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f TheQuestions
Dictionary
of
S T O R Y
oy
A Palmer
P U L I S H I N
T H E
Q U S T IO N S P U B L I S H I N G C O M P A N Y
LT D
B I R M I N G H A M
2 0 0 1
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his page intentionally left blank
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TheQuestionsPublishingCompanyLtd
27 Frederick St,
Birmingham
B1 3HH
TheQuestions Publishing CompanyLtd2001
Textand
activity pages
in
this publication
may be
photocopied
for use by the
purchaser
or in the
purchasing institution only.
Otherwise, all
rights reserved
and
text
may not be
reprinted
or
reproduced
or
utilised
in any
form
or by any
electronic,
mechanical
or
other means,
now
known
or
hereafter invented, including photocopying
andrecording,or in anyinformation storageorretrieval system, without permissionin
writing from
the
publishers.
First
published in2001
ISBN:1-84190-034-6
Illustrationsby
M artin
C ater
Cover
design
by A l
Stewart/Martin Cater
Printed
in the UK
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To
the teacher
Thisdictionary is intended to help young people understand the mean-
ing of
many
of the
words they
will
come
across
when studying history
and the
legacy
of our past. I t includes words relating to people and
events
of
times gone
by ;
also
words which relate
to our
understanding
of past civ ilisations and historic
thinking
and
ideas.
The
content
has
been chosen
to
include words
withinthe
capabilities
of
pupils in the primary and early
secondary years
of schooling. All words
are relevant
to the
teaching
and
learning
of
history
in the
N ational
Curriculum, notably at Key
Stage
2 level.
The
dictionary
will
make a va luable addition to any primary
classroom's
collection of
basic
reference books and to every
school's
library of
history books.
It may be
made available
for
teaching purposes
as a
book,
or as individual
word
entries, photocopied and fixed to A5 size
cards. The
book
as a
whole
and its
individual entries
may be used in a
widevariety of ways: by pupils independently or in groups,ortogether
withthe
teacher. Obv iously, individual words
or
groups
o f
words
may
be the focus of a particular
lesson
or line of enquiry, and the dictionary
a s
awhole can be a rich
source
for browsing
through
during
spare
moments.
W e
emphasisethat
this book is not simp ly a list of word s and
their
definitions. Many entriesg o beyond the straightforward
word
mean-
ingto provide som e explanation, contextorexampleasap propriate -
often through
the relevant illustrations. Many of the words are linked
or related to others and are
cross-referenced
where ap propriate at the
heard
of the
entries. Where
awordappears in an
entry
in
bold
type,
this
meansthat
it is defined elsewhere in the dictionary. So, if pupils
come acrossaword when studying historythat they are not sure
about,or
introduced
to in a lesson,
they
can
look
up what it meansand
be directed to other relevant words. They can
also
just pick out any
wordand be set on atrailof
learning
of
facts
and
ideas
relating
to
people, civ ilisations and m ajor events of the past.
It is
hoped
that
this book
will
lead
not
only
to
pupils'
better
under-
standing of past societies, peop le and events, but
also
to
increased
knowledge relating to how we know about our pastand the relevance
of history to our lives today.
Joy
A Palmer
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Dictionary Entries
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Abdicate
Toabdicate meansto giveup thethroneand
cease
to be
monarch.
Edward
V IM s an
example
of a
British monarch
who
chose
to
abdicate.
Edward VIM,
son of
King George
V,
became
king
on his
father's
death
in
1936.
In
1937
he
chose
to
abdicate
so
that
he
could marry
a
divorced
Americanwoman, Mrs Wa llis Simpson.
ActofSupremacy
s e e also King HenryVIII and Reformation
King Henry VIII decided
that
it was in hisintereststo takecontrol of
the Churchof England.In 1534parliament passedthe Act of
Supremacy,
which
declared
the
king
the
supreme head
of the
Church
of England. People had to take anoath accepting Henry's heirs and his
supremacyin the church.Thesignificanceof this event isthatit
markedthe breakof theEnglish Churchwiththe Churchof Rome,the
Roman
C atholic C hurch. Henry VII I denied the authorityof the Pope as
leaderof the church.
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AD
see
al so
B C a n d VenerableBede
Theletters
AD
stand
for the
Latin words Anno Domini, meaning'in
the
year
of our
Lord'.
The
abbreviation
AD is
used
to
refer
to
dates
(years)
since
the
birth
of
Jesus.
There
is no
year
0 , so the
year after
1BC
is the
yearAD1. Thissystem of datingyears,
called
th e Christian chronological
system,was first adopted in the 8
th
century by the VenerableBede.
Generally,
years
before the Birth of Christ arewrittenas the year or
century BC . Foryearsafter the Birth of Christ,the year orcenturyis
writtenwithoutusing
the
letters
AD. In
other words,
it can be
taken
that 'the
8
th
century'
or
'1512'
are AD.
Agricultural revolution
Theterm agricultural revolution refers
to the
great changes
thattook
place inBritish agriculture between the mid18
th
and the mid19
th
centuries.
It was a
time
of rapidly expanding population and
increased
demand
for
food.
New
farming methods were introduced,resulting
in
enhanced cropproductionand improved breedsof livestock.
Important
developments included
the
invention
of new
ploughs
and
seeddrills
and
the
farming
of
blocks
of
land instead
of
thinstrips
indifferent
f ields.Further majoradvances
took
place in agriculture as aresult of
mechanisation
in the late
19
th
century. The first petrol driven tractor was
developed
in the United StatesofAmericaat the end of the
19
th
century.
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Alexander the Great
Alexander
the G reat, born inAD356 the son of P hilip of Macedon ia,
became
king
of
Macedonia
at the age of
twentywhen
his
father
w as
murdered.He was a man of
tremendous courage
and
military skill.
By
the time he died of a feve r at the age of
thirty
two, A lexan der had
conqueredhalf
of the
known world.
Alfred
the
Great
s e e also
Anglo-Saxons
Alfred,one of the bestknown f igures of Saxontimes , was born in
AD849at W antage.He was the youngest son of King Aethelwulf of
Wessex.
He
ruled
as
king
of
Wessex
from
871 to
899. A lfred engaged
in
a long battlewithViking invaders and ev entually defeated them,
saving Wessex.He adopted thetitle 'King of allAnglo-Saxons'.He is
the only king of Englandto have been labelled
'theG reat'.
Apa rt from
his success
against invaders,
Alfred
is also
well known
for
burning
some
cakes
that
he left in the oven too long.
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Allied
Powers
see a l s o First W orld W ar andSecond W o r l dWar)
TheAllied Powersis the term usedto describe thetwenty three
countries
who
were
united
(allied) against
the
Central
P owersof
Germany,
Austria-Hungary, Turkey and Bulgaria in the
First
World War,
andtheforty
nine countries
united
against
the Axis
Powers
of
Germany, Italy andJapanin the SecondWorld War. The
twenty
three
Allied Powersof the FirstWorld War included France,Italy, Russia, the
UK,
other
nations
of the
Commonwealthand,
for
later parts
of the
war, the USA. Thefortynine Allied Powers of the SecondWorld War
included France,the UK, Australia andother Commonwealth nations,
the USA and the
USSR.
CHURCHILL
STALtsl
American
civilwar
TheAmerican civil war, or the War Between the States,took place
from
1861to1865.It was a war between thesouthern orconfederate states
ofAmerica,and the
northern
or
union
states.Thesouthern states
wishedtokeep certain rights, for example,therighttodetermine state
law onslavery. Theyalsowishedto havethe rightto secede
(withdraw)from
the union. The northern
states
foughtto
maintain
the
union.
It was abitterandferocious war.Thefirst majorbattlewas the
Battle
of
Bull Run, which
took placein
Virginia
in
July 1861.There,
the
confederate army, under generals
P G T
Bureaugard
and
Thomas
'Stonewall'
Jackson,forcedthe unionarmyto retreat to Washington
DC .
