![]() He wanted things to be in a language people could understand, learn, and communicate in. A large part of this was writing documents in the Anglo-Saxon vernacular language spoken by regular people of the country, rather than in Latin. Not only did Alfred strengthen England with the defeat of the Danes, but he took great steps to unify his people into one country. In a treaty with the Danes, he refers to himself as King of the Angles and the Saxons. They became important centers for trade and commerce.Īlfred managed to recapture London from the Danes for England, and refortified it as well. Over time, these fortresses became burghs, fortified towns that were self-governed under royal patronage. He built a line of fortresses around his kingdom to protect against attack as well. He created a navy to fight the Danes at sea, and he reorganized the army so they could respond faster to attacks no matter where they happened. Image: Public DomainĪlfred didn’t rest after the main force of the Danes returned to the continent, but worked hard to fortify his kingdom against further attacks. Afterward, his victory, which had occurred at the time of Easter, was compared to the resurrection of Christ and it established him as a great war leader. There was a fierce battle, and Alfred came out victorious. Therefore, when Alfred rallied them to come and fight against the Danes to take back Wessex, the people responded and came to his aid. The people felt they participated in the rule of their kingdom, which made them invested in what happened. This included having trials by juries of peers and government by local officials. Alfred ran his kingdom in such a way that it was like a partnership between the king and the people. This is where his style of rule, different from many other kings, proved itself beneficial. Alfred took his time in refuge to get a plan together to retake Wessex, but he needed many men to do so. ![]() When the Danes came to Wessex, they managed to make Alfred flee and take refuge. During the beginning of his reign, the Danes were invading England, taking over kingdom after kingdom and, according to contemporary sources, terrorizing the land. Alfred became King of Wessex in 871, at a time when England was once again divided into a series of smaller kingdoms. Therefore, the lands he snagged control over fell apart shortly after his death, with no true allegiances holding them together. He just wanted to rule over everything he could. King Offa of Mercia, who reigned between 757 and 769 CE, managed to control it as such for a short time, but his goal had never been for unity. The idea of a unified England was not a new one. But what made King Alfred so ”Great?” What did he do to set him apart from the majority of other kings? His deeds were also recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, written by monks in the medieval period of England, as well as by his personal biographer, a monk named Asser. Unlike many of his predecessors, he was an intellectual king who valued learning and writing. We know more about him than most of the kings who came before, because we can read his own words. King Alfred, or Alfred the Great as he is otherwise known, is known as the Anglo-Saxon king who united all of England into one kingdom.
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