How Did Robert Bruce Influence His Time?

Improved Essays
In this essay I will be discussing the very important Robert I of Scotland. I will also discuss these very crucial questions. In what ways did Robert Bruce both reflect and influence his time? Also, how does the life and work of Robert Bruce inform our understanding of national identity in the British Isles during this period?

Robert I of Scotland was born July 11, 1274 in Turnberry Castle. He was born into an aristocratic Scottish family. His family was from Scots, Gaelic, and English elite. The Gaelic comes from his mother Marjorie of Carrick. Marjorie was an heir to a Gaelic earldom. Robert was remotely related to the Scottish royal family. His grandfather was one of the applicants to the throne during a dispute in 1290-1292. Robert de Brus of Annandale who is Bruce’s father feuded with Wales for the Kingship. The dispute to get the Bruce’s to the throne continued after the death of King Alexander. The English king at this time was Edward the first who saw this
…show more content…
In 1307 after being out of the spotlight King Robert became functioning once again. Nevertheless, more of Bruce’s brothers were captured and killed. This was a devastating blow to the king. But his support and confidence both started to grow after the battle of Loudin Hill. King Edward I travelled to Northern Scotland to try to crush the resistance of the Scots, but he died before he got the boarder. Edward II took the throne after the death of his father. Edward II did not have the will of his father nor was he concerned with the problems with Scotland. After the death of Edward I the support of King Robert increased. But there were still lots of supporters of the Comyn family claim to the throne. “King Robert marched to the north-east of Scotland, the stronghold of the Comyn family, with the goal of defeating his opponents.” A harsh civil war broke out after this

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Oliver Cromwell is an important figure in English history as he held a unique position of ruling as ‘Lord Protector’ instead of a monarch. This could result in Cromwell being perceived as a military dictator because the legality of his rule could be questioned. In addition to this he could be seen as an opportunist for military power because his increase in status was due to his role in the army in the First and Second English Civil Wars from 1642 to 1649 and he rose to prominence after the execution and abolition of monarchy on the 30th of January 1649. However, Cromwell not being part of the traditional constitution does not mean he should be viewed as a military dictator. The first section of this essay will portray how Cromwell in terms…

    • 254 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Malcolm X the Revolutionary Have you ever been discriminated against? Well Malcolm x was, and to the tenth power, but he fought through it. Growing up in segregated America Malcolm x was very outspoken which most of the time got him in trouble. Being a witty conversationalist made him popular but being persuasive and adamant in his slightly criminal ways mad him a revolutionary. Your probably wondering where Malcolm x got his personality.…

    • 501 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Middle Ages Dbq

    • 1220 Words
    • 5 Pages

    However, when Edward actually died in 1066, the witan appointed Harold the King of England. As a result, William was outraged and began to plan an invasion to seize the crown for himself. His army was very powerful because the Normans were not only the most successful warriors in Europe, but also had French knights who were promised wealth in England in exchange for fighting. Additionally, he had the support of the most powerful man in Europe, the Pope, because Harold had broken a holy oath. Just as William’s army was about to embark on their journey to England, a north wind started to blow, which stopped the normans from sailing for six weeks.…

    • 1220 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Baliol finally understood that it was Edward's intention gradually to destroy his power. So Baliol entered into a league with France, raised a great army for the purpose of invading England. The King of England accordingly assembled a powerful army, among which came Bruce, who had formerly contended for the crown of Scotland with Baliol, and who hoped to gain it upon his forfeiture. On April 28, 1296 Edward the 1st invaded to Scotland.…

    • 205 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    William Wallace was a brave warrior, fighting the English for the freedom of the Scots. Starting with only a small militia, Wallace's supporting forces grew to a full blown army taking back Scotland and ravaging the English North. Wallace’s leadership contributed immensely through many overwhelming victories for Scotland’s independence and for the signing of the Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton in 1328, the document giving the Scots their freedom, 23 years after his death. Even today, almost 711 years later, he is considered a hero and an epitome of success. But how did his leadership effect Scotland’s quest for freedom?…

    • 1797 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    I believe Bruce would have turned out differently if he had come from a different socioeconomic background. He came from a privileged family that gave him the best education, and paid for his university tuition. Bruce never had to worry about rent or being able to afford dinner. Strains such as these cause many children to drop out of school and work odd jobs, limiting their opportunities. Due to Bruce’s high socioeconomic class he had the opportunity to get a postsecondary education, and thus had the means and the education to help those in need.…

