Which statement describes a long-term impact of the Harrying of the North?

• A. 60% of Yorkshire was considered waste with nothing left to tax.
• B. The population of the north recovered within a year.
• C. Danish control in Northumbria expanded.
• D. The church received no money as forgiveness for casualties.

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is the enduring economic and demographic damage caused by the Harrying of the North. William’s scorched-earth campaign in the late 1060s devastated farms, villages, and markets across the north, so much land was left unproductive and ungovernable for years. That long-lasting ruin is why a claim about a huge portion of Yorkshire being “waste” fits best: it reflects that the land remained economically useless and untaxable long after the raids, shaping the region's economy and taxation for generations.

Recovery within a year would ignore how deep the destruction went; the devastation slowed or prevented population and economic rebound for a long time. Expansion of Danish control isn’t aligned with the outcome of the Harrying, which helped consolidate Norman authority rather than expand Danish influence. And while the church could be affected by such upheaval, the enduring image historians emphasize is land left waste and a shattered tax base, not a specific claim about forgiveness payments to the church.