His only daughter, Margaret, had given birth to just one other daughter, also named Margaret, and then died shortly thereafter. King Alexander III of Scotland had three children at the time, two sons and one daughter, but by 1286, all three were dead. To understand the story of Sir William Wallace, we must take a look at the political climate of Scotland in 1286. It’s our job as historians to try and figure out if what we believe about this man is truth or mere legend. The scene below comes towards the end of his life, and we have no way of knowing if he ever gave this speech.īut it’s interpretations such as these that have helped entrench William Wallace into our collective memories. William Wallace in Braveheartįor those who haven’t seen it, the film Braveheart chronicles what we know about the man. So, we’re going to dive into what we do know about this legendary man to see if the myths around him can be counted as truth. However, that doesn’t mean we are completely ignorant, and it doesn’t mean he is any less interesting. There are so few historical reliable sources that most of our knowledge is a mere collection of loose facts, myth, and imagination. His story is one of a man who had his life and his freedom taken from him, and who would stop at nothing to get it back, and this relentless pursuit of freedom and independence in the face of oppression is what has helped turn Sir William Wallace into one of the most famous characters in all of history.īut what do we really know about William? Who was he? When did he live? When and how did he die? And what kind of man he was?Ĭurious students of history would love to know all the answers to these questions, but the truth is that much of his life remains shrouded in mystery.

In the clip below, Mel Gibson plays him in the film Braveheart (1995), and it is just one of many examples of how the name William Wallace lives on to this present day. Many people know the name William Wallace.

Brave heart freedom