Robert Bruce set out to gain independence and the Scottish crown. Bruce’s victory over the English helped pave the way for the Declaration of Arbroath and the Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton.
Bruce and his supporters continued to fight for Scottish independence:
He made raids into northern England.
He sent his brother Edward Bruce to fight the English in Ireland.
Neil Oliver describes Bruce's eventual victory and Scottish independence.
The Declaration of Arbroath and the Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton
Bruce realised that he would have to secure Scotland’s independence peacefully.
First he had to get support from the Church. In 1320, the nobles of Scotland sent a letter to Pope John XXII to argue for Scotland’s freedom from the English. The letter became known as the 'Declaration of Arbroath' and was important for two main reasons:
It explained why Scotland should be independent.
It showed that the nobles supported Bruce as their King.
The Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton
Edward II was a weak King and was eventually deposed in 1327.
Edward III, still a child at the time, was crowned as the new King of England.
Bruce used this unstable time to send an invasion force to England.
As a result, the English had to request a truce.
In 1328, the two sides signed the Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton.
Robert the Bruce was recognised as the King of Scots.
