Prehistoric Britain

Around 6000 BC, after the end of the last Ice Age, melting ice formed the English Channel and Britain became an island.

The Iberians

About 3000 BC the British Isles, were inhabited by the Iberians. They used axes made of stone and made bones and antlers into leather-working tools. These Neolithic men put up buildings of stone and wood and built the first roads. The best known prehistoric megalithic monument in Britain is Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain. It was built in several stages from about 3000 BC. The site is considered to be connected with the sun and seasons. The ruins consist of two stone horseshoes and circles.

Stonehenge The Celts

The Bronze Age in Britain began between 2100 – 1650 BC. The Celts brought the technique of smelting iron to Britain in 700 BC. European Celts invaded Britain in two waves. The Gaels came around 600 BC and then Cymri or Britons around 300 BC. The Celts lived in villages, they built forts on the hilltops and protected them with ditches and ramparts. These people lived under the primitive system – there was no private property, no classes, no exploitation. Their priests were called Druids. They grew wheat and corn, caught fish and tamed or bred animals. The Celts were warring tribes. Art of pottery, making things of wool, metal and copper. Celtic is the ancestor of the Gaelic, Irish, and Welsh languages.

Celts` way to Britain Roman Britain

2000 years ago the Romans were the most powerful people in the world. Julius Caesar reached the Channel in 55 and 54 BC. The Romans who had better arms and were better trained, defeated the Celts. Rebellion in Gaul forced Caesar to withdraw his soldiers from Britain. In 43 AD Emperor Claudius invaded Britain and it was ruled as a colony. In AD 61 Queen Boudicca led a revolt against Roman rule and her followers burned down London, Colchester and St. Albans. The rebellion was put down and the queen took poison rather than submit.

Romans in England

In 122 Hadrian` s Wall was built to keep out the raiding Picts and Scots. Romans established many towns and cities like York, St Albans, Bath and London. Place names ending in – caster and –chester reveal the places of Roman military camps. The Roman baths in Bath (Aquae Sulis) were built between the 1st and 4th centuries around a natural hot spring. Romans brought to England Christianity and in the 4th century they established the Christian Church in Britain.

Queen Boudicca

Roman Baths Anglo-Saxon Britain

Roman legions left Britain in 410 and by the mid-5th century, Angles, Saxons and Jutes from Northern Germany and Denmark had started to raid the eastern shores of Britain. Soon Saxon kingdoms (including Wessex, Mercia and Northumbria) were established. The new settlers destroyed Roman villas and lived in small farming communities. But in the 7th century the towns began to spring up as the trade increased. Many towns had names ending in “ham”, which is the Anglo-Saxon word for “home”.

Society Saxon kings were supported by nobles but free peasants formed the majority of the population. The Celts who were not absorbed or enslaved were driven away to remote areas such as Wales and Cornwall or to upland. Anglo-Saxons were an agricultural people. The villages were self- sufficient. Arable-farming and cattle-breeding were very important.

Culture The Angles gave England its name (Angel-land) and the Saxons the language and their mythology. The legends of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table are based on a Celtic leader who defended his country against Anglo-Saxons. The heroic epic poem “Beowulf” was recorded in writing.

Religion In 579 St Augustine from Rome became the Archbishop of Canterbury and the conversion of the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity began. The Roman monks brought many books to Britain and helped to spread Roman culture in Britain. The most famous writer was the monk named The Venerable Bede (673-735) who wrote “Ecclesiastical History of the English People”, is also called “father of English history”.

King Egbert became the first king of England and under his rule all the small Anglo-Saxon kingdoms formed one kingdom called England. Vikings

The Vikings invaded Britain at the end of the 8th century. The Viking people came from Denmark, Norway and Sweden. They settled in northern Scotland and eastern England. In Ireland, Vikings founded Dublin. The Vikings lived in tribes and were pagans.

Invading Wessex

The Danes invaded Wessex again in 871. Under the reign of King Albert, Wessex became the centre of resistance against the Vikings. The army of horsemen was increased and the first British Navy was built. The Anglo-Saxons won several victories over the Danes, who were allowed to settle in the northern boundary that separated the Danelaw from Wessex. York was made the capital.

King Alfred

King Alfred was very smart, he could read and write and translated Ecclesiastical History of the English People. During his reign The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle was written in Anglo- Saxon. During this time Anglo-Saxon was spoken by the people and Latin was the language of the church.

Danish king Canute

In 1016 the Danish king Canute (Cnut or Knut) conquered England. He became king of Denmark, Norway and England. He divided England into territorial lordships and ended the practice of paying Danegeld. After Canute`s death the throne was soon passed to Edward the Confesser.

