PREHISTORIC BRITAIN
Iberians~3000 BC Iberians inhabited British Isles
Used stone axes and tools made of antlers and bones, wooden and stone buildings, first roads
Their culture can be discovered through findings from archaeological excavation
Bronze Age reached Britain 2100-1650 BC
CeltsInvaded Britain in two waves:
600 BC- the Gaels 300 BC- The Britons Brought the art of smelting iron-
Iron Age Lived in villages instead of towns had the society free of private
property, classes, exploitation tamed and bread animals, caught
fish, grew corn and wheat learned the art of pottery
created large-scale artwork, mostly depicting horses, the objects of cult worship
Celtic language is the ancestor of the Gaelic, Irish, Welsh languages
Stonehenge
Megalithic monument on Salisbury plain
Built in several stages beginning 3100BC
Purpose unknown, assumed to be connected with astronomy and passing of the seasons
The builders must have possessed great knowledge of arithmetic and astronomy
Roman Britain
Reached the Channel in 55 BC Two successful raids: 55, 56 BC Was forced to withdraw from
Britain due to a rebellion in Gaul
Emperor Claudius
Began the Roman invasion in 43 AD
Britain was ruled as a colony-the free Celts didn’t become slaves but had to pay taxes
Boudicca
The Iceni tribe joined forces with the romans to defeat a rival tribe
The Romans turned on the Iceni afterwards, their queen Boudicca was tortured
AD 61-Boudicca led a revolt against the Roman rule, the rebellion was put down and Boudicca took poison rather than submit
Roman merits
A network of paved roads Many of Britain’s main towns Roman baths in Bath, Aquae Sulis-
built between 1-4 century
Hadrian’s WallBuilt in 122 to keep out the raiding of Picts and Scots. 70 miles from Solway to the Tyne
Christianity was brought by Roman traders and soldiers in 4th century, Christian Church was established
Anglo-Saxon KingdomIn the 5th century the Angles, Saxons and Jutes began raiding Britain. Within 100 years Saxon kingdoms (such as Wessex, Mercia, East Anglia) were established
Disliked towns and destroyed Roman establishments
Trade soon increased The Celts were driven to high and
remote areas in Scotland, Cornwall, Wales, Islands
English is the descendant of the Saxon invaders language of the 5th century
Anglo-Saxons were agricultural: villages self-sufficient, no shops, little trading
The conversion of the A-S into Christianity began in the 6th century. The link the pagan A-S invaders had broken was thus restored
Canterbury Cathedral
Cathedral’s first archbishop- St. Augustine
The Venerable Bede wrote „Ecclesiastical History of the English People“-only book on A-S history
„Beowulf“-heroic poem The assassination of Thomas
Becket in 1162
Celtic family was the clan
Danelaw
During 9th and 10th centuries Vikings came first to plunder, then to stay. Their invasion were successful because the kingdom of England had neither a regular army nor a fleet in the North Sea
In 871 the Danes invaded Wessex. King Alfred The Great led Wessex’s resistance against invaders
Danelaw was founded in the northern boundary, the town of York being its capital
Alfred the Great Could read and write Many books were translated Translated E H o t English
Ppl Ordered a history of
England to be written- The A-S Chronicle
Canute/Cnut/Knut
1016 Danish king Canute conquered England
Divided England to territorial lordships
His son was Edward the Confessor, who restored the Saxon line of kings
Norman InvasionConfusion
Harold Godwin claimed that Edward promised throne to him on his deathbed
Duke William of Normandy argused that Edward had promised throne to him when he visited England in 1051
Harald Hardraada, king of Norway, also claimed throne
Battle of Hastings
1066 Godwin marched to meet the
forces of Hardraada, then received word that William had landed in South, then marched there.
