Download Anglo – Saxon Kingdoms

Prehistoric Britain

Britain – the part of the European land mass until the last Ice Age
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6000 BC

The earliest inhabitants lived in limestone caves
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3000 BC many parts were inhabited by the Iberians
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They used stone axes and made antlers and bones into leather-working tools.
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We can learn from their skeletons, weapons, tools and the remains of dwellings.
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Stonehenge – 3000 BC; the sun and the passing of the seasons
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The ruins consist of two stone circles and two stone horseshoes.
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The Bronze Age 2100-1650
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The Technique of smelting iron 700 BC, By Celts
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Britain was invaded in two waves- the Gaels 600 BC, Cymri or Britons 300 BC

The Celts lived in villages, built forts on hilltops and protected them with ditches and
ramparts.
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Large-scale artwork
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Family life was the clan
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Croup of peoples loosely tied by similar language, religion and cultural expressions.
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Celtic languages are : Welsh, Cornish, Irish, Manx, Breton, Gaelic.
Roman Britain

The Romans were the most powerful people in the world.
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Slave society
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Gallia conquered with Rome
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Julius Caesar reached the Cannel in 55 BC
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Made two raids
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The Romans defeated the Celts
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Rebellion in Gaul forced withdraw his soldiers from Britan
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Britain was still ruled as a colony
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Free Celts
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The Iceni joined with Romans but the turned on and tortured Queen Boudicca
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Queen Boudicca - led revolt against Roman rule
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Romans built – network of towns, forts and camps connected by paved roads.
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Hadrian’s wall – to keep out the raiding Picts and Scots
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Main towns and cities were established by the Romans – York, St Albans, Bath,
London
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-caster, -chester reveal the places of Roman military camps
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Aquae Sulis
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R. soldiers and traders brought Christianity, 4th century the Christian Church was
established.
Anglo – Saxon Kingdoms

The Roman legions left Britain in 410 and the Celts remained independent but not for
long.
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Angles, Saxons, Jutes and Northern Germany had started to raid the eastern shores.

The new settlers destroyed Roman villas.
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Towns ending in “ham” ( Birmingham, Nottingham)
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The Celts were driven away to Cornwall, Wales and the Scottish Highlands and
Islands
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Welsh and Cymri has survived best

The Angles gave England the name and the Saxons language

Anglo – Saxons
o Agricultural people
o Self-sufficient villages
o Arable-farming, cattle-breeding
o Trading

King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.
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The Conversion of the Anglo-Saxons – 6th century, St
Augustine
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Important changes
o Big landed estates
o Spread of Roman culture ( monks)
o They brought books to Britain
o The First libraries and schools
o The Venerable Bede “Ecclesiastical History of the English People”
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“Beowulf”
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King Elbert became the first king of England
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Viking loanwords are – eye, leg, sky, skin, take etc.

They came from Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
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The Viking age in European history was AD 700 to 1100.

Many Vikings left Scandinavia and travelled other countries.
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The Vikings still lived in tribes and were pagans, bold and skilful seamen.
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871 the Danes invaded Wessex
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The first British Navy was built and many places fortified
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King Alfred
o Could read and write
o Translated Ecclesiastical History of the English People
o The Anglo- Saxon Chronicle was written in Anglo-Saxon

11th century England was conquered by the Danish king Canute who became king of
Denmark, Norway and England.
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He divided England into lordships, providing a unified system of government, ended
the practise of paying Danegeld.
The Norman Invasion
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1042 Edward Confessor became king
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After Edward’s death Godwin’s (father-in-law) oldest son Harold was recognised as a
king
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Real ruler of England
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Harold and William of Normandy argued about the throne
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Three man claimed to the throne of England
o Harold Godwin ; the Earl of Wessex
o William ; the Duke of Normandy
o Harald Hardraada ; the King of Norway
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1st challenge to king Harold came from the north
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1066, Harald landed in north-eastern England
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Godwin defeated Harald
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Duke William had landed on the south coast
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The Battle of Hastings
o Last successful invasion of Britain
o It is depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry
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William the Conqueror was acclaimed king in Westminster Abbey, 1066
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The Normans operated a feudal system
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1086 The Domesday Book – s survey of every manor in England
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French – language of the arictocracy
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English – language of peasants
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The most prominent surviving remains from Norman England
o Stone castles
o The White Tower in London, Durham
The Early Middle Ages
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Anglo-Saxon rebellion against the Normans until 1070
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William I
o State system
o Strong monarchy
o Language
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“Domesday” Book – complete economic survey
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William controlled Normandy and England
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1087 he left Normandy to his son Robert and England to his second son William
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William died in a hunting accident and Henry unfairly took charge of the king’s
treasury and was crowned king
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1106 Hendry invaded Normandy
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Henry + Matilda
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The consequences were serious