Other major conflicts include
the
Battle
of
Shiloh (April 1862),
the
Battle
of
Antietam (September
1862),the
Battle
of
Fredericksburg
(December1862), the Battle of Gettysburg (July1863), and the Battle
of Cold Harbour (June 1864). Over 600,000
soldiers
were killed
during
thewar.The
union
statesclaimed victory when the confederate troops
surrendered
in May
1865.
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American
war of
independence
The
A me rican war o f independence, otherwise knownas the A me rican
revolution,
took
place between
1775and
1783.
Ittooktheformof a
revolt
or
up rising
of the
thirteen
British
north
Am erican colonies
that
were opposedto var ious aspectsof British rule overthem.The
colonists'
rev olution brought
about
independence
and
resulted
in the
establishmentof the United StatesofAmerica. George Washington
waselected as the first president of the USA .
Ancient
Egypt
s e e also
Tutankhamun, pharaohs
and
hieroglyphics
The
civil isation of A ncient Egypt began 7,000 years ago on the banks
of the great River N i le. Early farming comm unities developed into
tribesand established v illages. In
3118BC,
tribes
united
under the first
Egyptian
king, Menes. Ancient Egypt progressedfrom
the
'old'
Egyptian
civ il isationinto
the New
Age,
or New
Kingdom
of
Egypt
as it
isoften referred to by historians. The so-called N ew Age began around
1560BC and was the
time
when warrior pharaohs
went
into
battle
to
win anempire.It was an age of war and religious conflicts, whichsaw
the building of hugewealthas seen in temp les, py ramids and
treasures.
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Ancient Greece
The
first
Greek civilisation was
known
as the Mycenaean, which lasted
from around 1600to
1200BC.
Fromthe 14
th
centuryBC,
further
invasions
took
place,for example,by theDorian people in
1100BC,
who founded
thetownof
Sparta.
Between
the years750 to 550BC,the Greeks
becamegreat traders
and
founded manycolonies around the coastsof the Mediterranean and
th e Black
Sea.
Keycities in the
world
of Ancient Greeceinclude Athens, Sparta,Pylos,
Argos,
Thebes
and
Corinth.
Such
towns were isolated, divided
by
mountains,withonly rugged pathways between them. Towns,
surrounded
by
farmland
and
barren countryside, formed
what is
known
as'city
states'.
Often,
thecitieshad a
temple
dedicatedto the
patron
god of the city,builton high ground, calledan acropolis.
Themodern
world
hasgainedagreat legacy from Ancient
Greek
civilisation. It has had amajor influenceon
such
thingsas the thinking
of
philosophers, architecture, language, sport,
scienceand
politics.
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon s is ageneral term used to describeAngles,Saxons and
Jutes;
G ermanicinvaders who conquered much of Britain between the
5
th
and 7
th
centuries. They were fierce warriors
and won
most battles
easily.The
Angles,
Saxonand
Jutes divided Englandinto
seven
kingdoms: Northumbria, Mercia,EastAnglia,
Essex,
Kent,
Sussex and
Wessex,witharuler inchargeof
each.
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Archaeology
se e
also
evidence
Archaeology meansthe studyanddescription ofantiquities,that
is,
the
people,
relics, customs, records and monuments of ancient times.
Discoveries
of
past remains
and the
scientific study
of
ancient
monuments byarchae ologists provide vitalevidenceof
prehistoric
society.
Archa eologists conduct'digs' in the ground inorder to
unearth
evidence. Every
fragment
found on a dig is numbered and recorded.
Various items, such as pots and pieces of
furniture,
can be
reconstructed byputtingtogetherthe separate piecesthat once made
thewhole object. A rchae ologists also use a va riety of scientific
techniques.
One of
these
is
carbon
dating.By
measuring
how
much
radioactive carbon isleft in the remains o f a previously living
substance,
such
as
wood
from
a
tree,
it is
possible
to
work
out
when
the tree
died.
Archive
se e
also
evidence
Thetermarchive refers to a historical record or document thathas
been preserved. Archives are cru cial evidenceof happenings of the
past.
T he
word
archive
is
also
used
to
describe
the
place
in
which
public
records
or
historic documents
are
kept. Examples
of
archives include
well-knowndocuments of the past such as theDomesdayBook,
throughto
present
day
items,such
as
comp uter records
an d
videos
of
events.
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Armour
Armour is the name given to body protection wornby people
fighting
inbattle.People of
AncientGreece
and
Rome
wore armour. During
the
Middle
Ages,
armour
called
ch ain mail, made from interlocked
chainsor rings, was wo rnand, by the14
th
century, knightswentinto
battle completely
encased in
plate (metal) armour. This
was
ex tremely
heavy
and so not
very practical. Today
soldiers
are
protectedwith
much lighter bullet-proof clothing.
Artefact
se e
also
Archaeology
and
Evidence
An
artefact
(or
artifact)
is an
artificial
or
man-m ade product. A rtefacts
are crucial sources
of
evidence
of
past societies.
It is
possible
to
date
ancientsettlements by the artefacts found on
their
sites.
For example,
artefacts
dating from the time of the
Romans
would be different from
those
of the Bronze
Age.
The
discoveries
of
archaeologists, such
as
pieces
of
pottery, glass,coins
and
jewellery,
a re
vital artefactsthat help
inform
us
about
past
times .
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Assyrian
Empire
s e e
also Iron Age andSumerians
The Assyrian Em pire is one of W estern Asia's great Iron Age empires. It
lasted f rom around 2500to 612BC inN orthern M esopotamia,now the
country called Iraq. The
Assyrians
adopted the Sum erian structure of
societyand the religionthat had been p ractised by the Sumerians.The
chief
god of the
Assyrians
w as
named Ashur.
The
emp ire's capital
city,
Ashur,
wasnamed after him. By670BC the empirewas too largeto be
ruled effectively.
Areas
such as Egypt a nd Babylon broke awayfrom it .
In609BC the empire collapsed completely.
Azteccivilisation
s e e also
Spanish
Conquest
The
Az tecs were originally wandering, hunting
and
farming people
who
arr ived
on the shoresof
Lake Taxoco
in the
Valley
of
Mexico
in
about AD1300. Twohundred
years
later,
they ruled a
vast
empire
stretching from the Pacific coast to the Gulf of Mexico. This areawas
inhabited by
fifteen
m ill ion people. The Az tec Empire possessed great
power for about 100
years,
untilmostof the civil isationwasdestroyed
by
the Spanish in the early 1500s. T he Az tecs are noted for the
architecture, jewellery, sculptureandtextiles,the stylesof which have
continuedto be of influence
until
the present day.
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Bayeux
Tapestry
see a ls o Norman Conques t
an d
Batt le
o f
Hast ings
The Bayeux Tapestry is a large tapestry (woven
fabric),
which records in
picturesthe N ORMAN invasionof England in 1066.Workon the
tapestry began
in
1080.
It
represents
a
very
important
source
of
historicevidencethat helps
us understand
events
of the
Norman
invasion
and
conquest. Today
the
tapestry
may be
seen
in the
Bayeux
Museum.
BC
see a l s o
AD )
The
letters BC stand for 'beforeC hrist'. They are used to denote
years
or centuriesin the Christian chronological system of
numbering
years
that
were before
the
Birth
of
Christ.
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Benin
Benin is the nameof aformer important African Kingdom.T he
Kingdom
of
Benin lasted from 1200until 1897.
It was at the
height
of
its
power between 1400and the mid
17
th
century, when it ruled the
area
between
the
Niger Delta
and Lagos.The
kingdom traded
in
ivory,
palm
oil,
spicesandslaves.Whenthe kingdom declined,it
became
a
province of
Nigeria.
The
ruler
of
Benin today, known
as the
oba,rules
as asupremeor divine
monarch.
