Who were the Saxons?
The Saxons were a people from north Germany who migrated to the island of Britain around the 5th century. There were actually three main peoples: the Saxons, the Angles, and the Jutes. After these people moved to Britain they became known as the Anglo-Saxons. Eventually the name "Angles" became the "English" and their land became known as England.
Dane Invasion
In the mid-800s the Danes (people from Denmark) began to invade England. At first they just raided the coastlines, but soon they were taking over land and establishing settlements. In 870, the Danes attacked the kingdom of Wessex. A young prince by the name of Alfred led the Saxons against the Danes and won a great victory at the Battle of Ashdown.
Alfred the Great
Prince Alfred became king in 871. Alfred continued to battle the Danes. In 886, Alfred negotiated a treaty with the Danes. England was divided in half with the Danes getting the north and the east and the Saxons ruling the south and the west. The land of the Danes became known as the "Danelaw".
King Alfred became known as Alfred the Great. He did a lot to establish the Kingdom of England. He built up the borders to protect his people from the Danes. He also established laws, education, a navy, and reformed the English economy.