1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:05,160 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio, 2 00:00:07,800 --> 00:00:11,240 Speaker 1: Hello and Welcome to This Day in History Class, a 3 00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:14,440 Speaker 1: show that pays tribute to heroes of the past by 4 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:19,280 Speaker 1: telling their stories. Today, I'm Gay, Blues Yay, and today 5 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:23,640 Speaker 1: we're reflecting on the appalling death of William Wallace, one 6 00:00:23,640 --> 00:00:26,840 Speaker 1: of the most venerated freedom fighters of the First War 7 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:31,639 Speaker 1: of Scottish Independence. As a warning, today's episode includes a 8 00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:35,560 Speaker 1: graphic description of a public execution and may be disturbing 9 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:45,840 Speaker 1: for some listeners. The day was August twenty third, thirteen 10 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:49,800 Speaker 1: oh five. Sir William Wallace was put to death in 11 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:54,520 Speaker 1: London for alleged treason against King Edward the First of England. 12 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:58,840 Speaker 1: Although he faced one of the grisliest executions ever recorded, 13 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:03,600 Speaker 1: Scotland's now national hero remained defiant till the end, arguing 14 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:05,919 Speaker 1: that it was impossible for him to be a traitor 15 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:10,920 Speaker 1: as he had never pledged loyalty to the British Crown. Nonetheless, 16 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:13,920 Speaker 1: Wallace was sentenced to die in one of the worst 17 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:19,360 Speaker 1: ways imaginable, by being hung, drawn and quartered. His life 18 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:23,840 Speaker 1: has since been romanticized in countless poems, stories and movies, 19 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:27,000 Speaker 1: and today he is still revered by many as a 20 00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:33,080 Speaker 1: symbol of Scottish independence. Wallace's excruciating death was brought about 21 00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:36,200 Speaker 1: by the years he had spent leading the first organized 22 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:40,560 Speaker 1: resistance against English rule in Scotland. Through much of the 23 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:44,200 Speaker 1: thirteenth century, Scotland had been a peaceful nation under the 24 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:47,880 Speaker 1: rule of Alexander the Third, but his death in twelve 25 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:51,920 Speaker 1: eighty six kicked off a succession crisis, as the crown 26 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:55,160 Speaker 1: was passed to three year old Margaret, the Maid of Norway, 27 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:58,880 Speaker 1: only for her to die too just four years later. 28 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:03,919 Speaker 1: Hoping to avoid a civil war, Scottish nobles asked Edward 29 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 1: the First of England to arbitrate their competing claims to 30 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:11,160 Speaker 1: the throne. The English king agreed to help, but as 31 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:14,560 Speaker 1: soon as John Balliol was chosen as the new monarch, 32 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:18,919 Speaker 1: Edward began undermining his authority in an effort to impose 33 00:02:19,040 --> 00:02:24,040 Speaker 1: himself as ruler. Then, in twelve ninety six, Edward dropped 34 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 1: all the pretense and officially invaded Scotland. By that time, 35 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:32,480 Speaker 1: William Wallace was in his late twenties to early thirties 36 00:02:32,720 --> 00:02:38,720 Speaker 1: and likely already had military experience, possibly as an archer. Unfortunately, 37 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:41,840 Speaker 1: little is known about his early life and even his 38 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:46,160 Speaker 1: parentage is open to debate. For a long time, historians 39 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:50,760 Speaker 1: believed Wallace was born to a noble family in Eldersley, Renfrewshire, 40 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 1: but more recently evidence has come to light which suggests 41 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 1: he was actually born to Alan Wallace, a tenant farmer 42 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:03,120 Speaker 1: in Ayrshire. Whatever the truth of his origins, Wallace first 43 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:06,519 Speaker 1: came to prominence in May of twelve ninety seven, when 44 00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:10,160 Speaker 1: he led an uprising in Lanark and killed the town sheriff, 45 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:14,000 Speaker 1: who was loyal to England. According to a fifteenth century 46 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:18,520 Speaker 1: poet named Blind Harry, Wallace's first major act of defiance 47 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:22,200 Speaker 1: was in retaliation for the murder of his wife Mary 48 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:26,519 Speaker 1: in Braidfeute. That may be true, but there's not much 49 00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:30,080 Speaker 1: evidence one way or the other outside of Harry's epic poem. 50 00:03:30,760 --> 00:03:33,919 Speaker 1: What we do know is that Wallace's action at Lanark 51 