Canute and tide Norman Conquest

Edward the Confessor became king in 1042. His reign is marked by the demographic growth and agrarian expansion. After his death Harold Godwin (the Earl of Wessex), William (the Duke of Normandy) and Harald Hardraada (the King of Norway) claimed the throne. On 25 September 1066 Godwin defeated Harald Hardraada at Stamford Bridge. At the same time Duke William had landed on the south coast and the English king marched to Hastings. The Normans won the battle and king Harold was mortally wounded. The Battle of Hastings is depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry. On Christmas Day (in 1066) William was acclaimed king in Westminster Abbey. The Normans created an aristocracy and treated Anglo-Saxons as serfs. In 1086 the Domesday Book was compiled for tax purposes. French was spoken by aristocracy, Latin was the language of clergy and English became the language of the peasants. The White Tower in London and Durham are remains from Norman England.

Bayeux Tapestry

The Early Middle Ages

The Anglo-Saxons often rebelled against the Normans and William the Conqueror had to create a strong monarchy. He gave to his nobles small pieces of land in different parts of the country. He created new state-system, organizing the kingdom according to the feudal system. William controlled both Normandy and England.

When William died in 1087, he left the duchy of Normandy to his son Robert and England to his second son William Rufus, who died soon and as at this time Robert was in war, the third brother Henry was crowned king. In 1106 Henry invaded Normandy and reunited Normandy and England. His only son was drowned at sea., so Henry I’s hopes rested on his daughter Matilda, who married Geoffrey Plantagenet, heir to Anjou.

Matilda lived in France and when Henry` s nephew (son of Adela, the daughter of William I) Stephen of Blois seized the throne, she invaded England. This fight led to civil war. In 1153 it was agreed that Stephen could keep the throne if Matilda` s son Henry could succeed him. The Plantagenets

Henry II (1154-1189) Inherited the English kingdom, Normandy, Anjou, Maine and Touraine. He married Eleanor of Aquitaine and acquired vast areas of France. He was a strong king. Henry II quarreled with his wife and their sons Richard and John took mother` s side. He quarrelled with Thomas à Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, finally had him murdered in his cathedral.

Richard I (Richard the Lionheart) (1189-1199) Henry II`s son. Richard spoke little English (but was well educated) and spent only seven months in England, the rest of the time he was on crusades. Richard was killed there in a battle.

John I (John Lackland) (1199-1216) Richard I`s brother. John lost the Plantagenet dominions in France, taxed heavily his nobles and quarreled with the Pope. In 1215 he was forced to sign Magna Carta, the predecessor of the Constitution, which defined the rights of the crown. During John` s reign, the first stone bridge across the Thames was built in 1206.

Henry III (1216-1272) Henry was John` s son. Patronized arts, constructed Salisbury Cathedral. In 1265 the 1st parliament was summoned, but after the quarrels Henry reassumed control of the government.

Edward I (1272-1307) Henry III` s son. He brought together the first real parliament in 1295, annexed Wales to England in 1282, brought Scotland under English control. Trying to have good relations with France, he married his son Edward to the daughter of the king of France Isabella.

Edward II (1307-1327) A weak king. He did not love his wife Isabella and she fell in love with Roger Mortimer. Together they forced Edward to abdicate in favour of his son. Edward III (1312-1377) Claimed the French throne and started the 100 Years’ War. During the war: Geoffrey Cahaucer` s “Canterbury Tales”, the Bible was translated into English, Winchester College was established in 1382, Oxford University. Edward III founded the Order of the Garter in 1348. During his reign Black Death killed half of the population of England.

Richard II (1377-1399) Edward III` s grandson, who became king at the age of 11. His advisers introduced a tax payment which caused a revolt. Richard suppressed the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381.

The Wars of the Roses 1455-1485

In 1377 Richard II became king and was placed under the control of his uncle John, duke of Lancaster, who wanted his son Henry to become the king. There was another possible successor, the son of his uncle Edmund, who was the Duke of York. The nobility was divided between those who remained loyal to the House of Lancaster and those, who supported the duke of York. The House of York was identified with a white rose, Lancaster with a red rose.

House of Lancaster: Henry IV (1399-1413) – spent his reign establishing his royal authority Henry V (1413-1422) – one of England` s favourite kings Henry VI (1422-1471) – The Wars of the Roses began in 1455 with the battle of Saint Albans

House of York: Edward IV (1461-1483) – became king when the York forces crushed the Lancaster army Edward V (1483) Richard III (1452-1485) - was killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 against Henry Tudor (Henry VII) ending the Wars of the Roses. (A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!)

Richard III The Tudors

The House of Tudor ruled the kingdom from 1485 until 1603.

Henry VII (1485-1509) His claim to the throne derived from his mother. On 18 January 1486 he married Elizabeth of York and united the Houses of York and Lancaster. He had 7 children: Arthur Tudor (Prince of England), Margaret Tudor, Henry VIII (King of England), Elizabeth Tudor, Mary Tudor, Edmund Tudor (Duke of Somerset) and Katherine Tudor. Henry arranged a marriage between his son Arthur and the daughter of the king of Spain and a marriage between his daughter Margaret and James VI of Scotland. He kept England out of European wars.