BlackDeath
see
a l s o Great
Plague
In 1348 agreat epidemicof adeadly
disease
known as the
Black
Death,orbubonic plague, beganto sweepacrossEurope.InBritain,
around a
third
of the population died from the
Black
Death in
eighteen months.The
cause
of the plaguewas abacteriumthatwas
transmitted by
f leas
thatwere
carried
into
Europe
bymigrating
black
rats
from
Asia.
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Blitz
s e e a l s o Batt le of Bri tain
Whenthe BattleofBritainwasover,Germanbombers begannight-
time raidson Britain.Thisperiod wasknownas the Blitz. It continued
until
the spring of 1941. In retaliation, Britain and the USA bombed
Germanyandtargetsin Germanoccupied territories.A
second
blitz
took place between 1944and1945, whenthe southof Englandwas
bombed
by
Germany.
Many
civ i l iansdied or were injured during the
blitz
when areasof
largeBritishcities,such
as
London
and
Coventry, were destroyed.
During the
raids,
peopletookrefuge in air raid
shelters
where they
were
less
likely
to be
killed than
in
rooms
of
their
houses.
British
Empire
s e e also
Empire,
Colonies
andCommonwealth
The
British
Emp ire is the
term used
to describeall of the
various
territories aroundthe worldthatwerewon inconquestorcolonised
by
Britain from around 1600 onwards.TheBritish
Emp ire
was at its
largest
around 1920,when
it
included over
a
quarter
of the areaand
population
of the
world.
The
Commonwealthcomprises
some
of the
former
and
remaining
Empire
territories. Most original British
Empire
territoriesare now either independent states,or areruledbyother
powers.
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Bronze
Age
TheBronze
Age
describes
he
period
of
time from about 2100BC when
people used bronze.Thisis a
metal,
made by mixing copperwith tin.
Bronze
was an
important
discovery as it enabled metalsmiths to make
much
stronger tools, weaponsandother implements, including those
used in
agriculture. During
the
Bronze Age, people lived
in
small
vi l lages
in
huts made
out of
interwoven twigs coveredwithmud. Many
of the small
settlements belonged
to a
larger community, ruled
by a
chief.
Buddhism
Buddhism
is the name of a religion thatoriginated in India
about
500BC.
Buddhism derives
fromthe
teachings
of the
Buddha. Buddhists
do not worship gods. The central belief is Karma or destiny. Good or
evil deeds performed bypeople arerewarded or punishedeither in
this life
or in afuture
life.
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Byzantine
Empire
The Byz antine Empire, or the Eastern Rom an Emp ire, lastedfrom395
to
1453.
I ts
capital
was at
C onstantinople,
formerly
called Byzantium,
and
today
Istanbul.
The
Byzantine Empire reached
the
height
of its
influenceandprosperity under the Macedonian dynasty,from867 to
1056.
Thelegacyof the
empire includes many works
of art and
architecture foundthroughout Europe.
Caesar,Julius
se e also Romans andRoman conquest
Gaius Julius Caesar was a
Roman statesman
and
general,
who
lived
from 100BC to 44BC.In55BChe led the invasion into
Britain, which
marked
the
beginning
of the
Roman conquest.
On 15 March 44BC,C aesar was stabbed to death by conspirators at the
footof thestatueof his former
rival Pompey,
in
Rome.
Caesar'sadopted
so n
Augustus assumed
the
name
of
Caesar
an d
passed it on to his adopted son
Tiberius. From
thenon it was
used
by
successive emperors
and it
became
thetitleof the
Roman rulers.
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CaptainCook
CaptainJames Cook was a British explorer who lived from
1728
to
1779.He
made
three
expeditions:
the firstin the
ship
the
Endeavour
to
Tahiti,
New
Zealand
and
Aus tralia (1768
to
1771);
the
second
in the
ResolutionandA dventure to the South Pacific (1772to
1775);
and the
thirdin the
Resolution
and
Discovery
to the
South
andNorth
Pacific
(1776
to 79). [AUTHOR NOTE:
HOW DID HE
MANAGE
TO
SAIL
IN
TWO SHIPS AT
ONCE?]
Cook's detailed exp loration of the east coast
of Australia led to the naming o f New South W alesand Botany Bay. He
waskilledin Hawaiiin 1779on hisreturn fromthethird expedition.
Castles
A castle is a largefortifiedbuildingor set of buildings. Most castles
were
builtas the
private fortress
of asovereignor
member
of the
nobility.
In Britain, the
earliest
castles
were
built
during the
time
of
the
Normanconquest.
They consistedof anearth mound
with
wooden buildings surrounded
by a
wall
and a
ditch.Later
castles
were
builtof stone.
Castle
buildingin Britainwas at itspeakin the 13
th
century.
Remains of
many
castlescan be
v isitedtoday, particularly
in
Walesand
N orthumbria. They provide importantevidence
o f
medieval
society.
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Celts
see
also
Iron
Age)
Celtswerethe first peopleto inhabit central Europeafter
1000BC.
The
Celts
first
cameto
Britain
in
about
500BC.It isthought that the
technique
of
smelting
iron
may
have been introduced
in
Britain
by the
Celtic
people.
The
legacy
of the Celtic
people continues
to
this
day in
the formof legendsand influenceon art andmusic.
Charlemagne
see
also
Holy
Roman Empire
King
C harlemagne,
or
Charles
I theGreat, lived from AD742to814.In
AD768
he becameking of the Franks. He was successful in the
conquest
of a
great deal
of
Europe
and he
became
its
first great
leader sincethe fallof the Roman Empire.InAD800,Charlemagne
wascrowned Holy
Roman
Emperorby P ope Leo III.
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Christianity
Christianity is a religion thatoriginated in Palestine. It isbased on the
teachings of a
person named Jesus
of N azareth,who is
called C hrist,
the Son of
God,
by his
followers. Christendom
is a
word
used
to
refer
to theChristian domain, orfol lowers of C hrist collectively.
Chronology
Chronology is the scienceofcomputingtimeor periodsof
time,
and of
attributingeventstotheir truedates.Achronological tableof historic
events
sets
out events in correct sequen ce or chro nological order.
1901-
Death
of
Queen Victoria
1939-45-
Second World
War
1900
Millennium
I
1950
2000
1914 18 First World
War
1969- Moon Landing
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Churchill,Winston
s e e a ls o
Second
W o r l dWar)
Winston Churchill
was a
famous British
C onservat ive
politician
[AUTHOR
NOTE:
BUT
DIDN'T
HE CROSS THE FLOOR
ONCE
OR
TWICE
DURING
HIS
TIME?]
who
lived from
1874
to
1965.
He was
prime minister from 1940
to
1945,
atimeof
crucial importance
as
this
was
the
period
of the
SecondWorld War.
He
returned
to
office
as
prime minister
from
1951to 1955. Churchillisregardedas agreat
statesmanand able politician. He negotiatedwithother
leaders
of the
AlliedPowers the unconditional surrenderofGermanyat the end of
the
Second
World War.
Civilrights
Civ i lrightsare the rightsof anindividual citizen.Somecountriesare
very spec ificabout c ivi lrights andwritethem intolegislation. For
example,
the
Bill
of
Rights
in theconstitutionof the United
States
of
Amer icaguarantees by law
that
allc i t iz enswill haveequal treatment.
Civ i lrights havebeenfoughtfor throughouthistory. One famous
rights campaigner was the black leader and Baptist minister
Martin
Luther King who lived in the USA rom 1929 to 1968.
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Colonies
se e also Empire
Acolony isaterritoryseparatedfromthe country
that
rulesit.Co lonies
wereset up all overthe
world
byBritainas theBritish Empirewas
expand ed. Former Brit ish colonies,now
independent
countries,
include
India, Pakistan,Sr iLanka, Cyprus, Tanzania, Jamaica, Uganda, Kenya,
Malaysia,Malawi,Malta,
Zambia, Singapore, B angladesh
and
Zimbabwe. Theword colony is
also
used to refer to a group of people
knowascolonists'who settle in a
territory
far awayfrom
their
homeland.
