On August 23, 1305, William Wallace, now famously known as Braveheart, was hung, drawn and quartered for treason by King Edward I.

Not a great deal is known about William Wallace. However, historians know he was a Scottish knight and landowner who helped to lead Scotland in its fight for independence from England. In particular, Wallace, along with Andrew Moray, defeated a vastly larger English army at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in September 1297. Wallace led the Scottish people to believe in their rights to independence through his heroic actions on the battlefield. However, in 1305, Wallace was captured in Robroyston near Glasgow and handed over to King Edward I of England.

King Edward I found Wallace guilty of treason to the Crown and sentenced him to the harshest and most degrading death possible. King Edward I had Wallace stripped naked, hauled through the city streets, and hung him until he was close to death. Then, the executioners were ordered to draw and quarter Wallace while he was still alive until all his limbs were ripped from his body. He was then beheaded and his body parts were hung at different locations across London as a deterrent for all those who challenged the Crown.

Today, William Wallace is likely best known through the Academy Award winning film Braveheart where Mel Gibson plays Wallace. While the movie portrays a somewhat fictionalized account of Wallace, it demonstrates Wallace’s courage and sheer determination to gain freedom for his Scottish countrymen. In the final scene of Braveheart, the executioner offers Wallace a final chance to beg for mercy from the Crown and instead Wallace musters his final strength to shout, “Freedom!” just before he passes away.