How different would the world be today if the Anglo-Saxons had won the Battle of Hastings?

Answer 1

no colonialism....perhaps no American colonies, most likely they'd be Spanish or French.

Answer 2

Before the Norman conquest England was part of the Scandanavian/Germanic world. It had been part of king Canute's empire along with Norway and Normandy. After the conquest. England was tied to Europe.

Edward the Confessor's reign was a masterpiece of political balancing. Apart from Westminister there is very little that he accomplished. Would Earl Harold have done better?

English has been described as a language invented by Normans to pick up Anglo Saxon barmaids. Without the Norman victory I don't see English developing as a language. The Uni-Kassel Link

Other changes you can imagine:
No Domesday book so no transparent government. This was put together by William so he knew what the new kingdom could produce.

No crusades - with the unsettled state of Europe before the conquest no ruler dared to leave his domain because of what his neighbours may do. William showed that it was possible to do so. As the Pope supported the conquest of England the Norman rulers supported his call to the crusades. The Normans also brough across cavalry and archery with the conquest. Would the English have won Agincourt and Crecy without the longbow?


Minimal seafaring. Though the English had a fleet, it was manned by militia. When the fleet was required to repel William the militia had gone home. After the conquest, with the king ruling two countries separated by the channel the need for a national fleet became greater.

The tower of London would not exist, nor would most of the castles in the UK. They were built to suppress the English.
No Protestant church

Instead of the Elizabethan age we would be in one of the Matilda's ages

French would not be the polite language

Magna Carta a no go

No Robin Hood

The current heir would be Karlas not Charles

On the positive side if you ordered a meal it would be sheep curry not mutton or cow not beef.

Answer 3

The Anglo-Saxons did have Archers. They were just in the Militia known as the Furd I believe. They also had calvary but their calvary had no stirrups. Also England wasn't part of Scandanavia. Canute had been kicked out several years before that. One thing that might have been different though is that Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery wouldn't have been a British general in WW2. His ancestors were actually Norman. Unfortunately we will never know.

Answer 4

England would be even more common and less cultured than it is today, thats the only difference i think.