The
colonistsform
a
community, connected politically
to
their home country.
Columbus,
Christopher
Christopher Columbus
was born inItaly in 1451.He is the
famous
explorer
and
nav igator
who
discovered
the
Americancontinent.
Columbus
made
four
key voyages to the so called N ew
World:
in 1492
to
1493
to San
Salv ador Island, C uba
andHaiti;
1493
to
1496
to
Guadeloupe, Montserrat,Antigua,Puerto RicoandJam aica; 1498 to
the South American mainlandandTrinidad; and 1502to 1504to
Hondurasand N icaragua. C hristopher C olumbus' f lagship was the
Santa Maria. Her two accomp anying ships werethe Pintaand the Nina.
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Commonwealth
s e e also
British Empire
The
British Com monw ealth is an as sociat ion of fiftycoun tries andtheir
dependencies (states con trolled bythem),who were once a part of the
British
Empire
and are now
independent.
The
C ommonwealth
also
includes
some territories that remain
as
dep endencies
of
Britain.
Membershipof the Commonwealth isvoluntary.Itsheadsof
government meet regularly. It has no formal
constitution.
Communism
C ommunism is a
political ideology
or set of
ideasbased
on the
theories
of a man nam ed Karl Marx. Marx, a G erman philosopher and
economist, lived
from
1818 to 1883.He believed
that
a society should
be
based
on the
principle
of
common ownership.
The
world's f irst
communist state
was the
RussianEmpire, which later became
the
Soviet
Union.
All of the
countries
in
eastern Europe became communist
after the SecondWorldW ar as a result of Russian influence.
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Conflict
A
conflict
is afightor
lengthy
struggle,often(in historical
circumstances)
involvingweaponsandarms.Anexampleof a present
day
conflictis
that
taking
place
in
Kosovo,
a
region
in
South Serbia.
[AUTHOR NOTE:
IF
THIS CONFLICT ENDS,
THE
BOOK WILL
BE
DATED]
Conquest
(see also Norman Conquest, Roman Conquest and Spanish Conquest)
A conquest is the act of gaining control of aterritoryor society by
armed force.It
means
overcoming, orgaining victory overanenemy.
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Court
se e
also Sovereign
A
Court
is a
name given
to a
place where
a
sovereign lives
and'holds
state',that is,exercises rule and government attended by such people
as
m inisters
and
co unc illors. Throug hout history, peop le hav e lived
and
worked
in the
society
of a
Court, including
the
advisers
to the
sovereign or courtiers.
CrimeanWar
TheC r imean W artook place between 1853 and 1856. I t was a war
between theAllied
Powers
of England,France,TurkeyandSardinia,
against
Russia.
Famous
battles of the war include battles of the
River
Alma, Balaclavaand Inkerman.The war endedwiththe defeat of
Russia and
with
the signing of the Treaty of
Paris
in 1856. One p ositive
outcome
of
this
war wa s a
great improvem ent
in
m edicalservices
for
the British Arm y.Thecampaignto improve military nursing services
was led by Florence N ightingale, a fam ous pioneer in the field of
medicine.
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Cromwell,
Oliver
s e e also
English civilwar andKingCharles I)
OliverCromwell l ived
from
1599
to
1658.
He was the
leader
of the
parliam entary side of the struggles against King Charles I in the E nglish
civil
war.
He led the
parl iamentarians
to
victory
in the
Battle
of
Marston Moor
in
1644
and the
Battle
of
Naseby
in 1645.At N aseby, the
parl iamentarianswon controlof the country. Following thedeath of
the
king
in
1649, Cromwell
set up and
became head
of a
republic
knownas the Commonwealth in England. From 1653 he made himself
ruler,
with
thetitle Lord Protector.
Crusades
Between
the 11
th
and the
15
th
centuries,
a seriesof
military expeditions
called
crusades
was
undertaken
by
C hristian European powers.
The
original
aim of the crusades,or
holy wars,
w as to
recapture P alestine
(the Holy Land) from Muslim Turks. N ew ordersof soldier-monks were
establishedto engageinfighting.These includedthe Knightsof St
John,
founded
in 1098.
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da Vinci, Leonardo
(see also Renaissance
Leonardoda Vinci was one of the greatest men of the Renaissance
period. He was an Italian artist and inventor who lived from 1452 to
1519.
Hestudied natureand theformof thehuman bodyinorder to
draw living forms moreaccurately. One of hismost famous paintingsis
calledthe
Mona
Lisa.
Democracy
Democracy meansgovernment
by the
people,
or bytheir
elected
representatives.Withina democracy, it is recognised and accepted
that
all people should have equal rights and privileges. In some nations of
thepresentdayworld,peoplearestill campaigningandfightingfor
suchdemocratic rights.
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Dictatorship
Adictatorship is a political situation inwhich astateorcountry isruled
by a
dictator.
A
dictator
is a
supreme
authoritywho has the
absolute
power to rule or deal
with
a
crisis.
Many dictatorships
arose
at the end
of theFirstWorldWar.Examplesofdictators includeMussolini,
Franco,
Hitlerand
Stalin.
Dissolutionof themonasteries
se e
alsoKing Henry VIII andMonastery
Between
the
years
1536 and
1539,King Henry
V IM
closeddown
all the
conventsand monasteries in England. Many ofthemwere sold and
numerous others destroyed.
This
is
known
as the period of the
dissolution of the monasteries. The king's excusefor
doing
this was
that
the
monasteries, according
to
him,were
corruptor not
viable
because
of lackof money.
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Domesday Book
The Domesday Book is a record of a survey, called the Domesday
Survey,
carried out in England in 1086.T he survey recorded the details
of all
land holdings
in the
country.
It was
ordered
by the
king,
William
I, sothat he could make an assessment of thewealthof each area of
the country, and
then
decide
what
tax es should be paid.T he
Domesday
Book
is
still
in
existence
and is a
very
important
historical
record, showing that manyof our presentdaysettlementsexisteda
century ago.
Drake,
Francis
s e e also
Queen
Elizabeth I andArmada
Francis Drake, who livedfrom 1545until
1596,
was a famous E nglish
explorer. He was the second personin the
world
to sail
right
the way
around
it.
(The first circumnavigation
was by the
Portuguese explorer,
Ferdinand Magellan.) Drake's famous voyage was requested by
Queen Elizabeth I and was undertaken
between
the years 1577 to
1580
in a
ship called
The
Golden Hind. FrancisDrake
w as
also involved
in
helping
to
defeat
the
Spanish
in the
Armada
in
1588.
He was
knightedby the queen as arecognitionof his endea vo urs at sea,
therefore
becoming Sir FrancisDrake.
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Dynasty
(see alsoHouses of History
A
dynasty
is a
succession
of
rulers
of the
sameline
or
family.
For
example,
the
dynasty
of the
Tudors
in
British history included Henry
VII,
Henry
VIM,
Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I.
EmperorAugustus
Augustus,
who
lived
from 63BC to
AD14,
was the first of the
Roman
emperors.Heborethe
title
of Octavianand wasemperor
from 27BC.
Octavian
married a niece of
Julius
Caesar
and became
Caesar's
adoptedson and heir. In27BC he was given thetitleof
Augustus,
meaning 'venerable'.
The
rule
of
Emperor Augustus
broughtan end to the
Roman
republic
withelected leaders.
A
peacefulempire
was
established
in its
place.
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Empire
s e e
also
Assyrian Empire, British Empire, Byzantine Empire, Holy
Roman Empire, Mogul Empire
and
Ottoman Empire)
An
empire
is an
extensiveterritory, perhaps
an
aggregate
of
many
states, ruled over
by an
emperor
or by a
sovereignstate.
The
emperor hassuprem e control over the empire.
English civil
war
s e e
also
King Charles
I and
Oliver Cromwell)
The
Englishc ivi l
war
lasted from 1625until1649.
