander, and Bannockburn (1314) helped Scotland win and freed Bruce's family from English captivity. In 1318, Scotland took back Berwick-Upon-Tweed, and in 1320, the Declaration of Arbroath told the Pope that Scotland was free. Thomas Randolph’s diplomatic efforts got the Pope to recognise Robert as king in 1324. Edward III had to sign the Treaty of Edinburgh–Northampton on 1 May 1328, because of constant attacks on northern England. The treaty recognised Scottish independence and Robert the Bruce as king. It also arranged for Edward III’s sister to marry his heir, David, to keep the peace.
The Second War of Independence: 1332–1357
- Thomas Randolph, Earl of Moray, became the regent for David II, Robert the Bruce's young son, after Robert the Bruce died. Edward III signed the Treaty of Edinburgh–Northampton, but he wanted to get back at the Scots for their earlier victory. He found an ally in Edward Balliol, the son of John Balliol and a claimant to the Scottish throne. He could also count on the "Disinherited," a group of Scottish nobles led by Balliol and Henry Beaumont.
A penny with David II’s face
- They had supported England in the first war and, after Bannockburn, turned down Robert's offer of a year to submit. Robert took their estates and gave them to his friends. The group wanted to get their property back because they weren't paid for it. When Randolph died on 20 July 1332, the Scots met in Perth and chose Domhnall II, Earl of Mar, as Guardian. At the same time, a small group of Disinherited and mercenaries led by Balliol left the Humber.
- There were only a few thousand of them. Edward III hid his cooperation with Balliol from the public because England was still officially at peace with David II.
- He probably received homage in private and stopped a crossing of the Tweed to avoid breaking the treaty. He let the ship land on the shore, but he said he would take English estates if the trip failed. On 6 August, Balliol’s army landed at Kinghorn in Fife. A Scottish infantry army stopped them from getting to Perth. At Dupplin Moor, Balliol’s troops, led by Henry de Beaumont, beat the Scots, who had more men, by using dismounted men-at-arms in the middle and archers on the sides.
- These tactics would later become common in the Hundred Years’ War. Most Scots never made it to the enemy line because they were shot at with arrows. About 2,000 of them died, including the Earl of Mar and Sir Robert Bruce, who was Robert the Bruce’s illegitimate son.
- After that, Balliol held coronations in Perth and then in September at Scone Abbey. Edward III moved north because he was afraid of Scottish retaliation after his unexpected success.
- Sir Archibald Douglas, the new Guardian, set up a truce in October so that parliament could decide who the real king was. Balliol, feeling brave, turned down most of his English support and moved to Annan. From there, he sent letters saying that with England’s help, he had taken back his kingdom, reaffirming Scotland’s status as an English fief, promising Edward III border territories like Berwick-upon-Tweed, and promising to serve him for life. In December, Douglas attacked Annan at night. Most of Balliol’s men were killed, and Balliol rode away naked on horseback to Carlisle.
- In April 1333, Edward III and Balliol surrounded Berwick. Douglas tried to get help in July, but he died at Halidon Hill. After that, Berwick gave up, and Edward took over. Balliol gave up eight Lowland counties, and most of Scotland was occupied. Philip VI offered shelter early in 1334, and in May, David II and his court arrived at Château Gaillard in Normandy. Philip said that any deal between the English and the French had to recognise the king who was in exile. A series of Guardians kept fighting back. In November, Edward III invaded again, but did not get much done and left in February 1335.
- The Scots did not fight in pitched battles; instead, they relied on cavalry harassment. Defections from the English side helped the Bruce faction. Sir Andrew Murray became Guardian after Edward went back south. He set up a truce that lasted until April 1336, during which French and papal envoys tried to reach an agreement. A draft treaty said that the old, childless Balliol could be king if David became his heir and lived in England, but David turned down all offers. Henry of Lancaster led another English invasion in May. Edward III followed in July and destroyed the northeast, burning Elgin and Aberdeen.
- Edward went back to England, and Murray destroyed English strongholds and land to keep the English from taking over. Edward invaded again, but by the end of 1336, French pressure and fears of invasion had made him focus on other things. By 1338, Scotland had mostly regained control. Under “Black Agnes,” the Countess-consort of Dunbar and March, resistance continued at places like Dunbar Castle. Edward’s claim to the French throne and his deployment to Flanders started the Hundred Years’ War and gave Scotland a break for a while.
- In late autumn 1335, John of Strathbogie, the Earl of Atholl who had lost his title, worked with Edward III to end Scottish resistance by killing freeholders. Lady Christian Bruce, Robert the Bruce’s sister and Murray’s wife, lived in Kildrummy Castle, which Strathbogie besieged. Murray saved the castle even though he was outnumbered by almost five to one. This is because many of Strathbogie’s forced levies were not loyal to Balliol or England, so his army fell apart. Strathbogie would not give up and was killed at the Battle of Culblean. This ended Balliol’s attempt to take the Scottish throne.
- Scotland fell apart and then came back together in nine years. When David II came back in June 1341, many nobles had died, the economy had slowed down, and the kingdom needed stability again.
- David broke truces and kept his alliance with Philip VI during the early Hundred Years’ War because he wanted to be like his father. In 1341, he attacked England, which made Edward III go north.
- Philip asked for a counter-invasion to free Calais after more attacks. In 1346, David led an army south to take Durham, but they lost at Neville's Cross on 14 October. He was wounded by two arrows before being captured, and he famously knocked out two of his captor’s teeth. He was locked up in the Tower of London for eleven years after he got better. His nephew, Robert Stewart, 7th High Steward, ruled Scotland during that time. Balliol came back with a small army, but he only got a small part of Galloway until 1355. In January 1356, he gave up his claim, and in 1364, he died without any children.
- The Treaty of Berwick set David free on 3 October 1357, but he had to pay a ransom of 100,000 merks in ten years. Imposing heavy taxes paid for the instalments, but David’s use of the money hurt his reputation. Scotland, which was already weak from war and the Black Death, only made the first payment on time. The second payment was late, and the payments stopped after that. In 1363, David went to London and agreed that if he died without children, the crown would go to Edward (his brother-in-law) or his sons, and the Stone of Destiny would be restored for their coronation.
- It looks like the deal was an attempt to change the terms of the ransom, but the Scots turned it down and instead promised to keep paying, this time with an increase to 100,000 pounds. There was a twenty-five-year truce, and in 1369, the treaty of 1365 was cancelled and replaced with one that was better for Scotland because of the French war. They took away 44,000 merks from the original 100,000, and the rest will be paid in 4,000 instalments over the next 14 years. There were 24,000 merks still owed when Edward III died in 1377, but they were never delivered.
- David lost the support of nobles when he married the widow of a minor laird after his English wife died. In February 1371, he died. Scotland stayed independent after these campaigns until James VI of Scotland became King of England in 1603 and the two countries became politically united in 1707 under the Treaty of Union.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Wars of Scottish Independence
- What were the Wars of Scottish Independence?They were a series of conflicts between Scotland and England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries over Scotland’s right to remain an independent kingdom.
- When did the Wars of Scottish Independence take place?The wars occurred mainly between 1296 and 1328.
- How did the wars end?The wars ended with the Treaty of Edinburgh–Northampton in 1328, in which England formally recognised Scotland as an independent kingdom.