This education web resource presents a selection
of primary sources of evidence from the time of the Scottish Wars
of Independence. It invites learners to engage in activities using
information from the archive sources.
The resource is set out in four sections
- teachers' notes; sources of evidence, timeline and background information;
online activities and printable activities. Instructions for use are
given in each section. All archive sources are printable.
The 13th and 14th centuries were troubled times
in Scottish and English history. Scotland's status as an independent
kingdom was under threat from England. William Wallace, Robert Bruce
and others fought many bloody battles before the English renounced
their claim to sovereignty over Scotland in 1328.
This resource concentrates on three remarkable
documents which mark this pivotal period in Scottish history:
• The Lübeck
letter: the only surviving original document issued by Wallace:
a letter sent in 1297, advising European trade partners that Scottish
ports were open for trade, as Scotland had been freed from English
control
• The Ayr Manuscript:
the second-oldest surviving text of laws passed in the Scottish
Parliament in 1318, during the reign of Robert I
• The Declaration
of Arbroath: one of the treasures of the National Archives,
written in 1320 to Pope John XXII in support of Robert I and an
independent Scotland
(C) Property of the National Archives of Scotland, H.M. General Register House,
Edinburgh, EH1 3YY. The information contained on this WWW site is Crown Copyright
but may be reproduced without formal permission or charge for personal or in-house
use.
