William Wallace Research Paper

“This is the truth I tell you: of all things Freedom’s the finest. Never submit to live, my son, in the bonds of slavery entwined.” William Wallace Is one of the most famous Scottish patriots of all time. He did several things to help free his country( Wallace web).

William Wallace was born sometime in 1270. He had two siblings Malcolm and John Wallace. He was a famous patriot, revolutionary, fighter, and knight. Not much is known about his parents or place of birth. Some people say that his father was Sir Malcolm of Elderslie while William’s own stamp gives his father's name as Alan Wallace. There are records that say that members of Wallace's family had estates at Riccarton, Tarbolton, and Auchincruive in Kyle, and Stenton in East Lothian

Wallace continued his resistance, but on August 3rd,1305 Wallace was captured at Robroyston, close to Glasgow. Wallace’s captor Sir John Menteith, the “FALE” Menteith, had gone down in Scottish legend as Wallace’s betrayer (BBC-history).

William Wallace had a book called “The Wallace” that was the second most popular book in Scotland after The Bible ( BBC- history).

Diplomacy was crucial to the Scot’s war effort, and Wallace played a high profile role. In 1299, Wallace left Scotland for the court of King Philip IV of France. Wallace was shortly imprisoned for various political motives, but was shortly released and given the French king’s safe conduct to the papal court. “Wallace returned to Scotland in 1301, with the diplomatic effort seemingly in good stead”(BBC-history).

Only Wallace didn’t want to submit, signing his own death warrant at this time. Here was the crucial difference between wallace and the main players from the Scottish nobles Wallace had no compromise, the English were his enemy and he couldn’t accept rule in any way. However, the nobles were willing to switch sides, or placate the English, When it served their own s. “Wallace had become a nuisance to both his feudal superiors and the English”(Wallace

Wallace was taken to Dumbarton Castle, but shortly moved to London for a trial in Westminster Hall. Wallace was charged with two things -Being an outlaw and being a traitor. “At Wallace’s trial he had no lawyers and no jury, he even wasn’t allowed to speak, but when he was accused of being a traitor, he denied it, saying he had never been Edward's subject in the first place”. William was eventually accused of being a traitor and was hung.

Sir William Wallace died Aug. 23,1305 in London, England(BBC-history).

William Wallace did many things to free his country. To Scot's he was one of the best things that ever happened to them. As he once said, “This is the truth I tell you: of all things Freedom’s the finest. Never submit to live, my son, in the bonds of slavery entwined” (Wallace