The British History

Anna Maria Viinalass The British History

Prehistoric Britain: The last Ice Age around 6000 BC, the Stone Age, limestone caves: settlements + farming skills, monuments, artefacts (wealth); around 3000 BC - the Iberians (the Neolithic men): buildings, first roads, weapons, skeletons, tools; Stonehenge, the Altar Stone, The Bronze Age (2100- 1650 BC)

The Celts: the technique of smelting iron in 700 BC by Celts, two waves: 600 BC – Gaels, 300 BC Cymri or Britons; fights with the Iberians; villages, forts, the primitive system, clothes (Scottish tartan), tribes ruled by a warrior class, Druids, Boudicca, artwork; clan, warriors, loosely tied relations; Romans, Celtic languages, “avon“

Romain Britain: The Roman society, the most powerful people in the world, Julius Caesar in 55 and 54 BC, the Emperor Claudius in 43 AD, the Celts were not turned into slaves, the Iceni- Queen Boudicca, a revolt in 61 AD, the Romans- an unassimilated occupying power, buildings: network of towns, forts, camps connected by paved roads, Hadrian’s Wall in 122, Aquae Sulis (1-st – 4-th century), Christianity (4-th century), -caster, -chester

1 Anglo–Saxon Kingdoms: the Romans left Britain in 410, by the mid 5-th century Angles, Saxons and Jutes had invaded Britain, small farming communities (disliked towns), “ham“ (Birmingham), invaders drove away the Celts, Angles – England, Saxons – language + mythology, self- sufficient, very little trading, the legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table is based on a Celtic leader; pagans – Christians, St. Augustine became the Archbishop of Canterbury, much land for bishops and monasteries, the Roman monks helped to spread Roman culture: books in Latin, Greek, the Venerable Bede “Ecclesiastical History of the English People“, “Beowulf“, Wessex, King Egbert, one kingdom

The Vikings: 9-th – 10-th centuries, “-by“ (Derby- town), from three counties: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, 1) warriors 2) farmers, traders, the foundation of Dublin, pagans, boats; King Alfred, Wessex- the centre of resistance against invaders, army, Danelaw/ Wessex

King Alfred: the grandson of King Egbert, Wessex, army, translating books into their own language

Canute: 11-th century, king of Denmark, Norway, England; territorial lordships, unified the system of government, ended the paying of Danegelt, legend connected with the tide; after his death Edward the Confessor got the throne

2 1066. The Norman Invasion:

1042 Edward the Confessor, demographic growth, agrarian expansion, the problem of the succession, the ducal house of Normandy, Harold Godwin (the Earl of Wessex), William (the Duke of Normandy), Harald Hardraada (the King of Norway); H.Godwin against H. Hardraada, Godwin against William, in 1066 the Battle of Hastings, the Bayeaux Tapestry

William the Conqueror: he was acclaimed king in Westminster Abbey; a feudal system, in 1086 the Domesday Book; Latin- the language of clergy, French- the language of the aristocracy, English- the language of peasants; stone cathedrals and castles (the White Tower)

The Early Middle Ages: Anglo-Saxon rebellions against the Normans until 1070; the distribution of lands to nobles, “feufalism“, “ Domesday“ Book, two larges areas: Normandy + England, three sons: Robert, William (Rufus), Henry; the latter reunited Normandy and England, fought for his lands, his only son was drowned at sea, daughter Matilda followed him, Matilda + Geoffrey Plantagenet, Stephen of Blois, civil war, Henry II – 1- th unquestioned ruler Henry II: inherited vast areas: Normandy from his mother Matilda, Anjou, Maine and Touraine from his father Geoffrey, vast areas of France from his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine; relations with his two sons and his wife, died in 1189, struggle between the Church and the State (started in 1066), Thomas Becket Richard and John: Richard- popular king, crusades in Holy Land, “Coeur de Lion“, died in 1199; John I- unpopular king, John Lackland, Magna Carta in 1215 (the pope), feudalism weakened, stone bridge in 1206

3 Edward I: a man of authority, interested in Britain, annaxed Wales to England in 1282, brought Scotland under English contor for a time, good relations with Philipe IV, Edward and Philipe married their children: Isabella + Edward II; Isabella + Roger Mortimer forced Edward to abdicate, Edward III seized power in 1330

Eward III: a successful king, efficient military power, developments in legislature and government, 100 Years’ War with France (1337-1453): 1) Edward claim the French throne (Isabella) 2) trading; the war negan well for England, Henry VI was crowned King of France; Joan of Arc, The French won back their territories exept Calais; English + literature for example Geoffrey Chaucer’s “Cantebury Tales“, the Bible was translated into English; education: Oxford, Cambridge; The Black Prince, courty manners, the legend of King Arthur, order of the Garter, The Black Death

Richard II: the son of the Black Prince, a bad ruler: introduced a tax payment for every person over 15, rebellions in East Anglia + Kent, the Peasants’ Revolt (lasted for four weeks): peasants + townspeople, Wat Tyler, Richard’s promissions to end serfdom; discontent with the State and the Church

4 The Crisis of Kingship, the Wars of the Roses:

1) duke of Lancaster ruled instead of Richard II and prepared the throne for his son Henry IV 2) the son of the duke of York; Henry was stronger and seized power; 50 years later: the “Yorkists“- the white rose and the “Lancastrians“- the red rose; the reasons of the war: 1)Henry VI lost all lands in France 2)the Lancastrians claimed that they descended from an older son of Edward III; the war began in 1455, Edward of York became king as Edward IV; Edward V, his uncle Richard III had him and his brother killed in the Tower of London

