Final answer:
The impact of the Vikings in England was characterized by gradual integration and trade, influencing language and culture, whereas the Normans, led by William the Conqueror, enacted significant changes in governance, land distribution, and introduced Norman culture, language, and architecture post-1066.
Step-by-step explanation:
One way the impact of the Vikings after 865 differed from the impact of the Normans after 1066 in England was in their integration and cultural influence. While the Vikings began settling and ultimately became part of medieval trade networks, influencing the English language and literary traditions (e.g., Beowulf), the Normans instituted a more profound top-down change in governance and land ownership post-1066. The Norman Conquest led by William the Conqueror, who was of Viking descent, replaced the Anglo-Saxon elite with a new Norman aristocracy, fundamentally altering the political and feudal landscapes of England. This contrasted with the more gradual assimilation and blending of cultures brought by the Norse settlers.
The Vikings are renowned for their role in commerce, setting up trade routes as distant as Baghdad in the Abbasid Caliphate. However, it was the Normans who centralized power and restructured the English social and political order, with William's Norman Conquest resulting in a feudal system and a nationwide survey documented in the Domesday Book in 1086. This ushered in a new era marked by the introduction of Norman culture, language, and building styles, such as the Romanesque architecture seen in many cathedrals and castles.