William Wallace was a Scottish knight. He was a central figure in the ‘Wars of Scottish Independence.’ Regarded as one of Scotland’s greatest national heroes, he led the Scottish resistance forces during the early years of Scotland’s struggle for independence from English rule. Wallace grew up during the reign of King Alexander III of Scotland, which was marked by peace and economic stability. But chaos regarding the inheritance of the throne ensued after the king’s untimely death and John Balliol was named the king. However, King Edward I of England deposed and imprisoned the Scottish king and declared himself the ruler of Scotland. The citizens started resisting the rule of the English king and William Wallace gathered a group of men and burned the Scottish town of Lanark and killed its English sheriff. He then recruited a bigger army and began attacking the English forces, emerging as one of the main leaders during the ‘Wars of Scottish Independence.’ Along with Andrew Moray, Wallace defeated an English army at the ‘Battle of Stirling Bridge’ in September 1297. In this battle, Wallace’s army was greatly outnumbered by the English army, yet he managed to achieve a resounding victory. Appointed the Guardian of Scotland, he fought the English with great valor till the very end when he was captured and executed brutally on charges of high treason.