The Anglo-Saxons, a cultural group who spoke Old English and inhabited much of Britain from about 450 AD until the Norman Conquest in 1066, did a wide range of things that laid the foundations for modern England.

Their activities and achievements include:

1. Shaping the English Identity and Language:

• Settlement and Kingdom Formation: They were primarily Germanic settlers (Angles, Saxons, Jutes, and others) who migrated to Britain after the Romans left, establishing several kingdoms known as the Heptarchy (e.g., Wessex, Mercia, Northumbria).

• The Name and Language: They gave their name to England ("Angle-land") and spoke Old English, the direct predecessor of the modern English language, from which many of our common, everyday words are derived.

2. Religious and Cultural Development:

• Conversion to Christianity: Initially Pagans, they were gradually converted to Christianity, starting with the mission of St. Augustine in 597 AD. This led to the establishment of monasteries, which became centers of learning, art, and literacy.

• Literature and Scholarship: They produced significant works of literature in Old English, such as the epic poem Beowulf and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a historical record. Scholars like Bede the Venerable wrote key works of history and theology.

• Art and Craftsmanship: They were skilled in metalwork, manuscript illumination (like the Lindisfarne Gospels), and other forms of art.

3. Political and Military Actions:

• Defense Against the Vikings: Kings like Alfred the Great of Wessex successfully defended his kingdom against the Viking Great Heathen Army, establishing the Danelaw (an area of Viking control) and laying the groundwork for a unified English kingdom.

• Unification: Over time, the various Anglo-Saxon kingdoms were unified, a process completed largely by Alfred's successors, making England a single political entity.

• Law and Governance: They developed sophisticated systems of law, administration, and a hierarchical society that was divided into classes (thanes, churls, and thralls/slaves). They also divided the land into shires.

4. Daily Life and Economy:

• Farming: The vast majority of Anglo-Saxons were farmers, living in small, self-sufficient villages and growing crops like wheat, barley, and rye, and raising livestock.

• Settlement: They tended to move away from the old Roman towns, instead building small wooden houses and halls in the countryside.

The Anglo-Saxon period ended dramatically in 1066 with the Norman Conquest, which marked the end of Anglo-Saxon rule and the start of a new era in English history.