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