Battle was won by William through trickery
King Harold died(an arrow in his eye)
It was the last successfu invasion of Britain
Bayeux Tapestry, made about 1080, valuable historical document
William of Normandy New king of England in
Westminster Abbey Brought French culture Built the White tower in London (to
dominate the city)
The Normans
1086 the Domesday Book, a survey of every manor in England was compiled for tax purposes.
English became the language of the peasants
The Early Middle Ages1086 Domesday Book
The three brothers When William died in 1087, he left
a duchy of Normandie to his son Robert, England to William(Rufus)
Henry took the crown when Robert was in a war in the Holy Land
Robert accepted payment for returning to Normandie
1106 Henry invaded Normandie, captured Robert
Matilda Daughter of Henry Married Geoffrey Plantagenet
Stephen of Blois Throne was seized by him, son
of Adela Civil war 1153 Matilda and Stephen
agreed that their son Henry II will succeed him
The PlantagenetsHenry II
Son of Stephen Blois(adopted) Inherited English kingdom,
Normandy(mother), Anjou, Maine and Touraine(father), vast areas in France(wife)
Athletic, strong, travelled ceaselessly
Struggle between church and king led to the murder of Thomas Becket
His son was Richard the Lionheart
John I
Lost dominions in France to Philippe II Auguste in 1204
Nickname: John Lackland Disputes with the Pope and nobility Was forced to sign Magna Carta
1215, predecessor of Constitution
MG limited king’s power, mark a stage in the collapse of English feudalism
Henry III
John’s eldest son Was interested in art and
culture(Westminster, Salisbury Catherdal)
University of Oxford 1st parliament in 1265
Edward I
Annexed Wales to England in 1282 Scotland under English control for a
time Good relations with Philip IV of
France Decided to marry their children Isabella + Edward II was
disastrous- they didn’t love each other
Their son Edward III
The Age of Chivalry,Edward III, Black Prince
Son of Isabella(daughter of Philip the Fair)
Claimed the French throne, but new king was Philip IV
1337 landed his army in Normandy 100 Years War began 1348 founded a chivalric order-The
Most Noble Order of the Garter 1431 French started to rise Peasants’ Revolt
100 years’ war
Henry VI of Lancaster was crowned king of France in 1431
Joan of Arc burnt at the stake
1453 war ended, only Calais remained to England
War brought wealth to England
Culture during the war
England began to speak English G. Chaucer “Canterbury Tales” Bible was translated into English
Winchester College was established – start to lay education
Native architectural style indicated the vitality of English culture
Oxford University
The Wars of the Roses
The House of Lancaster and York fought over the throne
Richard II was too young so John duke of Lancaster prepared his son Henry IV for the throne
Other possible successor-the son of Edmund(uncle) the Duke of York
Many battles Edward IV and V Richard III to the throne 1485 Henry Tudor defeated the
royal army, Richard III was killed Beginning of the Tudors, 1st was
Henry Tudor He married Edward IV’s daughter
and united two houses York- white rose, Lancaster-red
rose
The Tudors Henry VII was born in Wales in
1457. His father was Edmund Tudor and mother Lady Margaret Beaufort.
Henry's Lancastrian forces defeated Richard's York army at the Battle of Bosworth on 22nd August 1485.
By killing Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Henry VII ended the Wars of the Roses.
His successors symbolized the unity by use of a red rose with white outer petals, the “Tudor” rose.
The “Tudor” rose Avoided quarrels. Arranged a marriage between his
son Arthur and Catherine of Aragon, between Margaret and James VI of Scotland
When his son Henry VIII came to the throne, he married Catherine.
Henry VIII wanted a son, so he had many more wives: Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr.
Reformation
At Henry’s insistence, Parliament passed two acts that made the break with Roman Catholic Church complete. One declared that the Pope had no authority in England, the other made the Church of England a separate institution.
The two acts officially established the Reformation in England.
Henry’s break with Rome was purely political - he simply wanted to control the Church and keep its wealth in his own kingdom.
Henry granted the chief minister’s position to Thomas Cromwell.
