How were William Wallace and Robert Bruce involved?
The Scots fought back against Edward, the most famous rebel being William Wallace. He trounced the English at Stirling in 1297 and was declared Guardian of Scotland. He was severely defeated the following year at Falkirk and stayed on the run until 1305, when he was captured, hanged, disembowelled, beheaded, and quartered. Robert Bruce saw Wallace’s death. He was of Norman ancestry and had sworn allegiance to Edward – but when he supported Wallace’s revolt, Edward destroyed Robert’s land. They made their peace and Robert became one of the Regents of Scotland. However, in 1306, while Edward planned to take control of Scotland, Robert was wondering how to defeat him. He tried to collaborate with his nearest rival to the throne, John Comyn. But, unable to agree, Robert ended up killing Comyn during a heated argument. Robert had to act quickly for fear of arrest. On impulse he had himself crowned king of Scotland. It was a high-risk tactic, knowing what had happened to Wallace.