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:39,320 Speaker 1: sparked a full blown rebellion among ordinary Scottish citizens. Hundreds 52 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:42,440 Speaker 1: of men flocked to his side, and together they engaged 53 00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 1: in numerous skirmishes against King Edward's invading army. They began 54 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:50,600 Speaker 1: driving the English out of Fife and Perthshire, and by 55 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:54,320 Speaker 1: that September they had joined forces with other military leaders, 56 00:03:54,560 --> 00:04:00,000 Speaker 1: including a young squire named Andrew Murray. On September eleventh, 57 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:03,520 Speaker 1: Wallace and Murray co led the Scottish army to a 58 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:07,840 Speaker 1: pivotal victory at the Battle of stirling Bridge. The Scots 59 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:11,160 Speaker 1: were badly outnumbered, but they managed to force the English 60 00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:14,640 Speaker 1: to cross the bridge, thereby limiting the effectiveness of their 61 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:19,839 Speaker 1: superior numbers. Having proven their competency on the battlefield, both 62 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:23,920 Speaker 1: Wallace and Murray were subsequently knighted and given the title 63 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:28,560 Speaker 1: Guardian of Scotland. This effectively made them the co heads 64 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 1: of state, as the new King of Scotland, John Balliol, 65 00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:36,880 Speaker 1: had been forced to abdicate the previous year. Unfortunately, that 66 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:41,599 Speaker 1: partnership proved short lived, as Sir Andrew Murray soon died 67 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:45,960 Speaker 1: from injury sustained on the battlefield. That left Wallace as 68 00:04:46,040 --> 00:04:49,520 Speaker 1: the sole Guardian of Scotland, a position which he used 69 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:53,279 Speaker 1: to organize further raids, not only in his home country, 70 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:58,680 Speaker 1: but in England as well. Those brazen campaigns enraged King 71 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:02,320 Speaker 1: Edward the First and so severely weakened his grip on Scotland. 72 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:06,320 Speaker 1: But in July of twelve ninety eight, Edward's army struck 73 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:10,520 Speaker 1: back at the Battle of Falkirk, overpowering the Scots and 74 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:15,400 Speaker 1: delivering a crushing defeat. William Wallace escaped with his life 75 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:18,200 Speaker 1: that day, but he was so ashamed by the loss 76 00:05:18,279 --> 00:05:22,120 Speaker 1: that he later resigned his guardianship, ceding the title to 77 00:05:22,279 --> 00:05:26,520 Speaker 1: John Coleman, the nephew of John Balliol, and to Robert 78 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:30,480 Speaker 1: the Bruce, the future King of Scotland. Not much is 79 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:34,039 Speaker 1: known about Wallace's movements during this time, but at some 80 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:36,960 Speaker 1: point he traveled to France to seek support for the 81 00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:41,159 Speaker 1: Scottish cause. He returned in thirteen oh three and was 82 00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:44,360 Speaker 1: dismayed to learn that in his absence, Robert the Bruce 83 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:48,520 Speaker 1: had accepted a truce with Edward the First. The following year, 84 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:52,440 Speaker 1: John Coleman did the same, but Wallace refused to come 85 00:05:52,440 --> 00:05:56,520 Speaker 1: to terms. He continued the fight for Scottish independence until 86 00:05:56,560 --> 00:06:00,280 Speaker 1: August fifth, thirteen oh five, when he was betrayed by 87 00:06:00,279 --> 00:06:03,840 Speaker 1: a Scottish knight who had secretly sworn allegiance to England. 88 00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:09,599 Speaker 1: Wallace was captured near Glasgow, briefly held at Dumbarton Castle, 89 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:14,040 Speaker 1: and then transported to London later that month. On August 90 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:17,359 Speaker 1: twenty third, he was taken to Westminster Hall, where he 91 00:06:17,440 --> 00:06:20,839 Speaker 1: was given a show trial, with no juris, lawyers, or 92 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:24,880 Speaker 1: even the chance to defend himself. Wallace's death was a 93 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:28,320 Speaker 1: foregone conclusion, but Edward the First wanted to make an 94 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:30,680 Speaker 1: example of him to send a message to the other 95 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:34,760 Speaker 1: holdouts of the Scottish rebellion. After being found guilty of 96 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:38,880 Speaker 1: treason and sentenced to die, Wallace reportedly spoke out against 97 00:06:38,880 --> 00:06:41,599 Speaker 1: the charge, but since the accounts of what he said 98 00:06:41,760 --> 00:06:45,920 Speaker 1: only appeared centuries later, they were more than likely fabrications. 99 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:49,960 Speaker 1: That said, the common theme in all of the reports 100 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:54,320 Speaker 1: rings true, namely that Wallace wasn't a traitor because he 101 00:06:54,360 --> 00:06:57,120 Speaker 1: had owed no allegiance to England in the first place. 