    • 222 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Decent Essays

    The Battle of Falkirk was one of the major battles in the war for Scottish independence. This battle was on the 22nd of July 1298. The English was lead by King Edward I, who lead over 1,500 knight and over 12,000 soldiers. King Edward heard the Scots were near so he led his army to fight them at Falkirk, the Scots were very outnumbered. The Scots were defeated by…

    • 70 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The scientist I chose to write about is Robert Boyle. I will be telling you all the important facts that happened in his life time. I will tell you when he was born and when he died. I will also tell you where he was born and in where at. Also who his parents were and if he had and siblings.…

    • 471 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    William Wallace Battles

    • 1972 Words
    • 8 Pages

    The Battles Of William Wallace During The First Scottish War Of Independence The conflicts between Scotland and England have always happened, they date all the way back to 603AD, according to a timeline of battles on skyelander.org. Of course when you have two equally intelligent men reigning side by side, one of them is going to try to overthrow the other at one point, when the opportunity presents itself, its a part of mankind. It is something that has happened continuously throughout history and continues to occur.…

    • 1972 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Legacy Of Macbeth

    • 509 Words
    • 3 Pages

    After the worthy Macduff hath slain the evil Macbeth, he hath brought me the head of the tyrant and restored order by rightfully naming me king of Scotland and continuing the royal bloodline. The first thing I felt to be necessary was to name all my thanes as earls. Then, we put the traitor's head on a tall stake for all to see. In doing so, we signal the end of Macbeth’s reign of terror and avenge my father, the honorable Duncan. Macbeth’s army put up little resistance against the seizing of the castle.…

    • 509 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Whites Arthur raised by Sir Ector and is unaware of his true parentage as the rightful King of England. He is raised to believe that he is the bastard son of Sir Ector opposed to his true born son Kay. Jon Snow is “one” of Lord of Winterfell Eddard Stark’s children but Jon does not have the Stark name because he is of bastard birth. Even though Ned Stark openly acknowledges Jon as his son and has raised him among his siblings.…

    • 666 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Sir Robert Peel was born in Burry, Lancashire on February, 5th 1788. His father was a wealthy cotton mill owner, therefore young Robert Peel was able to go to an Ivy League schools such as Harrow and Oxford. Having such an impressive education under his belt Robert Peel was able to enter Parliament as a Tory (which is a part of the British Political Party) at the tender age of twenty-one. Part of his responsibilities were appointments as under-secretary for war and colonies (1809) and chief-secretary of Ireland (1812). By 1822, he was thirty-four and had become a home secretary and introduced criminal law and prison reform.…

    • 765 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Scotland was a distinct kingdom ruled by the MacAlpin clan in the early tenth century without defined boarders. Without defined boarders relations with England were very uneasy, although after 1066 Norman kings intervened periodically to help support the claims of the Scottish against them. In 1291 Edward I of England selected John Balliol to take the Scottish throne which had been empty since 1286, in return Balliol paid homage to Edward I as a vassal. In 1295 Scottish nobles signed a treaty with France which resulted in the Auld Alliance. As a result of this Edward I invaded Scotland in 1296, Balliol surrendered and imprisoned.…

    • 1856 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the “The Phenomenology of Gift Giving”, Helmuth Berking (1999), the author, explores the causes and mechanisms of gift – giving as a social practice. He maintains that the gift – giving is an essential part of reciprocal communication between individuals. Berking also suggests that both the gift and reciprocation to it corresponds to the established structure and character of human relations in a community. Berking (1999) starts by pointing out that gift – giving as a practice transferred from a political and economic sphere into the area of personal relations.…

    • 777 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Document 1 is an extract from What is a Nation? by Ernest Renan, a French scholar known for his political theories on national identity. The document gives different aspects of what he claims forms a nation. It is written in 1882, in the period that the idea of nationalism was emerging with the 'rise of intra-European movements'.1 This could be argued to be partly the consequence of the resurgence of imperialism, which could have increased national feeling. France itself was recovering of her losses of the Franco-Prussian war, both territorial as status wise.…

    • 2104 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Improved Essays