Dunbar Falls: Scotland's Resistance Crumbles to English Arms
English forces under John de Warenne, Earl of Surrey, defeated the Scots at the Battle of Dunbar on April 27, 1296, effectively conquering Scotland in a single afternoon. King John Balliol, whom Edward I of England had installed as a puppet king, had rashly allied with France and renounced his fealty. Edward marched north, sacked Berwick-upon-Tweed, and his army routed the Scottish forces at Dunbar. Balliol surrendered, was stripped of his crown and royal regalia, and was exiled to France. Edward seized the Stone of Destiny from Scone and carried it to Westminster Abbey. Scotland appeared completely subjugated. Within a year, William Wallace launched a guerrilla resistance that would keep the independence movement alive until Robert Bruce's victory at Bannockburn in 1314.
April 27, 1296
730 years ago
Key Figures & Places
Scotland
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Kingdom of England
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First War of Scottish Independence
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Battle of Dunbar (1296)
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John Balliol
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John de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey
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First War of Scottish Independence
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John Balliol
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John de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey
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Battle of Dunbar (1296)
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Wars of Scottish Independence
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Edward I
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