A s a whole,it was a
long seriesof tensions, struggles and battles. The first key event of the
war was the Battle of Edgehill, which
took
placein
1641.
The war was
a long conflict between King Charles I and the royalists or cavaliers on
one side, and the pa rliame ntarian s or roundheads, headed up by Oliver
Cromwell,
on theother.It was a
major struggle over
the
powers
of the
kingand the powersofparliament.Eventually,the royalists were
defeated. King
Charles I was
executed
in
1649.
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English
Renaissance
se e
also
Renaissance
The
term
English
Renaissance
refers
to the periodduringthe reign of
Queen
ElizabethI
when
the arts flourished. Influentialnames
associated
with
the
English
Renaissance
include
William
Shakespeare
(1564
to
1616)
and
Christopher
Marlowe (1564to 1593),both
famous
writers,
the composerWilliam Byrd (1543to 1623),and the artist
N icholas Mil l iard
(1547
to
1619).
European
Union
The European
Union is an
asso ciation
of
countries
in the continent of
Europe.The sixoriginal members- Belgium, France, West Germany,
Italy,
Luxembourg
and the
N etherlands
-
were
joined
by the UK,
Denmark
and the
Republic
of
Ireland
in
1973, Greece
in
1981, Spain
and Portugal in 1986, EastGermany in 1990 (onreunification of
Germany),
and
Austria, Finland
and
Sweden
in
1995.Other countries
awaitfull
membership. Aims
of the
European
Union
include
the
expansionof
trade,
the encouragement of freemovement of capital
and
human resourceswithinthe association and the creation of a
closerunionor community
among
the people of
Europe.
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Evidence
se e
also
History,
Artefact,
Archaeology
and
Archive)
The phrases 'evidence of the
past'
and 'historic evidence'
refer
to the
wide range
of sourcesof
proof
that
past events
took place in
human
society.
Archives
are
vital
sources
of
evidence. Various
examples
of
historic evidence
are
referred
to inother
entries
in
this
book, for
example
the
pictorial evidence
in the
Bayeux Tapestry,
the
archaeologicalfinds of the
Indus
Valley,th e writings of the
VenerableBede, and the objects and artefactsfoundin the
tomb
of
Tutankhamun.
Factory
see a lso
F a c t or y
Act)
A factory is abuildingor buildingswiththe necessarymachinery or
equipment
for the
manufacture
o f
goods.
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FactoryAct
s e e also
Factory
A FactoryAct is an act of parliamentthatgov erns conditions of
work,
hoursof
labour,
and aspectsof health and safety of employees at
work.
Fromthe startof the 19
th
century in Britain, people campaigned to
improve the long working hours, unhealthy conditions and very poor
pay endured by those who worked in factories and mines.Camp aigns
were alsowaged to ban the emp loyment of young children.
The first act of its kind to be passedwas the Health and Morals of
Apprentices Act of
1802.
In
1833
the
first facto ry inspectors were
appointed. By the end of the 19
th
century,a lower agelimitof
11
had
been set for the emp loyment of children.
Farming
se e
also
Agricultural Revolution
Farming
is the businessof cultivating land and raising livestockin order
to provide food. The first farm ers arrived in Britain around
4000BC.
They
cleared land to graz e animals and
growfood.
Farming methods
havech anged very considerablythrough
the
centuries
and
p articularly
from th e time of the Agricultural Revolution.
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Fascism
s e e also Mussolini
Fascismwasoriginally the nameof the polit ical movement inpower in
Italy
from
1925
to
1943 under
the
leadership
of
Mussolini.
The
name
fascism
comes
from
the
Latin
word
'fasces',
which referred
to the
wooden torches
that
becamethe symbolof the fascist political party.
Fascismsupp orted
nationalism
andimperialism,and was strongly
opposed
tocommunismanddemocracy.
Later
the
name
was
also
app lied to other nationalistic movements, such as German N ational
Socialism (party of the nazis).
Fawkes,Guy
s e e also Gunpowder Plot
Guy Fawkes was a C atholic conspirator w ho played a major role in the
gunpowder plot in 1605. Theplotwas discov ered in a cellar
underneath the
Houses
of Parliament, where
Fawkes
was
hiding
with
a
large store of explosives. Guy
Fawkes
was arrested and later executed.
His name and the plotare still rem emb ered ev ery year on the day of
its anniversary, 5 N ovember. The day is
known
as Guy
Fawkes
Day or
BonfireNight. Peoplelight bonfires
and
fireworks,
and
burn
a'Guy'.
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Feudalism
s e e also Normans
Feudalism is the name usedto describe a system of orga nising society
thatwas introduced in E ngland by the N ormans. The system involves a
complicated
series
of
duties, rights
and
loyalties.
F or
example,
everyone owed ultimate loyaltyto the
king;
large areasof land,called
fiefs, were granted
by the
king
to his
chief nobles;
the
nobles granted
smaller areasof land, called mano rs,to knights; and the knights
granted small
areasof
land
to
peasants.V arious dues were paid
fo r
the land made av ailable in each
case.
F i r s t W o r l d W a r
s e e
also Allied Powers
The
FirstW orldWar lastedfrom
1914
until 1918.It was a war between
the C entral Europ ean P owers of Ge rmany, Au stria, Hungary, Turkey
and Bulgaria,
and the
Al l ied Powers.
It
took
only three weeks
in
July
and August 1914for almostall of the major countriesin Europeto
become involved in this
bitter
and f ierce war. Many civilianswere
called
to
fight
in thewar.A good dealof thefighting took placein
ground trenchesinnorthern France.It isestimatedthatten million
lives
were lost
as a
result
of the
fighting,
and
m any more mil l ions were
wounded. Fighting stopped late
in
1918,
and the war
f inally ended
with
the signing of a peace treaty known as the T reaty of Versailles in
1919.
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French Revolution
(see also
Napoleon
I)
The
periodof the
French
Revolution lasted from 1789until1799.
During thistime,the people of
France
overthrew their monarchand
the
country
became
a
republic.
It was a
period
of
great
violence,
with
riots andbitterstruggles inFrance,and attacks by other nations. King
LouisXVI was
condemned
to
death
in
December1792
and
executed
in
January1793.
His
death
was
followed
by a
further period
of
great
violence,known as the Reign of Terror. The revolution ended when
N apoleon
overcame the rulers in1799and
seized
power as dictator.
Government
The
Government
is the
body
of personswho are
charged
withthe
duties andresponsibilitiesofgoverning. That is ,they are chargedwith
ruling over
and
managing
the
affairs
and
actions
of
people
in a
particularcountryorlocality.
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Great Plague
se e a l s o Black Death
In 1665,an epidemic of Bubonic plague broke out in England. Like the
BlackDeath before
it
the plague was carried by
rats.
The Great Plague
killed 68,000 people in London alone. The plague
spread
extremely fast
asaresultofcrowded living conditionsof theday, poor hygiene,
little
medical
care and lack of available cure.Any house
with
a sickperson
had acrosspainted on the door as awarning
sign
to passers by. The call
of
bring
out
your dead
was
frequently heard
in the
streets.
GunpowderPlot
see al so G uyFawkes
Theterm the Gunpowder Plot refersto anevent inBritish history when
agroup
of
Catholicsconspired
to
blow
up
KingJamesI
and his
parliament. It
took
placeon 5November 1605.The leading conspirator
was Guy Fawkes.The
plot
was
discovered
because of an
anonymous
letter tellingthatthe Housesof Parliament wereto beblown up.
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Heraldry
Heraldryis thetermthat
refers
to the
symbols
and
insignia
that
represent a family,dynasty, individual or realm. Early examples of
heraldry
are the
simple symbols
that
were
put on
shields
and
banners
in
order
for themto be
recognised
in
battles.
In
later years, heraldry
became increasingly comp lex. D uring the 14
th
century special 'courts of
chivalry' wereset up to overseeand regulate it.
