Overview
The Declaration of Arbroath (1320) is held in the National Records of Scotland
The First War
In the year 1286, the death of Alexander III of Scotland left the Scottish throne open, which was fought over by different competitors, the most important being John Balliol and Robert Bruce. In 1292, Edward I of England claimed himself to be 'Lord Superior of Scotland,' and granted the Scottish crown to Balliol. In the next few years, Edward I was set on maintaining his rights to overlordship, and Scotland's independence was becoming increasingly difficult for John Balliol to preserve. In 1295, Scottish nobles took the power from Balliol in an effort to defy Edward I, and a campaign in 1296 resulted in Balliol giving up the Scottish crown. There was, however, an effort to restore John Balliol as king. Some believed that John Balliol should be their rightful king, while others supported Robert Bruce. Balliol's nephew, John (the Red) Comyn led the Scottish government in his place, until civil war broke out in 1306 when Robert Bruce killed John Comyn, seizing the throne. One of the most important events of the First War was the Battle at Bannockburn in 1314, which had a significant Scottish victory. In 1320, a group of Scottish barons wrote a letter to the pope, known as the Declaration of Arbroath. It proclaimed the ancient independence of Scotland and denounced England's attempts at conquest. When the Treaty of Edinburgh was signed in 1328, at the end of the First War, it formally recognized Robert Bruce as king of an independent Scotland.
The Second War
The Second War began as a result of Edward III's discontent with the Treaty of Edinburgh. He encouraged Edward Balliol's claim to the Scottish throne, which at the time belonged to David II, who succeeded Robert Bruce prior to his death, but was too young to rule. Many of those who had supported Bruce were dead, while many supporters of John Balliol were still living. At first, Edward Balliol had some success in claiming the throne, but this did not last as he was forced to flee to England in 1332. However, the war continued and in 1334 David II fled to France. Edward III stepped in and granted Balliol the Scottish throne once again, who gave part of Scotland to Edward III in return. In 1335 there was a revival of Robert Bruce's cause, with a campaign that ended in success. Edward III turned his attention to invading France, causing Balliol to lose most of his support. In 1341, David II was able to return. However, David II was captured by the English in 1346, and was held until 1357, when the Treaty of Berwick resulted in his release as well as the end of the Wars of Independence.