Together they made a complete survey of Church property to make money but also to be popular with the rising classes
They closed more than 500 monasteries and other religious houses.
When Henry died in 1547, his 9-year-old son, became king as Edward VI.
He died at the age of 16 and named Jane Gray his successor.
Lady Jane is known as The Nine Days’ Queen, the Privy Council proclaimed Mary, a Roman Catholic as queen.
Mary married King Philip of Spain. She enacted a policy of persecution
against Protestants and restored the papal authority over the Church of England.
She is called “Bloody Mary”. When she died in 1558, her half-
sister Elizabeth became queen. She wanted a peaceful answer to
the problems, led England back to Protestantism and made herself the head of the Church.
Mary Stuart (a Catholic) was the heir to the English throne.
By 1585 most English people believed that to be a Catholic was to be an enemy of England.
The defeat of the Spanish Armada is one of the most famous events in English history and arguably Queen Elizabeth’s finest hour.
Her reign was also a prosperous period and extremely important culturally.
The StuartsMary Stuart
She was the queen of Scotland and claimed the crowns of France, England and Ireland.
She was married to Francis I (prince of France), Lord Darnley (this marriage produced James VI) and Bothwell (was believed to be the murderer of Lord Darnley).
Mary fled to England in seeking the protection, but was executed.
James I (James VI of Scotland) (1603-1625)
The first joint ruler of England and Scotland.
He was a Scottish Catholic who believed in the “Divine Right” and ruled as he wanted.
Conflict with the English Parliament.
The failed Catholic Gunpowder Plot in 1605 led to anti catholic riots.
Charles I (1625-1649)
Son of James I His wife was Catholic. He dissolved Parliament three
times between 1625 and1629. He wanted to rule alone and this
led to civil war (1642-1645). Oliver Cromwell created the new
“model” army which defeated the Royalist army.
Charles was executed and Cromwell became the ruler.
1649-1660 - Dictatorship of Cromwell. He was unable to find anything to replace the monarchy.
Charles II (1660-1685)
Restoration in 1660. The fear of Charles` interest in Catholic church resulted in the first political parties in Britain: “Whigs” (were afraid of absolute monarchy, supported
Parliament) and “Tories” (supported the Crown).
The Plague in 1665 and the Great Fire of London in 1666. Ch. Wren
designed a new capital.
James II (1685-1688)
He was a Catholic king. His daughter Mary was Protestant
and married to the ruler of Holland, William of Orange.
When James` second wife produced a male heir, William was invited to invade Britain. James was defeated and forced to depose.
The Parliament made William king in 1688- the Glorious Revolution.
William III and Mary II (1689-1702)
William was not very popular, but his wife was. After her death in 1694 William ruled alone until 1702.
Queen Anne (1702-1714)
Mary II sister. The first monarch to rule over the
Kingdom of Great Britain. 1707- Act of Union (Scotland was
united with England and Wales). She had 17 children, but none of
them survived her and she was the last Stuart.
The Georgian Era The growth of the industries, trading
empire Britain had the strongest navy in the
world. For the 1st time, it was the king’s
ministers who were the real policy and decision-makers
While a few people became richer, many others lost their land, their homes and their way of life, due to enclosures.
The invention of machinery created factories
In France the misery of the poor and the power of the trading classes led to a revolution in 1789
Britain was saved partly by the high level of local control of the ruling class and by Methodism-new religious movement
When Queen Anne died in 1714, James II’s son returned to Britain as James III.
James was unwilling to change his mind and he would not give up his religion. He tried to win the throne by force.
In 1715 a rebellion started against George I
Stuart supporters were known as “Jacobites”
The new king only spoke German and was not very interested in his kingdom.
Walpole came to power as a result of his financial ability
In 1694 a group of financiers who lent to the government decided to establish a bank, called Bank of England, bank notes
Walpole’s idea: government ministers worked together in a small group – the “Cabinet”. Any minister who disagreed with other Cabinet members was expected to resign
The limits to monarchy: the king could not be a Catholic, could not remove or change laws, was dependent on Parl.