Hieroglyphics
se e also
Ancient Egypt
The peopleof Ancient Egypt
introduced
aformof 'writing'called
hieroglyphics. Hieroglyphics
are
picture signs,
often
used
to
'spell
out'
words. T here were over 700 of these sym bols. Some hieroglyphics are
readfrom top tobottom,whileotherscan bereadfrom
left
to
right
or
viceversa.
A Frenchman,
J ean-Francois
Cham pollion, solved the code of
the hieroglyphicsin1882withthe aid of theRosetta Stone- astone
bearing
the samemessage in two
different languages, Egyptian
and
Greek.
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Hinduism
Hinduism is a religionthatoriginated in northern India over 4,000
yearsago. A follower of Hinduism is a calledaHindu. Hindus worship
many
godsandbelievein asupreme spirit
called
Brahman. Centralto
Hinduism
is
belief
in
reincarnation
and
Karma(destiny).
Hiroshima
se e a l s o
Second
W o r l dWar)
Hiroshima is aportand industrial city on the south coastof Honshu
Island,Japan.It is famousbecauseit was destroyed by the first wartime
use
of anatomic bomb.On 6August 1945,the USAdropped the bomb
in
order
to
bring about
the end of the
SecondWorld
War.
Overfour
square
milesof the city weretotallydestroyed and damage
spread
muchfurtherafield.
78,150
people
of
Hiroshima werefounddead
after theexplosionandothers died later. Many thousandsof people
were injuredandsuffered long term effectsof radiation.
A
secondatomic bomb was dropped on the Japanesetownof N agasaki
on
9August 1945.
Japan
surrendered
on
14August 1945,
and the war
ended on 2September 1945.
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History
se e also Evidence
History
is the
record
of
events
that
have happened
in
human societies.
It is the
study
of the
past
and
past societies. History includes events
of
very
long
ago
(ancient
history)
and
events
of the
very recent past
-
even yesterday is history. Unde rstanding the past depends on evidence
and
records.
It is
very
important
that
evidence
is
reliable
if atrue
understanding of historic events is to be gained. Many a ccounts of the
past depend
upon
individual viewpoints and
interpretation,
and two
accounts of the sameevent may not
necessarily
agreewitheachother.
Hitler
se e
also Second
World
W a r , Nazis, Allied
Powers
andHolocaust
Adolf Hitler
lived
from
1889
to
1945.
He was the
Fuhrer,
or
leader
of
the
naziparty,
in
Germanyfrom 1921. From 1933
Hitlerwas
C hancellor
of
Germany
and
became Head
of
State,
acting
as a
dictator
from
1934.
Hitler andMussoliniformedan
all iance
in
1936
andwerejoinedby
Japan
in 1940in
theirfight
to win the Second
World
War. Hitler was
thereforethe
leader
of the
forces opposing
theAllied
P owers.
He was
responsible,withother nazis,for the holocaust.Adolf
Hitler
committed
suicide on 30 April 1945.
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Holocaust
see
alsoNazis,
Hitler
andSecond WorldWar
The
Holocaustis the term usedto describetheatrocities (dreadful
things) done
by the nazisto
millions
of
people.Theyimprisoned,
tortured
and
exterminated (murdered) people
who
they believed
to be
unwanted orundesirablein theworld. In
p articular,
they killed millions
of Jews.
Many people were taken
to
prison camps,
suchas Belsen and
Auschwitz,andevidence from theseplacesof deathandtorture
remains as ahorrific reminder of theatrocities committed there.
HolyRoman
Empire
see
also Christianity, Charlemagne and
Empire
The
Holy Roman Empire w as the empireofKing Charlemagne,who
wascrowned
as its
emperor
in
AD800
by
Pope
Leo
III.Charlemagne
forced
all the peopleheconqueredto become
C hristians.
Inparticular
he
fought
Muslim peopleof the Islamic religionwhowere invading
southern Europeat the
time.
T heexpansionof the HolyRomanEmpire
was
regarded
as a
Christian revival
of the
Roman
Empire,
which
is
why
the
term 'holy'
was
used
to
describe
it.
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Houses
of
history
se e
also
Dynasty
The housesof history inBritainare the family namesof the
monarchs.
British Houses
of
History
inchronological
order from
thetimeof the
Norman
conquest
are:
Normans
(1066
to
1154);
House
of
Plantagenets (1154 to 1399); House o f Lancaster(1399 to 1461); House
of York (1461to 1485); HouseofTudor (1485to 1603); Houseof
Stuart (1603
to
1714); House
of
Hanover (1714
to
1837); House
of
Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (1837to 1910),andHouseof
Windsor
(1910 to
the present day).
Hundred
Years War
The so-called Hundred
Years
War was actually a series of wars
that
took placebetween England
and
Francebetween 1337
and
1453.
Th e
wars began
after
the
death
of
Charles
IV of
France
who
died
without
a
male heir. In 1337,war broke outwhenthe kingof England, Edward
III, whosemotherwasIsabelleof France,triedto claimtheFrench
throne.
Englandwon many victoriesduringthe seriesof wars,but by
the end of the battles in 1453, England ha d lost all of its land in France
withthe exception of Calais.
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Imperialism
se e
also
Empire andColonies
Imperialism is the political policy of extending the power andauthority
of aruler or
government
beyond the boundaries of asingle
country.
The
growth
and
development
of
empires,
such
as the
British Empire,
is an example of imperialism. Imperialistic rule may involve direct rule
over
other
places,
orcontrolof
such matters
as
trade
and
markets
for
goods.
Another
name
for
imperialism
is
colonialism, involving
the
establishment and rule of colonies by an empire.
Incas
Incaswere
tribal
peoplewho belonged to the ancient civil isationof
Peru.T he
civil isation began
high in the
Andes mountains.
The
first
Inca
ruler l ived around AD1200.
In
1438,
a man
called
Pachacutec
became
their
emperor
and the Incas spreadoutfromthe
city
of Cuzco,their
capital, to conquer a huge empire. The empire lastedabouta hundred
years
before the Spanish conquered the
Incas.
T he emperor of the
Incaswas
called
'the Inca'. His
people believed
that he was a
descendentof theSun.
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Indigenous people
Indigenous pe ople are those who are native to a particular region.
That
is ,
they belong natu rally there. They,
a ndtheir
ancestorswere
bornin the
place
in question, and
their
ancestors were
the original
inhabitants
oftheir
lands. Indigenous people include
the
South
Western Indiansof NorthA merica (Apache),the plains Indiansof
North
America (Sioux),the
Inuit
(Eskimo) peopleof Canada,the Aborigines
of
Australia,
and the
Maoris
of New
Zealand.
IndusValley
The
Indus Valley
lies in
present
day
P akistan.
I t
gave
its
name
to the
Indus Valley civilisation,one of the fourancient civil isationsof the
world.
The
civilisation lasted
from
its
origins,
around 3000BC,
until
its
collapsearound 1700BC. A rchaeological excava tions have provided
muchevidenceabout life in the two main citiesof the ancient
civil isation, Mohenjo Daro
and
Harappa. Archaeologicaldiscoveries
include planned streets
with
drainage, baths, temples
and
v ar ious
other buildings
and
artefacts.
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Industrial revolution
The
industrial revolution
was a
time
of
very rapid development
of
industry
in
Britainthrough
the
invention
and
introduction
of
machines
into
factories.
An
example
of a
major
invention
of the
time
is the
steam
engine.
Some
of Britain's major cities, such as B irmingham,
Manchesterand Leeds,developedduringthe periodof the industrial
revolution,
which took placefrom around 1750
and
lastedthroughout
the 19
th
century. Britainwas the first country to experience such rapid
industrial chan ge. From 1830to theearly 20
th
centurythe revolution
spread
throughout Europeand the USA,alsoto Japanand British
colonies.
Interpretation
s e e also Evidenceand History
Interpretationmeans
the act of
explaining
or
finding meaning.
Historiansinterpret
ev idence
in
order
to
explain
and
de scribe historic
events.
