1066: does the date still matter?*
David Bates
1066 was once regarded as the date everyone knew. It remains widely known among large numbers of general public with an interest in history. This article suggests that popular perceptions are a range at times confused memories and so-called academic history has last fifty years had little impact on them. acknowledges revolutionary changes contemporary historians' approaches to past have made less significant date, yet argues date's very popularity centrality change historical analysis makes clear perception extensive dissemination crucial. ultimately act legitimated purposefully directed violence needs be discussed such. is necessary guard against automatically associating every decades after Conquest see them instead often being aspects wider processes. also crucial event European significance set it within multicultural British Isles. consequences which fundamentally shaped English Perhaps surprisingly, new information interpretations long familiar sources possible.
Historical Research