William Wallace He stands in front of his small army, gazing at them. Many of these men have heard mystical stories about him, such as being six or seven feet tall and having a very large sword (Wallace 700 2005). Stories have even said he could crush a man’s skull with his bare hands. As he looks at them, to prepare them for battle he says, “They may take away our lives, but they’ll never take away our freedom (Braveheart)!” Wallace probably never said these words in such a dramatic fashion, but it portrays William Wallace really well in the eyes of his people at the time. In the point of view of the Scots, Wallace was the rescuer of Scotland (Harry 1: 38).William Wallace was a Scottish revolutionary and knight during the First War of Scottish
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Most sources say William Wallace was born near Elderslie, Renfrewshire, Scotland (The Famous People) to a small landowner Malcolm Wallace (britannica) and the daughter of Sir Hugh Crawford, Sheriff of Ayr (Sir William Wallace). However, according to Wallace’s seal, a design consisting of unique characteristics about himself most commonly worn on his shield, says that his father’s name was Alan Wallace not Malcolm(The Famous People), but he did actually have a brother named Malcolm and another named John (The Famous People). In Blind Harry’s poem on Wallace, it is mentioned that William also had two sisters (Ross 7). His mother’s name is unknown and only speculation has it listed as Jean, Joan, or Margaret (Mackay 6). While growing up, Scotland was being ruled by King Alexander III who was a decent king that provided peace and economic stability for the nation. However, when Alexander III died, Scotland's situation turned dire. Power turned to the former King’s granddaughter, who not only was a child, but later died in Orkney after falling ill on her way to Scotland. In an effort to avoid civil war, King Edward I (aka Longshanks) was asked to be an arbitrator while a new king was elected. The new king, John Balliol, ended up being very weak and through him, King Edward I of England took control of Scotland in 1296
Most sources say William Wallace was born near Elderslie, Renfrewshire, Scotland (The Famous People) to a small landowner Malcolm Wallace (britannica) and the daughter of Sir Hugh Crawford, Sheriff of Ayr (Sir William Wallace). However, according to Wallace’s seal, a design consisting of unique characteristics about himself most commonly worn on his shield, says that his father’s name was Alan Wallace not Malcolm(The Famous People), but he did actually have a brother named Malcolm and another named John (The Famous People). In Blind Harry’s poem on Wallace, it is mentioned that William also had two sisters (Ross 7). His mother’s name is unknown and only speculation has it listed as Jean, Joan, or Margaret (Mackay 6). While growing up, Scotland was being ruled by King Alexander III who was a decent king that provided peace and economic stability for the nation. However, when Alexander III died, Scotland's situation turned dire. Power turned to the former King’s granddaughter, who not only was a child, but later died in Orkney after falling ill on her way to Scotland. In an effort to avoid civil war, King Edward I (aka Longshanks) was asked to be an arbitrator while a new king was elected. The new king, John Balliol, ended up being very weak and through him, King Edward I of England took control of Scotland in 1296