Interpretation
depends
on the
viewpoint
or
evidence av ailable
to anindividual historian. Henceone person's accountof a past event
may
no t necessarily be exactly the same as
another's.
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Invasion
An invasionis an aggressiveentranceor intrusion intoacountry or
locality by hostile
forces
fromelsewhere. Thewordis generally used to
describe
the act of invading enemy territory byarmed
forces.
An
example
of aninvasionis the German invasionof PolandinSeptember
1939,
marking
the
commencement
of theSecond
World
War.
IronAge
see also
Celts
The Iron
Age is socalled
because
it was the age
when earlypeople first
usedthe technique of smeltingiron,probably introduced by the
Celts.
This
technique
reached
Britain around
700BC.
Duringthe
early
years
of
the IronAge,people livedin
v i l lages
or on farms.Inlateryears,larger
settlements
knownas
oppida were established.
The
people belonged
to tribes, ruled by
chiefs.
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Islam
Islam is the nameof the religion founded in Mecca,Arabia, by the
prophet Muhammadin theearly7
th
centuryAD.Followersof the
Islamic
faith
are
called
Muslims.
The
sacred
book
of
Islam
is the
Koran.
A ll Muslimsare meant to visit
Mecca
at leastoncein
their lives.
Muslimsshould pray five times every day, facing towards Mecca.
KingArthur
King
Arthur is a legendary hero who isbelievedto have
battled
againstthe Saxon invasion.Somehistorians believe
that
King
Arthur
didexist. It isdocumented
that
he wasborn atTintagel
Castle
in
Cornwall,
to a
father
who was
King
of the
Britons.
He
became king
at
the age offifteenon thedeathof hisfather. Many legends were
written
about him.It issuggestedthathe won countlessbattles, aided
by
Caliburn(orExcalibur),hisspecialsword,agiftfrom the Ladyof the
Lake.
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KingCharles
I
se e also
Stuarts, English
civil war
and
Oliver Cromwell
King
Charles
I o f England lived
from
1600 to 1649 and came to the
throne in 1625,the son ofKing James I. Charleswas an unpopular
king
with
his
parliament
as he believed
that
no-one had any
right
to
question
what he
did.
As a
result
of
various disagreements,
the
country
divided itself
into two -
those
who
supported
theking
(royalists)
and
those who supported parliament (parliamentarians).
Civil
war broke
out,
and
Charles
was
eventually defeated
by the
opposition, headed
up by
Oliver C romwell,
in 1645. The
king
wasbroughttotrial in
1648
and was condem ned to death. He was executed in 1649.
King
Edward
I
King EdwardI lived from 1239 to 1307 and waskingof Englandfrom
1272.He was son of
King Henry
I I I and a
member
of the
Plantagenet
house
of
history.
Edward's ambition was to extend his rule to
Wales
and Scotland. He conq uered
W ales
by 1283 and had nine huge
castles
builtthroughout north
Wales, including those
at
Harlech, C onway
and
Caernarvon.E dward failed to gaintotalcontrol of Scotland, although
he engaged
in
many battles,
some of
which
he
won.
His
attemp ts
to
conquer Scotland led to his being nicknamed 'Hammer of the
Scots'.
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King
Henry VII
s e e also
Tudors
King Henry VII, or Henry Tudor, livedfrom1457 to 1509.He was the
first of theTudor
monarchs
of England.Hecameto the
throne
in
1485.
In
1486,
Henry married ElizabethofYork.
This
marriage
united
the rival housesof Lancasterand York, and Henry restored peace after
the
wars
of the roses.
Henry
V I I was a
popular
and
hard-working king.
He was
also
a
good
businessman.He avoided
foreign
wars and his reign is
noted
for
bringing
peaceandprosperity toEngland.
King
HenryVIII
(see alsoTudors,
Act of
Supremacy
and
Dissolution
of the
monasteries
King HenryV IM of England lived
from
1491until1547. He becameking
in
1509.
Henrywas ahandsomeandhigh-spirited
king,noted
for the
large
number
of
wives
he
had,
six in
total.
They were
(in
order
of
marriage), Catherine
of
Aragon,
Ann
Boleyn,JaneSeymour, Anne
of
Cleves,
Catherine Howard and Catherine
Parr.
Other thanthese various
marriages, the reign of King HenryV IM isnotedfor itsforeignwars and
religious upheaval.
Hetookcontrol of the
Church
of
England
in the Act
of Supremacy.
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KingJamesVI I
s e e also
Stuarts,
Mary,Queen of
Scots
and
Gunpowder
Plot
King James I of
England,
Son of Mary, Queen of Scots, livedfrom 1566
until 1625. He became King of En gland in 1603. He had been King of
Scotland
as
James
V I
from
1567.
In
1603
the two thrones were
united.
JamesI was not a popu lar king.He wasknown to have favourites
among
his
friends ,
who hepromotedto powerful
positions,
and he
regarded himself as a sup reme or divine ruler (i.e. acco untable only to
God), whose views and decisions could not be challenged by anyone.
James I was also
very extravagant,
and he
imposed heavy taxation
and
dutieson the country
without
the approvalof parliament.
[Alternative: In 1603 the two thrones of England and Scotland were
united
when
King James VI of Scotland, son of Mary Queen of Scots, was made heir to the
English
throne
by Elizabeth I and became King James I of Great Britain and
Ireland. He lived from
from
1566
until
1625, but was not a popular king. H e was
known
to have favourites among hisfriends , who he promoted to powerful
positions,
and he
regarded himself
as a
supreme
or
divine ruler (i.e. accountable
only to God), whose views and decisions could not be challenged by anyone.
James
I was
also v ery extravagant,
and he
imposed heavy taxation
an d
duties
on
the country
without
the approvalof parliament.
Law
s e e
also
Parliament andSociety
The law is the body of ruleswithina state or commu nity which
individuals
are
obliged
to
keep.
In
most societies, penalties such
as
fines
or
imprisonment,
are
imposed
on
people
who
break
the
law.
In
Britain,
all of the
rules (laws)thatcit izen s must abide
by
have
to be
approved by parliament. Some laws of our land are very ancient,
dating back to earlier centuries. Serious
crimes
today aretried in a
Court
of
Law, heard
by a
jury
and
presided over
by a
judge.
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Legacy
The legacy
of our
past
isthat
which
has
been handed down
or'left' to
us by people of past societies. Historic legacy includes languages, place
names,
artefacts, myths
and
legends,
music,
literature,
and
styles
of
art and architecture.
Lenin
se e also Russian
Revolution
Vladimir llyich Lenin
is theadopted
name
of
Vladimir llyich Ulyanov,
who
lived
from
1870
to
1924.
He was the first
leader
of the
USSR,
that
is,
the
former Union
of
Soviet
Socialist
Republics,
and a
leading
authorityon the theory ofcommunism.
Lenin
was the
leader
of the
Bolshevikrevolution
in 1917 an d became leader of a Soviet
government.
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Longship
s e e also Vikings
A longship
is the
name given
to the
vessels
of the Vikings, who
depended on sea transport for theirv oyages. One of the most famo us
of Viking longshipsis the G okstad ship, excava tedin Norway in 1880.
It was made of
oak,
witha pine mast and a large steering paddle on
the right,or starboard,
side
of the stern. The ship had been buried in a
mound
of claythat had
helped
to
preserve
it. It
contained
the
body
of
a dead Viking king.
Lord of the manor
see a lso Middle
Ages)
Inthe period of the Middle Ages, around AD1000 to 1450, most people
in Europe lived in villages . The head of
each
v illage was called the Lord
of the Manor. H e owned the v illage land and lived in its grandes t house
calledthe
manor house.
The
lord allowe d
the
v i l lagers
to
farm strips
of
land
that
they paid for by working for him and providing
food
for the
lord
and his
family.