Henry VIII (1509-1547) Kept a magnificent court. He married Catherine of Aragon (widow of his brother, Arthur) in 1509 and divorced her in 1533. This marriage produced one daughter, Mary. Then he secretly married Anne Boleyn, who bore a daughter Elisabeth. Anne was beheaded. King`s third wife died, he divorced his fourth wife, fifth was beheaded and Henry` s sixth wife outlived him. Henry's obsession with producing a male heir led to the separation of the Church of England from Roman Catholicism.

Edward VI (1547-1553) Died at the age of 16, as he was under legal age, the country was ruled by a council. After his death, Lady Jane Grey reigned for nine days.

Mary I (1553-1558) The first queen of England since Matilda. Unfortunate marriage with King Philip of Spain. Enacted a policy of persecution against Protestants and earned the nickname “Bloody Mary”.

Elizabeth I (1558-1603) Never married to keep England out of wars, led England back to Protestantism. She made England a powerful country and defeated Spanish Armada. Supported arts, golden age of theatre. Elizabeth agreed to Mary Stuart` s execution. The Stuarts

Mary 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` s 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. Georgian era

The Georgian Age (1714 until the French Revolution) was the age of the Enlightenment. Britain had the strongest navy in the world and trade was very important. The ministers became real decision-makers.

George I (1714-1727) George I, grandson of James, was the first monarch of the House of Hanover to rule Britain. After the death of Queen Anne, some Tories wanted the deposed James II` s son James to return to Britain. But James did not want to give up his religion and tried to win the throne in war. In 1715 he started a rebellion against George I, but was defeated. Towards the end of George`s reign, actual power was held by Sir Robert Walpole, who is considered to be the first Prime Minister of Great Britain. George spoke little English and the power of government rose during his reign. Walpole developed the idea of the “Cabinets” formed by ministers and made sure that the power of the king would always be limited by the constitution.

George II (1727-1760) During his reign, Lord Chatman became an important political enemy of Walpole, who wanted Britain to be economically strong and beat France in the race for an overseas trade empire. War with France (1756-1759).

George III ( 1760-1820) The first Hanoverian king to be born in Britain. In 1763 he made peace with France. Loss of the American colonies: A serious quarrel over taxation in 1764, Boston tea party in 1773. The American War of Independence from 1775 until 1783. July 1776- Declaration of Independence. Napoleonic wars (1793-1815), Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo in 1815 (by Wellington).

George IV (1820-1830) Between 1815 and 1835 Britain became a nation of townspeople, but the electoral system had remained virtually unchanged since 1680s. When the Tories collapsed over the Question of Catholic Emancipation in 1829, the Whigs were willing to implement parliamentary reform.

William IV (1830-1837) George IV` s liberal brother. Reform Bill in 1832, a political recognition that Britain had become an urban society. William was the last monarch to appoint a Prime Minister contrary to the will of Parliament. The Victorian Age

Queen Victoria (1837-1901) William IV` s niece. Came to throne at 18, married Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg & Gotha, reigned over 63 years, many of the royal families of Europe descend from Queen Victoria. Victoria loved her husband, they had nine children and when Albert died, she went into deep mourning, “Widow of Windsor”. During her reign Britain became the most powerful country in the world with the largest Empire that had ever existed (in 1876 Victoria became Empress of India). During Victoria` s reign, elementary education was made free. Important inventions and discoveries: Great Exhibition in 1851, in 1859 Charles Darwin published “Origin of Species”, in 1880 there was the first demonstration of electric lighting, antiseptic surgery, turbine engines, railway and first car. “Victorian values”, famous writers like Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde and Kipling.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert The Edwardian Age

Edward VII (1901-1910) Queen Victoria` s son. When he became king, he was 59 years old. He was successful, travelled the world on goodwill visits, promoted the “entente cordiale” with France and did his best to head off the approaching war with Germany. During the Edwardian era the British class system was very rigid. In 1903 Emmeline Pankhurst founded the Women`s Social and Political Union to fight for women`s suffrage. Darwinism melded with the rapid technological advances and Edwardians felt man to be invincible. When Germany started building a massive navy, an arms race began between Germany and Britain.

George V (1910-1936) Edward VIII` s son. The first sovereign of the House of Windsor (changed his family name). During his reign: the First World War, the Russian Revolution, the Irish troubles, votes for women, the General Strike, the Depression, the Rise of Hitler and the first radio broadcast by the reigning monarch. George was loved by his people. After the First World War, in 1931, Parliament passed a statute that recognized the dominions` (Canada, Australia, New Zealand , South Africa) complete independence from Britain (British Commonwealth).