Walpole put taxes on luxury goods His political enemie was Lord
Chatham, who feared that an alliance with Spain would give France a trade advantage over Britain
War with France-1756. It went on all over the world and gave the British control over important trades
India became the “jewel in the crown”
George III
came to throne in 1760 In 1763 he made peace with
France He was the first Hanoverian king
who spoke without an accent In 1764 there was a serious quarrel
over taxation between Britain and America
In 1773 – “the Boston tea party”
The American war of Independence lasted from 1775 – 1783, In July 1776 – a formal Declaration of Independence
Many British politicians openly supported the colonists – “Radicals”Napoleonic Wars
1793 attempt to crush French Republic by 1st coalition - Austria, Sardinia, Naples, Prussia, Spain, GB.
The 2nd coalition in 1798 – Austria, GB, Naples, Ottoman Empire, Portugal, Russia, Sweden and others
In 1799 Napoleon seized control of the French government
He declared France an Empire in 1804 and crowned himself Emperor.
Nelson won brilliant victories over the French navy – in Trafalgar in 1805.
Wellington invaded France and Napoleon surrendered in 1814. W, with the help of a Prussian army, defeated Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815
When peace was made in 1815, there was no longer such need for factory-made goods and many lost their jobs
A new law made the poor live in workhouses. The emergence of cities
When the Tories collapsed over the question of Catholic Emancipation in 1829, the Whigs were able to
take over, and they were willing to implement parliamentary reform
Led by Earl Grey, the Whigs wanted to enact a moderate reform that would make the system fairer without actually giving in to the demands of the working classes.
When George IV died in 1830, his more liberal brother William IV came to the throne
It took a long time for the Great Reform Act to become law. It increased the number of individuals entitled to vote
The King, supporting the reformers, was the only king to keep his throne at the time
The Victorian Era
Victoria became queen at the age of 18 and married at the age of 23 German prince Albert
When Albert died Victoria went into deep and permanent mourning
the Empire, where sun never sets Florence Nightingale organized proper
nursing in the Crimean War In 1857, Britain was threatened by a
mutiny The use of steam-powered machines
led to a huge increase in the number of factories
All those who needed help had to go to a workhouse where the conditions were made deliberately harsh.
Education was developed, in 1870 State Elementary Schools were introduced for children aged 5-10,compulsory in 1880,was made free in 1890
In 1851, Albert planned the Great Exhibition.
Christianity encouraged people to act in certain ways – Victorian values
Electric lighting, Origin of Species- first evolution book, antiseptic surgery, railway, ships
Writers:, William Thackeray, Thomas Hardy, Oscar Wilde, Stevenson, Kipling, Charles Dickens, Charles Darwin
Edwardian Age Edward VII had been waiting long to
get to the throne
“Entente cordiale” The Edwardian period is sometimes
extended
Socially
Edward was a part of fashionable elite and had many scandals.
During that time the British class system was very rigid
In 1903 Emmeline Pankhurst founded the Women’s Social and Political Union that fought for women’s suffrage
Corresponds to the French Belle Époque period
The church no longer played a vital role.
Age of optimism Inventions like telephones, typewriters,
airplanes, wireless A military rivalry grew between GB and
Germany
In May 1910 Edward VII was succeeded by his son George V
George changed his family name to Windsor- anti-German
His reign saw the First World War, the Russian Revolution, the Irish troubles, votes for women, the general strike etc.
The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand started WW I
Country was unprepared for the power of the modern weapons
Post-War The Treaty of Versailles gave Britain
several German and Turkish colonies
In 1931 Parliament passed a statute that recognized the dominions’ complete independence from Britain
Now Britain is constitutional monarchy. Head of state-Queen Elizabeth II
The prime minister and cabinet are formally appointed by the monarch to form Her Majesty's Government
The queen respects prime minister’s choices
David Cameron