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Magellan, Ferdinand
Ferdinand Magellan w as a famous P ortuguese navigator and explorer,
who livedfrom 1480 to 1521.H is famous voyage of 1519 to 1522 in his
ship
the
Victoria
met
with
both
successes
and
failures.
T he
Victoria
sailedfrom Seville. I t passedthrough what is now called the Magellan
Straitat the tip of South America,crossedthe oceanhenamed the
Pacific,
and
reached
the
Philippines. There, Magellan himself
was
killed.T he ship and crew
returned
home. This w as the
first
ever
expeditionwhich sailedallaround the globe. It proved beyond
doubt
that
theworld is round.
Magna Carta
The words Magna Carta are Latin. They mean the 'Greater Charter ' .
The
Magna C arta was a document (a charter) signed by King John of
England
in 1215. King John had been very unpopular
because
he
imposed very heavy
taxation
and madeother unreasonable demands
of the people.As aresult, the barons,thatis, the landowning
noblemenof the land,madehimsignthe Magna Carta, which
established the rightof the barons to be consulted over such matters as
taxation.The charter was signed at R unnymede on 15 June 1215.
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Mary,
Queen
of
Scots
see
a ls o
Stuarts , King James I and Queen Elizabeth I)
Mary, Queen
of Scots, also
known
as
Mary Stuart, livedfrom
1542 to
1587.
She was queen of Scotlandfrom 1542 to
1567,
and is
probably
the
most famous
monarch
of
Scotland.
She
married
three
t imes.
Because
of aconnection withthe En glish royal lineof inheritance, she
wasa
threat
to
Queen El izabeth
I. In
1567
she was
forced
to
abdicate
and
givethe throneto her youngson,James (who later became King
JamesI of England). Mary herselffledto Englandand became involved
in
plots against Queen Elizabeth
I. For her
role
in
suchplots, El izabeth
held her p risoner and she was eventually executed in
1587.
Mary
Rose
se e
a ls o Henry V III and Tudors
The Mary Rosewas one of Henry VIM'sships,
which
sankwhen
defending England againstthe Frenchfleet.Thewreckof the Mary
Rose,
recovered over
400
years
later,
represents
one of the
major
sources
of
evidence
of the
Tudor age.Artefactsfound
on
board
whenthe shipwassalvaged giveus
important
ev idenceof
life
on
board awarshipof the Tudor era.
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Maya
TheMaya Indians were someof the earliestandgreatest people of
Central America.
The
Maya
Indian
civilisation
originatedin the
Yucatan
Peninsula
about
2600BC.
In
later
years
they
occupied
sites
in
Mexico,GuatemalaandBelize. From early beginnings in
caves
and
simple
forest homes,theMaya developed an
empire
basedoncities
hidden
deepin theforests. They
built
stonebuildings andpyramids
andwere skilful farmers, stone carvers,potters andweavers.The
Maya
were very religious
and
worshipped
the
earth,rain
and
plant
andanimal gods. Their empire declined around AD950.
Medieval
s e e also
Middle
Ages)
Medieval
(or
Mediaeval) means relating
to the
MiddleAges,
or the
period between 'ancient'
and
'modern'
times.
The
medieval period
is
not
specific,
but is
loosely used
to
describe times
from
around AD800,
the time of the
founding
of theHolyRomanEmpire,to the middle
of the 15
th
century,thetimeof the
Renaissance
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MiddleAges
see a l s oMedieval
The
Middle Agesis the period of history in Europe between the end of
the Roman Empireandthe Renaissance.Theperiod is not specific,
but the
term generally applies
to the
years
from
the 6
th
century
AD to
the
15
th
century. Historians divide
the
Middle Agesintothree shorter
periods:
the EarlyMiddle Ages(5
th
or 6
th
to 11
th
centuries); the High
Middle Ages(12
th
to
13
th
centuries);
and the
Later Middle Ages(14
th
to
15
th
centuries).
MogulEmpire
The
Mogul
(or Mughal) Empire was anempirerepresenting an
important
stagein thehistoryof theIndian sub-continent. The
Mogul
Empire
wasfounded inIndiain the 14
th
centuryby the
Mogul
dynasty
orfamily.
The
empire began
in the
north
of the
country
and
spread
to
eventually cover most
of
India.
It
began
to
decline
in the
early 18
th
century. The lastMogul emperor was deposed (removed from office)
by
the
English
in
1857.
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Monarch
s e e
also
Sovereign
A monarch is a sole,or absolute ruler of astate. A monarch is a
sovereign,who may
have
the
title
ofking,
queen, emperor
or
empress.
The
wordmonarchy
is
used
to
describe
a
state ruled
by a
monarch, also
the
rule
or
government exercised
by the
monarch.
Monastery
s e e
also
Dissolution
of the
monasteries
and
King Henry VIII)
A monastery is a place where a community of people (usually men who
are termed monks) live in seclusionfromthe
world.
Monks livetheir
lives
according
to
strict religious vows
o r
rules.
Several
centuries
ago,
monkswereoftenthe most educated mem bers of a society. They
learned
to
read Latin,
the
language
of
religious books,
and
often
had a
good knowledge of
science
andm edicine. Du ringthe reignof King
Henry
VIM,m any mo nasteries were destroyed.
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Mussolini
see
a l s o
Fascism
Benito Mussolini lived
from
1883
to
1945.
He was
Italian
dictator from
1925
to 1943andfounderof the fascist movement. Mussoliniwas
known
as II
Duce
or
'the
leader'.In
June
1940,
Mussolini sided
with
Hitler
and
entered
the
Second
World
War
He was
forced
to
resign
frompower in1943becauseof military anddomestic failures.
Myths andlegends
se e
alsoLegacy
A
myth
is afictitious accountorstorythatofteninvolves supernatural
(extraordinary orinexplicable) eventsorpeople, yetwhichmay
incorporate
an
idea
which
concerns
natural
or
historic matters.
A
legend
is a
historic story, passed
on bytraditionfromone
generation
to the next. Legendsaregenerallyfictitious,yet are popularly
regarded
as
historical.
Mythsand legendsforman
important
aspectof the legacyof our past.
They
provide insights
into
past ideas, eventsandsocieties.
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Napoleon I
s e e also
French Revolution
N apoleon
I,
or N apoleon Bon aparte, lived
from
1769 to 1821. He was
Emperor
of the Frenchfrom 1804to 1814and 1814to 1815. N apoleon
was
a genera l in the w ars of the
French
Revolution,
and in
1799
he
overthrew
the rulersand made himselfdictator.From 1803, N apoleon
conquered most of Europe inwhatare knownas the N apoleonic W ars.
Eventually,
in 1815,he was
defeated
by the
British army
in the
Battle
ofWaterloo. Hethen wentto liveinexileon the islandof StHelena.
Nationalism
s e e
also
Imperialism
N ationalism
is a
political policy
of
national independence.
It is a
movement that aimsto
unify
a
nation,
orfree it
from
imperialist rule.
N ationalist m ovements were
powerful
in Europein the 19
th
century,
for
example,
in
G ermany
and
Italy. N ationalists believe
in
their
country's
right
to remain independent
from other
countries.
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Nobility
Nobility is aword used to
describe those people
or
ranks
in asociety
who have certain hereditary privileges,
such
as the inheritance of great
wealth,
property
or
'title'
such
as
Lord.
The
wealth
of the
nobility
has
traditionallybeen derivedfromthe land. Inmany societies,untilvery
recently(ie20
th
century), leading figuresofgovernmentsand armies
came
from
thenobility.
Norman
Conquest
see
also Battle ofHastings, Bayeux Tapestry and Normans)
TheNorman Conquestis the term usedto describetheconquest of
England
by the
Normans.
In
1066 King Edward
the Confessor of
England
died.
He was
succeeded
by
Harold,
Earl
of
Wessex.
Yet two
other
people wishedtoclaimthe
throne
of England:
William,
Dukeof
Normandy,
and
Harold Hardrada
of
Norway. Harold Hardrada invaded
Englandbut wasdefe