102 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:01,120 Speaker 1: Once the mock trial had ended, Wallace was taken to 103 00:07:01,160 --> 00:07:04,960 Speaker 1: Smithfield in central London to be executed that same day. 104 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:08,600 Speaker 1: His death would not be a swift one, as once 105 00:07:08,640 --> 00:07:11,360 Speaker 1: again Edward the First wanted to send a message to 106 00:07:11,440 --> 00:07:15,960 Speaker 1: other would be rebels. To that end, Wallace was first stripped, 107 00:07:16,040 --> 00:07:18,920 Speaker 1: naked and tied to a wooden post, which was then 108 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:21,960 Speaker 1: dragged through the streets of London by horses for about 109 00:07:22,040 --> 00:07:26,480 Speaker 1: five miles. He was ridiculed and pelted with excrement along 110 00:07:26,520 --> 00:07:29,520 Speaker 1: the way, and when he returned to the Smithfield Square. 111 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:34,680 Speaker 1: That's when the real pain began. Wallace was hanged and strangled, 112 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:39,440 Speaker 1: but taken down while still alive and semi conscious. Next, 113 00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:42,840 Speaker 1: his bones were pulled from their sockets by ropes attached 114 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:47,240 Speaker 1: to his limbs. He was then disemboweled and castrated, and 115 00:07:47,320 --> 00:07:50,360 Speaker 1: several of the organs torn from his body were burned 116 00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:55,280 Speaker 1: before his eyes. Only then, after hours of torment, was 117 00:07:55,360 --> 00:07:59,840 Speaker 1: William Wallace allowed to die. He was beheaded and quartered, 118 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:03,000 Speaker 1: and as a final insult, his head was dipped in 119 00:08:03,120 --> 00:08:06,440 Speaker 1: tar and stuck on a pike on London Bridge a 120 00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:10,880 Speaker 1: warning to other dissenters. His limbs were also divvied up 121 00:08:10,880 --> 00:08:16,600 Speaker 1: for public display at Newcastle, Berwick, Sterling and Perth. In 122 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:20,239 Speaker 1: the end, the brutal death of William Wallace did send 123 00:08:20,280 --> 00:08:23,240 Speaker 1: a message to his countrymen, but not the one King 124 00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:27,400 Speaker 1: Edward had intended. The rest of Scotland was emboldened by 125 00:08:27,400 --> 00:08:31,200 Speaker 1: his sacrifice, and the following year Robert the Bruce assumed 126 00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:35,440 Speaker 1: the throne and mounted a new rebellion. The fighting continued 127 00:08:35,480 --> 00:08:40,120 Speaker 1: for more than a decade, but eventually Scotland secured its independence, 128 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:44,480 Speaker 1: meaning that William Wallace did not die in Vain. To day, 129 00:08:44,880 --> 00:08:47,960 Speaker 1: there are monuments to his courage all over the country, 130 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:52,640 Speaker 1: including a sixty seven meter tower on a hilltop overlooking Sterling, 131 00:08:53,040 --> 00:08:57,040 Speaker 1: the site of his most famous victory. Many artists have 132 00:08:57,120 --> 00:09:00,360 Speaker 1: paid tribute to Wallace over the years, but these days 133 00:09:00,520 --> 00:09:03,000 Speaker 1: the most well known account of his life is the 134 00:09:03,080 --> 00:09:07,960 Speaker 1: Academy Award winning film Braveheart, released in nineteen ninety five. 135 00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:11,360 Speaker 1: The movie was loosely based on the famous poem by 136 00:09:11,400 --> 00:09:16,199 Speaker 1: Blind Harry and stars Mel Gibson as Scotland's legendary crusader. 137 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:20,520 Speaker 1: Although it certainly has its merits, Braveheart takes more than 138 00:09:20,559 --> 00:09:23,800 Speaker 1: a few liberties with the story and definitely shouldn't be 139 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:27,760 Speaker 1: taken as an accurate account of Scottish history. In fact, 140 00:09:28,040 --> 00:09:31,920 Speaker 1: even the film's title is questionable, as Braveheart is a 141 00:09:31,960 --> 00:09:36,319 Speaker 1: moniker associated not with William Wallace but with Robert the Bruce. 142 00:09:37,120 --> 00:09:40,600 Speaker 1: After the King's death, Sir James Douglas was tasked with 143 00:09:40,760 --> 00:09:44,160 Speaker 1: taking robert severed heart on a tour of the Holy Land, 144 00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:47,880 Speaker 1: and during a battle he supposedly spoke to it saying, 145 00:09:48,040 --> 00:09:53,400 Speaker 1: quote lead on Braveheart, I'll follow thee to be fair. 146 00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:57,240 Speaker 1: The epithet Braveheart does seem like a fitting description of 147 00:09:57,280 --> 00:10:00,959 Speaker 1: Sir William Wallace, but its misattribution and is still one 148 00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:03,720 Speaker 1: of the many reasons why you shouldn't get your history 149 00:10:03,800 --> 00:10:10,079 Speaker 1: lessons from Mel Gibson. I'm Gabe Lucier and hopefully you 150 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:13,240 Speaker 1: now know a little more about history today than you 151 00:10:13,280 --> 00:10:17,000 Speaker 1: did yesterday. You can learn even more about history by 152 00:10:17,040 --> 00:10:22,560 Speaker 1: following us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at TDI HC Show, 153 00:10:23,120 --> 00:10:25,640 Speaker 1: and if you have any comments or suggestions, you can 154 00:10:25,679 --> 00:10:28,360 Speaker 1: always send them my way by writing to this Day 155 00:10:28,720 --> 00:10:33,280 Speaker 1: at iHeartMedia dot com. Thanks to Chandler Mays for producing 156 00:10:33,320 --> 00:10:36,000 Speaker 1: the show, and thanks to you for listening. I'll see 157 00:10:36,040 --> 00:10:50,800 Speaker 1: you back here again tomorrow for another day in History class.