Richard III: in 1485 the Battle of Bosworth: remarks the end of the Middle Ages in England; Henry VII Tudor ended the war between the Yorkists and the Lancastrians by marrying Edwards IV’s daughter Elizabeth (the beginning of the Tudor Dynasty), Shakespeare

5 Tudors

The Early Tudors (1485-

1603): 100 Years War, The House of Tudors: 1-st was Henry VII, last one- Elizabeth I; Henry VII’s importance: The Wars of Roses, strong monarchy, Henry VII Henry VIII avoided quarrels, business, encreased England’s influence, accumulated an emmense fortune (wealth), 1)Arthur/ Henry + Catherine of Spane 2)Margaret + James IV of Scotland; Henry VIII’s importance: quarrels with the pope, established the Anglican Church, F.D (Fidei Defensoe), closing of monastries (for money and popularity)

The Later Tudors: Edward VI, Jane Gray, Mary Tudor- “Bloody Mary“, Elizabeth, Protestantism, plots (Mary Stuart), James I; the Elizabethian Age: the fights with the Spanish king, the Spanish Armaada 1588

6 Stuarts

The Early Stuarts: Mary Stuart- her father King of Scotland, mother Mary of Guise, Queen of Scotland, England, Ireland, France, marriages; James I of England/ James VI of Scotland, a huge dept, “the divine right“, problems with the Parliament, good king in Scotland, but noti n England, personality problems, a protestant king, the Gonpowder Plot, good thing: literature;

The Later Stuarts: Charles I, the Civile war (1642-1645), “the divine right“, problems with the Parliament, the personal reign for 11 years, 1640- the Parliament was assambled again (because of money), “Cavaliers“, “Roundheads“, Charles’ execution in 1649; Oliver Cromwell, Cromwell coudn’t replace monarchy, The Commonwealt (like a republic), Richard; Charles II “Mary King“, court (Louis XIV), a catholic king, 1-st political parties 1)“Whigs“ – the supporters of the Parliament 2) “Tories“- the supporters of the king: power; the Plague in 1665; the Great Fire of London in 1666; James II (brother of Charles II), Mary + William of Orange, Queen Anne, the Act of Union, Churchill

7 18-th century: the great navy, the developments of the governement, ministres- real power, agricultural + industrial revolution, the invention of machinery, France (1789), Napoleon, James III, George I (Tories), “Whigs“, Walpole, “promisory notes“, the Parliament

Politics, finance + Walpole: The Bank of England, “promisory notes“, Henry I, England was unusual because of its weak monarchy,“Cabinet“: 1) who siagreed deeply with other ministres was expected to leave 2) responsibility for policy decisions 3) the limitations to the king: not a Catolic, couldn’t change laws, dependence on Parliament, “choosing“ ministres, taxes (Walpole- unpopular)

William Pitt – Chatham + trading: the enemy of Walpole, D.Defoe “Trade is the wealth of the world, it makes differences between nations and between rich and poor“, competition, War with France (1756), Prussia- inland, Nritain- navy, Canada, Quebec; the defeat over the French navy near the coast of Spain, India- “jewel in the Crown“, nation song (1742), Georg III (1760), the end of the war, trade Chatham triangle

Georgian Age: Enlightement (Voltair), arts, Georg III- popular, Loss of American colonies: quarrel over taxation, the Declaration of Independence (July 1776), “radicals“- the British politicians

Napoleonic Wars: two Coalitions, Bonabarte crowned himself Emperor in 1804, too ambitious about the Europe, Nelson’s navy- Trafalgar in 1805, Wellington’s army- Waterloo in 1815

The danger at home (1815-1832): unemployment (no need for factory-made goods), corn- laws, workhouses; electorial system

8 (landowners- Tories), Whigs , Earl Gray 1) were aware of the poverty 2) “the party of reform“; after Georg IV comes William IV (brother), The Reform Bill- urban society, elections, William – a Prime Ministre he liked, saved the monarchy, loosly tied with politics; Victoria

William IV

The Victorian Age (1837-1901): Albert, 9 children, 1861- Albert died- mourning, “Diamond Jubilee“, “the Empire on which the sun never sets“, 1854- Crimea (Turkey against Russia), Florance Nightingale- proper nursing, death rate fell, 1876- Victoria became Empress of India, 1879- Zululand, child labour, the poor law in 1834- workhouses, The Education Act in 1870- children age 5-10, the ’3Rs’, 1880- compulsory education, 1890- free education, 1851- Great Exhibition (the achievements), 1859- Charles Darwin- Origin of species, 1880- demostration of electric lighting, 1885- motorbike, Joseph Lister- antiseptic surgery, railway, steamships, “Victorian values“: hard work, thrift, respect for authority inside and outside the home, Charles Dickens “Oliver Twist“, Oscar Wilde, Stevenson, Kipling (India)

The Edwarian Age, Word War I, the Post-War Years:

Edward VII (the son of Victoria); Prince of Wales, was 59 when became the king, leisment elite (mode, scandals), + 1910- the sinking of Titanic, World War I- 1914, the Treaty of Versailles- 1919, French Belle Époque period, Art Nouveau, the Church- not so important, “age of optimism“, inventions: telephone + electric lighting, films etc, Germany- navy, George V in 1910, Windsor, inventions didn’t avoid the war, the assassination of Archduke Edward VII Ferdinand, the Treaty of Versailles- British Empire increased in size, 1931- the independence of the colonies

The Irish Problem: 1) deep-rooted in religion 2) long history 3) the British ivadors; the 17-th centuryconflict with the natives ( north-east); 1689- James II; 1801- the Act of Union: a bill in 1914; 1916- a group of extreme nationalists, Sinn Fei, Dublin- “Easter Rising“;

9 James II in the end of Word War I comes the Irish problem; 1921- Independence of southern Ireland; 1937- Ireland is a republic