Wars of Independence

The deaths of King Alexander III and the Maid of Norway plunged Scotland into crisis. The nobles asked Edward I to choose a new king. This led to Edward’s increased involvement in Scottish affairs.

In the 1290s, Edward I of England increased his control over Scotland. In 1296, leading Scottish nobles were forced to swear an oath of allegiance to Edward, and Scotland lost its independence.

William Wallace led the resistance to the English occupation winning the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297. A year later, Edward I’s army defeated the Scots at Falkirk. Wallace was executed in 1305.

Robert Bruce set out to gain independence and the Scottish crown. Bruce’s victory over the English helped pave the way for the Declaration of Arbroath and the Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton.