Wars of Scottish Independence: Robert the Bruce Born

July 11, 1274 - Scottish king and military leader Robert the Bruce (left) is born. The first son of Robert de Brus, 6th Lord of Annandale and Marjorie, Countess of Carrick, little is known about his early life. Believing that the 1292 crowning of John Balliol as King of Scotland was unjust (the Bruce family had a claim), he and his father sided with English King Edward I in the conflict between the two. Following the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297, Robert renounced his fealty to Edward and joined the cause of Scottish independence. In 1298, Robert was made a co-Guardian of Scotland, along with his rival John Comyn, after William Wallace resigned from the post.

Three years after Scotland's submission to Edward in 1303, Robert decided to assert his claim to the throne. Crowned on March 25 at Scone, he set about building support in Scotland and an army to reclaim the realm. For the next eight years, Robert successfully fought a guerrilla campaign to consolidate his position and bring Scotland under his rule. In 1314, he moved to defeat an invasion led by the new English king, Edward II. Meeting at the Battle of Bannockburn, Robert put the English army to rout, securing Scottish independence. His forces followed up the victory with subsequent campaigns in northern England and Ireland. Robert remained on the throne until his death in 1329.

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