Editing Anglo-Saxons (section)

== Legacy ==
''Anglo-Saxon'' is still used as a term for the original Old English-derived vocabulary within the modern English language, in contrast to vocabulary derived from Old Norse and French. In the 19th century, the term ''Anglo-Saxon'' was broadly used in [[philology]], and is sometimes so used at present, though the term 'Old English' is more commonly used for the language.

Throughout the history of Anglo-Saxon studies, different historical narratives about the post Roman people of Britain and Ireland have been used to justify contemporary ideologies. In the early Middle Ages, the views of [[Geoffrey of Monmouth]] produced a personally inspired (and largely fictitious) history that was not challenged for some 500 years.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}} In the [[English Reformation|Reformation]], Christians looking to establish an independent English church reinterpreted Anglo-Saxon Christianity.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}

During the [[Victorian era]], writers such as [[Robert Knox (surgeon)|Robert Knox]], [[James Anthony Froude]], [[Charles Kingsley]] and [[Edward A. Freeman]] used the term ''Anglo-Saxon'' to justify [[Imperialism|colonialistic imperialism]], claiming that Anglo-Saxon heritage was [[Racial superiority|superior to those held by colonised peoples]], which justified efforts to "[[Civilising mission|civilise]]" them.<ref>Rule of Darkness: British Literature and Imperialism, 1830–1914 by Patrick Brantlinger. Cornell University Press, 1990</ref><ref>Race and Empire in British Politics by Paul B. Rich. CUP Archive, 1990</ref> Similar racist ideas were advocated in the 19th-century [[United States]] by [[Samuel George Morton]] and [[George Fitzhugh]].<ref>Race and Manifest Destiny: The Origins of American Racial Anglo-Saxonism by Reginald Horsman. Harvard University Press, 1981. (pgs. 126, 173, 273)</ref> The historian Catherine Hills contends that these views have influenced how versions of early English history are embedded in the sub-conscious of certain people and are "re-emerging in school textbooks and television programmes and still very congenial to some strands of political thinking."{{Sfn|Hills|2003|p=35}}

The term ''Anglo-Saxon'' is sometimes used to refer to a broader group of peoples descended or associated in some way with the [[English (ethnic group)|English ethnic group]], in ways which go beyond language, and often involve ideas about religion. In contemporary [[English-speaking world|Anglophone]] cultures outside Britain for example, "Anglo-Saxon" ancestry and culture is sometimes contrasted with Irish ancestry and culture, which was once subject to negative stereotyping and bigotry. "[[White Anglo-Saxon Protestant]]" (WASP) is a derogatory term especially popular in the United States that refers chiefly to long-established wealthy families with mostly English, but also sometimes Scottish, Dutch or German ancestors. As such, WASP is not a historical label or a precise ethnological term but rather a reference to contemporary family-based political, financial and cultural power, e.g. [[Boston Brahmin|The Boston Brahmin]].

The term Anglo-Saxon is becoming increasingly controversial among some scholars, especially those in America, for its modern politicised nature and adoption by the far-right. In 2019, the International Society of Anglo-Saxonists changed their name to the International Society for the Study of Early Medieval England, in recognition of this controversy.<ref>{{Cite web |date=19 September 2019 |title=Message from the Advisory Board |url=https://www.isasweb.net/AB091919.html |website=International Society for the Study of Early Medieval England |publisher=The Advisory Board of ISSEME}}</ref>

The [[Russia under Vladimir Putin|Russian government under Vladimir Putin]] and Russian state-run media [[Anglo-Saxons (slur)|often use "Anglo-Saxon" as a derogatory term]] referring to English-speaking countries, particularly the United States and [[United Kingdom]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Showdown with the 'Anglosaksy' |url=https://www.asianews.it/news-en/Showdown-with-the-%E2%80%98Anglosaksy%E2%80%99-55856.html |access-date=2 September 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-06-08 |title=Kremlin again points to 'Anglo-Saxons' over Nord Stream pipeline blasts |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/kremlin-report-us-knew-ukrainian-nord-stream-attack-plan-says-it-blames-anglo-2023-06-08/ |access-date=2023-09-02 |work=Reuters |language=en}}</ref><ref name="eu">{{cite news |title=What do the pro-Kremlin media mean by "Anglo-Saxons"? |url=https://euvsdisinfo.eu/what-do-the-pro-kremlin-media-mean-by-anglo-saxons/ |access-date=2023-09-02}}</ref>