The throne was seized by Stephen of Blois
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Matilda’s fight with S of B led a civil war
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1153 – the latter could keep the throne if Matilda’s son Henry could succeed him.
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Henry II became the 1st unquestioned ruler of the English throne.
The Reign Of Henry II, Richard I, John I
Magna Carta and the Decline of Feudalism
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Henry II
o Inherited English Kingdom and Normandy from his Mother Matilda
o Anjou, Maine and Touraine from his father Geoffrey
o Acquired vast areas of central and south-western France through his wife
Eleanor of Aquitaine
o Though, athletic, immense energy- travel ceaselessly
o Most able king – generous, pillar of justice
o Sons Richard and John
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Struggle between the Church and the state
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1162 Henry II appointed Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterbury
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Henry was followed by Richard
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Spent hardly any time in England
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R. was killed; 1199 John I inherited the throne

Unpopular- had taxed heavily his nobles, had taken their money but had not protected
their land in France
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Pope closed every church
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John was forced to sign Magna Carta
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Defining the rights and responsibilities of the crown and its subjects
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Limited king’s power
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Important landmarks
o 1st stone bridge across the Thames
o It concluded a drawbridge, a double row of houses and some 140 shops.
England under the Reign of Henry III and Edward I
100 years’ war

John’s son Henry
o Reigned for a long time
o Middling head of state
o Was not able to get back his father’s lands in France
o Patronized arts and inspired the improvements of Westminster Abbey and
construction of Salisbury Cathedral
o First parliament was summoned in 1265
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His son Edward I
o Brought together 1st real parliament
o Annexed Wales to England
o Brought Scotland under English control
o Tried to have good relations with Philip IV
o They married their children (Isabella + Edward II)
o Consequences were disastrous and Isabella forced Edward to abdicate in
favour of his 14-year-old son
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Edward III
o One of the most successful English monarchs
o The most efficient military power in Europe
o His reign saw vital developments in legislature and government
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100 year’s war (1337-1453)
o The struggle began with Edward’s claim to the French throne
o War began well for England
o Mysterious peasant Joan of Arc
o French went on winning
o England had lost all its French possessions except Calais

English literature was born with G. Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales”
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Bible was translated into English
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1st school Winchester College was established in 1382
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“Canterbury Tales”
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A native architectural style (Cambridge)
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Oxford University
The Age of Chivalry, the Poor in Revolt
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Edward III and the Black Prince were greatly admired.
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Symbols of the “code of chivalry”
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Order of the Garter
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Gave England a new patron saint, St. George
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“Honi soit qui mal y pense”
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The Black Death (1348-1349)
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Edward was followed by Richard II
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He became king at the age of 11, so others governed for him
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His advisers introduced a tax payment
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The third time in 1381, caused a revolt in East Anglia, Kent
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The Peasants Revolt
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Lasted 4 weeks
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Leader Wat Tyler was killed
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Richard II managed to calm down the angry crowd
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His officers killed the other leading rebels
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1st sign of growing discontent with the state.
The Crisis of Kingship, the Wars of the Roses
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After 100 Year’s War many of soldiers became unemployed
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Lancastrians and Yorkist fought for the control of the throne
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1377 Richard II became king
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Young king was placed under control of his uncle John, Duke of Lancaster
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He prepared the throne for his son Henry IV
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Other successor – the son of his uncle Edmund, Duke of York
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Henry was stronger
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Established his royal authority
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Nobility were divided between the Lancastrians and the Yorkists
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The house of York – white rose; Henry had no right to be king; better right, because
they were descended from and older son of Edward III
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Lancaster – red rose
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War 1455 with the battle of Saint Albans
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Edward York became king as Edward IV
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Edward V and his brother was killed in the Tower of London
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Richard III
o Last king of the House of York
o “A horse, a horse! My kingdom for a horse!”
The Tudors
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European royal house
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1485 – 1603
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1st monarch Henry Tudor
o Built foundations of a wealthy nation state and a powerful country
o His son Henry VIII make church truly English
o Elizabeth defeated the powerful navy of Spain
o Less glorious view: Henry VIII wasted a lot of the wealth saved by his father
o Elizabeth weakened the quality of government by selling official posts
The early Tudors

