The first Anglo-Saxons in England were there because the King of the Britons, Vortigern, needed help against the Gaelic and Pictish invasions in his new lands. This was right after the Roman Empire's collapse, so he had not had a powerful position in the new Roman-free Britain. The leaders of the Anglo-Saxon mercenaries were Hengest and Horsa, and as a reward for their help against the Gaels and the Picts, they were given control of Kent, a small piece of land in Southern Britain. Seeing that Britain was in a weak spot with their King, the Anglo-Saxons invaded England and quickly conquered it for their people. In the centuries that followed, more and more Anglo-Saxons came to England, turning Britain into separate Kingdoms but a powerful land.
