History of Trafalgar Square

In 1839, nearly 35 years after the Battle of Trafalgar (20 October 1805), British Parliament decided to commemorate Admiral Horatio Nelson’s victory over the French.

Nelson went to sea at age of 12 and became admiral at the age of 39. He was a hero of the Battle of Calvi in 1794 where he lost an eye, the Battle of Santa Cruz (1707) where he lost an arm and the Battle of Trafalgar where he lost his life.

In the naval Battle of Trafalgar, British won a stunning victory over combined French and Spanish navies in 1805.

A huge square was cleared in the center of London and it was designed and laid out by Victorian architect Nash, between 1829 and 1850.  And a column almost 60m tall was placed in the middle of it.

The square was named Trafalgar square and a statue of Nelson was placed on top of the column.  Queen Victoria’s favorite animal painter, Sir Edward Landseer, added the four lions at the base of the column in 1868.

Since its construction, Trafalgar Square has a long history of use as a forum for social protest.

Anti-imperialism, along with other concerns such as the rights of workers and women, are just a few of the social movement that have used the square to proclaim their message.
History of Trafalgar Square

William the conqueror (1028 – 9 September 1087)

William was not only a duke but also the head of the Normans, descendents of Vikings who had conquered a part of French and established what was basically an independent state, though the kings of France technically remained overloads over Normandy. He was the illegitimate son of Duke Robert the Devil and succeeded his father as Duke of Normandy 1035.

Once William was old enough nineteen to twenty, he had to secure his own grip on power. William became the duke of Normandy in 1035.

By 1066, William had crushed all resistance within the duchy, increased ducal power, held his neighbor at bay and dominated the neighboring region of Maine.

On 5 January 1066 Edward the Confessor died childless and the question of the English succession which had for so long loomed over northern Europe immediately entered on its final phase. Since William was the cousin of the Edward, William thought he should become king of England.

Sometime after dawn in September 28, William’s fleet arrived at the south coast of England and entered a sheltered bay at Pevensey.

14 October 1066 undoubtedly was the date the Norman victory at Battle of Hastings. William then advanced to London, the capital.

In the English Kingdom, the Norman Conquest not only initiated the rule of a line of Norman kings, but also entailed the replacement of most of the previous English aristocracy by men whose origins were in Normandy and other parts of northern France.

William became King of England from 1066. He was crowned in Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day 1068.

He completed the establishment of feudalism in England and placed Normans in all key administrative position.

He put down rebellions brutally taking, English land and giving to his Norman nobles for them to rules the local areas.

William the Conqueror was succeeded by two of his sons, William II ruled from 1087 – 1100, Henry from 1100 -1135.
William the conqueror (1028 – 9 September 1087)