Henry VII
o Was born in Wales
o Edmund Tudor, Lady Margaret Beaufort
o Established new monarchy
o Based royal power on good business
o Avoided quarrels with Scotland in the north or France in the south
o Important alliances
o His son Arthur + Catherine of Aragon
o Marriage between his daughter Margaret and James IV of Scotland
o He kept England out of European wars

Henry VIII
o Catherine of Aragon – divorced
o Anne Boleyn – beheaded
o Jane Seymour – died
o Anne of Cleves – divorced
o Catherine Howard – beheaded
o Catherine Parr – survived
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Parliament passed two acts
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The pope had no authority in England
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The act of Supremacy – made the Church of England a separate institution, established
king as its supreme head
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The reformation in England
Reformation-the background
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Henry VIII spent so much on wars and court
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The church was a huge landowner
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The monks lived in wealth and comfort
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Henry disliked the power of church in England
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He wanted control the Church
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Believed in catholic faith
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Once E. had accepted the separation from Rome, H. took the
English reformation a step further
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Thomas Cromwell
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Careful survey of Church property
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Closed monasteries and religious houses
The Later Tudors. The Protestant – Catholic struggle
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Edward VI became king after Henry VIII death
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The county was ruled by a council
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Edward died at the age of 16
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Jane Gray was his successor
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The Nine Days’ Queen
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The privy council change sides and Lady Jane was executed
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Mary + king Philip of Spain
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Enacted a policy a persecution against Protestants
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Nickname “Bloody Mary”
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Elizabeth became queen

Led E. back to Protestantism and made herself head of the Church
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The struggle between Catholics and Protestants
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Spain and French kings wanted to marry Elizabeth
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Danger from the Catholic nobles in England
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Mary Stuart Queen of Scots
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Closest living relative
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Elizabeth never married and had no children
The Elizabethan Age
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Spain as main trade rival and enemy
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The defeat of the Spanish Armada
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Prosperous period
o Greatest dramatists
o Seamen continued to seek alternative routes to India
o A number of companies were established
The early Stuarts

Mary Queen of Scots – fascinating and controversial monarchs
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She claimed the crowns of four nations – Scotland, France, England
and Ireland
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Mary + Francois; short marriage, no children
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Mary + Lord Darnley; instead of marrying Lord Dudley; unpopular

When she got tired of him, she allowed herself to agree to his murder
and married the man believed to have been the murderer; less
popular
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Her third marriage ended in forced abdication in favour of her one-year-old-son

Tried and executed for treason for her alleged involvement in three plots to assassinate
Elizabeth

James started to rule at the age of 12

When E. died, she left James with a huge debt
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Raise taxes

Mistake- appointing one Elizabeth’s minister as Chief Justice

Limited kings power

The Gunpowder plot of November 5, 1605.

Guy Fawkes and others were caught to blow up the House of Lords on a open session
day.
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Authorised King James’ Version of the Bible
James; Charles; The Civil War; Execution of King; Cromwell
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James Stuart’s reign
o Scottish Catholic who believed in the “Divine right” to rule as he pleased
o Conflict with parliament
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Charles I, 1600
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1625 became king
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Married Henrietta Maria of France
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Tension with parliament over money
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Dissolved parliament in three times
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He dismissed parliament, resolved to rule alone
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The Civil War at Edgehill, 1642
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Supporters on monarchy-Cavaliers
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Supporters on parliament-Roundheads
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1645, the Royalist army was finally defeated

New “model” army that Oliver Cromwell
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The new king Charles II
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The 1st political parties in Britain
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Whigs
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Tories
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The Plague in 1665
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The Great Fie of London in 1666
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His brother James II succeeded him

The king was unable to raise taxes or keep an army without the agreement of
parliament
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The political events was called the Glorious Revolution

Prince William was not liked, but his wife was very popular

Queen Anne
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1st monarch to rule over the Kingdom of Great Britain

Parliamentary elections had a decisive effect on the life of the country
The Commonwealth (1649-1660). Oliver Cromwell

