Only Nixon could go to China . . . Prior to the Norman Conquest, Wales had managed to largely preserve its independence, albeit in a somewhat chaotic form. It had its own language, literature and legal system. The country’s weakness lay in its political fragmentation, a situation the Normans were quick to exploit. In the south, the invaders were held up for a time by the policies and military prowess of the Lord Rhys and his successors. In the north, various attempts were made to create a unified Welsh state. Unfortunately, the death of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd in 1282 marked the end of that venture and for Welsh independence in general. But not of Welshness. At first, the new regime appeared to work. The language continued in common usage and while the English criminal law was introduced, the Welsh civil law was not abolished. Nevertheless, the fourteenth century was a time of growing social and racial tension in Wales. The crisis had many contributory factors: a ...