What was the result of the September 1069 Anglo-Danish attack on York?

• A. The Normans were defeated and York was plundered
• B. York was peacefully surrendered
• C. The Danes retreated without incident
• D. A new castle was built immediately

Answer: (A)

After the Norman Conquest, the north was a flashpoint, and the September 1069 attack on York shows how quickly Norman control could unravel under united Danish and Northumbrian action. When Danish forces, backed by Northumbrian rebels, struck York, the defenders could not hold the city. York was captured and subjected to heavy destruction—houses and churches burned, wealth plundered, and many people killed or driven from the city. This collapse of Norman resistance and the scale of the devastation illustrate why this event is remembered as a brutal blow to Norman authority in the north, and it helps explain William’s harsh response in the region later that year. The other options don’t fit because the attack did not result in a peaceful surrender, a Danish retreat without incident, or an immediate new castle being erected as a direct outcome of this specific assault.