The First War of Scottish Independence was the first of a series of different wars between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland. It lasted from the English invasion of Scotland in 1296 until the de jure restoration of Scottish independence with the Treaty of Edinburgh–Northampton in 1328. De facto independence was established in 1314 AD following an English defeat at the Battle of Bannockburn. The wars were caused by the attempts of the English kings to seize territory by claiming sovereignty over Scotland, while the Scots fought to keep both English rule and authority out of Scotland.
The First War of Scottish Independence should not be viewed in isolation from the Gascon War and Franco-Flemish War since Philip IV of France and Edward I of England sought allies in Scotland and Flanders as part of their initial conflict. John Balliol of Scotland allied himself with Philip IV of France in 1295 whilst Guy, Count of Flanders allied himself with Edward I of England.
Background
When King Alexander III ruled Scotland, the realm saw a period of peace and economic stability. On 19 March 1286, however, Alexander died after falling from his horse. The only living heir to his throne was Alexander's granddaughter, Margaret, Maid of Norway. As she was still a child, the Scottish lords prepared for her ascension by setting up a government of guardians. However, Margaret fell ill while sailing to Scotland and died in Orkney on 26 September 1290. With Alexander's line now extinct, a new period began known as the Competitors for the Crown of Scotland or the "Great Cause", with several families laying claim to the throne.
With Scotland threatening to descend into civil war, King Edward I of England was chosen by the Scottish nobility to serve as arbiter in resolving the succession dispute; he agreed to do so only after the claimants recognised him as lord paramount. A great feudal court was held in the castle at Berwick-upon-Tweed in early November 1292, at which John Balliol was judged to have the strongest claim to the throne of Scotland, based on the law of succession under primogeniture. (Other systems of succession, such as proximity of blood, would have instead favoured Robert the Bruce.) The decision to elect Balliol remains widely disputed between historians.
Edward quickly exploited his new status by interfering with and even overturning the decisions of Balliol and his advisors. He humiliated the Scottish king by forcing him to present himself as a common plaintiff before the English court when he protested Edward's actions. John's weakness disgusted the Scots, who gave him insulting names such as "Toom Tabard" or "Empty Coat". John finally renounced his homage to England in March 1296.
That same month, Edward invaded Scotland and stormed Berwick-upon-Tweed, sacking the town and directly threatening the Scottish crown. In April, an army summoned by John to repel the invasion was overwhelmingly defeated at the Battle of Dunbar in East Lothian. By July, John was deposed as king and sent into exile; though he did not formally claim the throne for himself, Edward forced over 1,800 Scottish nobles (many of the rest being prisoners of war at that time) to swear homage, thus making him, in effect, ruler of Scotland.
Andrew Moray and William Wallace
Rise of Moray and Wallace
thumb|120px|Wallace statue, Lanark
There was widespread discontent and disorder after the English Crown extended its dominion over Scotland. Acts of defiance were targeted at local English officials. In 1297, the country erupted in open revolt. Andrew de Moray and William Wallace emerged as the first significant Scottish patriots. When news of Wallace's attack on the English rippled throughout Scotland, men rallied to him. The rebels were supported by Robert Wishart, Bishop of Glasgow, who longed for the defeat of the English. The blessing of Wishart gave Wallace and his soldiers a degree of respectability. Previously, Scottish nobles had considered them mere outlaws. He was soon joined by William Douglas and others.
The confederacy of men that Bruce joined included James the Steward, Robert Wishart and William Douglas. Dissension broke out in the Scottish camp when the Scottish and English armies met in July 1297 near Irvine. The aristocratic revolt apparently halted before it even started, but its leaders led long and futile negotiations. It has been suggested that this was a deliberate move in order to provide space and time for Wallace to levy and train men. Percy and Clifford assumed that this was the end of the problem and retired back to the south, only to be followed once more by Wallace and Moray. These two divided their forces and in a short time again forced the English south of the Forth, leaving them holding only the castle of Dundee. 6d for a hobelar, 6d for a mounted archer, 4-6d for a crossbowman, and 3d for a foot archer.
With the success of the English at Falkirk two years earlier, Edward must have felt in a position to bring Scotland under full control permanently. To do this required further campaigning, eliminating the last opposition and securing castles that were (or would be) centres of resistance. The English took control of Caerlaverock Castle, but apart from some small skirmishes, there was no action. In August, the Pope sent a letter demanding that Edward withdraw from Scotland. Due to the lack of success, Edward arranged a truce with the Scots on 30 October and returned to England.