The term is loosely used to describe the whole period of 1649-1660

Cromwell’s government divided the country into 11 districts

Most of entertainment was banned

Oliver Cromwell
o Most controversial figures
o A radical dictator
o Nobody can deny the importance of the new “model-army” that he had created
o On the side of the “Roundheads” and became a key military leaders
o A Puritan
o Enjoyed music, hunting and playing bowls
o Was buried in Westminster Abbey
The eighteenth century
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Growth of industries

Britain had the strongest navy

King’s minister was a decision-maker

The invention of machinery destroyed the “cottage industries” and created factories

Sudden growth of cities

George became king; didn’t speak English, didn’t seem very interested in his country

Government power was increased

Walpole came to power as a result of his financial ability
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Idea – government ministers should work together in a small group

The limits to monarchy
o Could not be a catholic
o Could not move or change laws
o Was dependent on Parliament for his financial income and for his army
o Was supposed to choose his ministers

W. put taxes on luxury goods: tea, coffee, chocolate

New king, George III

Didn’t want ton continue expensive war

Made peace with France

Britain’s international trade increased rapidly
Britain from George III to Victoria

The Georgian Age

Age of Enlightenment

George III
o Hanoverian king
o Could speak without accent
o Defeated France
o Becoming the dominant European power in North-America, India
o American colonies lost
o A series of wars against revolutionary and Napoleonic France

Loss of American colonies
o Conflict between B. and American colonies triggered by the financial cost of
the Anglo-French wars
o 1764 – serious quarrel over taxation
o American colonist decided that it was not lawful to tax them without their
agreement
o 1773, Boston tea party
o Rebellion
o The American War Of Independence (1775-1783)
o Declaration of Independence
o The war in America gave strength to the new ideas of democracy and
independence.

Napoleonic wars
o Brought changes to Europe and America
o 1804 Bonaparte crowned himself Emperor
o Nelson, Trafalgar in 1805
o Wellington, with the help of the Prussian army, defeated Napoleon at Waterloo
in 1815

The Danger at home, 1815 -1832
o No need for factory-made goods
o Price increases in almost everything
o Many looked for a better life in towns
o The Tories collapsed over the Question of Catholic Emancipation
o Led by Earl Grey, the Whigs were still aristocratic party

In 1830 George IV died and William came to the throne
o Last monarch to appoint a Prime Minister contrary to the will of Parliament
o William was succeeded by his niece Queen Victoria
Victorian England

Inherited throne from William IV

Britain was the most powerful country

“The Empire on which the Sun never set”

1854, war in Crimea

Florence Nightingale with nurses

1857 a munity in India

Victoria became Empress of India and the country
was put under the direct rule of Britain

Industrial Revolution

The use of steam-machines led to a huge increase in the number of factories

Child labouring

Education

Important inventions and discoveries
o Joseph Lister – the antiseptic surgery
o Steamships
o Railways
o The first book of evolution

Christianity had a very important influence on Victorian society
o Hard work
o Thrift and respect

Famous Writers
o Charles Dickens
o Oscar Wilde
o R. Kipling
The Edwardian Age, World War I and the Post-War Years

Edward VII

The Edwardian era was a period during which the British
class system was very rigid

Emmeline Pankhurst founded union that fought for
women’s suffrage

The Edwardian period corresponds to the French Belle
Epoque period

The church no longer played as vital a role in the daily
lives

Many things had been invented
o Telephones, typewriters, sewing machines,
motorcars, aeroplanes, wireless

1910 Edward died and was succeeded by George V

He proved to be a capable and dedicated leader

Changed family name to Windsor because of the strong anti-German feeling of the
British during the World War I

Pre-war events
o Two alliances: Britain, France and Russia vs Germany and Austria-Hungary
o The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand

Treaty of Versailles
o Britain got several German and Turkish colonies
o British Empire increased in size
o Britain could no longer afford to keep an empire

1931 – the dominions’ complete independence from Britain
The Irish Problem

Problems
o The Irish are descended fro the Celtic people
o Protestants occupied Ireland and made it a colony

1689, James II landed an army in Ireland

1801 the Act of Union stated that Ireland was part of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland

1914, a bill was passed giving Dublin government full control and it was due to
become law

Easter Rising; 1916

The controversy was lost in the tragedy of World War I

With the end of war the Irish question rose again

Irish question rose again

1921 – the B. government agreed to the independence of southern Ireland

1937 Prime minister declared Ireland a republic