By the 800s, East Anglia was freed from Mercian control. With the death of King Offa, the Pope deposed the late king’s son and abolished the archbishopric of Lichfield (it had replaced the archbishop of Canterbury). Succeeded by King Offa, Mercia extended its power and seized London, East Anglia, and Kent.

At one point in time, Kent, Mercia, and East Anglia were ruled by one king, Ethelbald, who became known as the King of South English.During the reign of Penda, Mercia accumulated enormous wealth and military power. In the 7th century, Penda, a Mercian king who refused to convert to Christianity, defeated two Northumbrian kings. When Mercia gained power in the 700s, Northumbria’s dominance declined.With its strong cultural connection with Ireland and Rome, Northumbria emerged as the most influential Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It was formed from the smaller kingdoms of Bernicia and Deira. In the north, Northumbria became the most powerful kingdom.It was known for its wealth, and under the influence of the King of Kent, East Anglia was converted to Christianity. East Anglia was inhabited by the Angles: the North Folk (living in modern Norfolk), and the South Folk (living in Suffolk).Similar to Kent, other kingdoms began to emerge. With the establishment of Canterbury by Augustine, subjects like poetry, astronomy, mathematics, and Greek were taught, making it a major intellectual center.At the time of Ethelbert’s reign, laws of Kent were written down as charters to be implemented. With Ethelbert as king, Kent became one of the wealthiest kingdoms in southern Britain. Settled by the Jutes, Kent was probably formed from at least two smaller kingdoms.

Between 650 and 800 AD, Anglo-Saxon kingdoms were established with constant threat from rival kings.

The Britons created a myriad of kingdoms and defended themselves tenaciously. Within a few years, several Germanic kingdoms were created: Kent, Sussex, Wessex, Essex, Northumbria, and East Anglia. To defend themselves from attacks, the Britons sought help from the Germanic tribes of Europe (the Jutes, Saxons, and Angles).

The Romans left England around 410 AD, and the people that lived north of Hadrian’s Wall (the Picts, Scotti, and Caledonians) began to move into the island’s fertile southern plains.

Timeline of Medieval England Early Middle Ages: Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy The Norman conquest ended the period of Anglo-Saxon England.

At the end of the 8th century, the Vikings arrived in Britain, causing many changes on the island.

The 5th century is known by historians as the ‘sub-Roman period’ or ‘dark ages’, and the 6th century is known as the ‘Anglo-Saxon heptarchy’.

It then ends with Henry VIII and the reform of the Scottish theologian, John Knox. Historically, it begins with the departure of the Roman legions from Britain and the invasion of the Anglo-Saxons.

The English Middle Ages is a historical period that started in the 5th century and ended in the 16th century.

Middle ages dates