Edward I opened his conquest of Scotland by storming Berwick, Scotland's most important trading town. He ordered the massacre of the population — by some accounts 7,000-17,000 people were killed over three days. The slaughter was so great that Edward himself had to order it stopped. Berwick was transformed from a Scottish commercial centre to an English military base. The outrage galvanised Scottish resistance and made compromise far less likely. Berwick remained contested between England and Scotland for centuries.
Estimated 7,000-17,000 civilians massacred
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