1.
Celtic Britain 3000 BC – AD 43
55 and 54 BC - Caesar made two expeditions to Britain
2. Roman Britain AD 43 – ca 446/ Roman and Anglo-Saxon England (55 BC – AD
1066)
AD 43 - Claudian Conquest of Britain
AD 120 - Emperor Hadrian visited Britain and ordered the construction of a
defensive wall (to protect Roman Britain against Scottish tribes)
Roman legacy: roads / forts (locations for future cities) / Christianity
3. Anglo-Saxon Britain ca 446 – 1066
ca. 446 – 577 The Anglo-Saxon Invasion (by Angles, Saxons and Jutes)
871-899 Alfred the Great of Wessex (defended England against Vikings)
4. Early Middle Ages (1066-1202)/ England under Norman Rule 1066 – 1154/ 5. The
Plantagenets 1154 – 1399
1066: Norman Invasion: Battle of Hastings (William of Normandy was crowned as
King of England on Christmas day 1066 at Westminster)
William I the Conqueror (King of England 1066-1087)
Henry I (King of England 1100-1135) confrontation with elder Rother, Robert
Curthose (Robert defeated, imprisoned and blinded) / Matilda, Henry’s
daughter, married Geoffrey, the Count of Anjou’s son their son, Henry, would
become the first King of England of the House of Anjou (or – after an emblem
which his father used in his coat of arms – the first English Plantagenet King)
Henry II (King of England 1154-1189) wife: Eleanor of Aquitaine (enormous
French possessions) / Gregorian Reform: Henry II’s Conflict with Thomas
Beckett/ The Empire of Henry II 1154 - 1199
Richard the Lionheart (1189-1199) 3rd Crusade / Captured by Holy Roman
Emperor
CHANGES after the Norman Conquest
(1066-1135)
Language – a well-educated Englishman was trilingual: English / French / Latin
Rise of bureaucracy: only about 2,000 writs survive from the whole of the Anglo-
Saxon period; from the 13th century alone there are tens of thousands
Rise of literacy – development of higher learning: Oxford established towards the
end of 11th century
Because the king would often be away in Normandy, a vice-regal committee
would meet twice a year to audit the accounts of sheriffs (development of the
Exchequer)
5. Crisis of Royal Authority (1215-1272)/ Parliament 1199 – 1267
John the Lackland (King of England: 1199-1216)
MAGNA CARTA – 1215
6. Edward I to Edward III (1272-1337)
Edward I ‘Longshanks’ (King of England: 1272-1307) Conquest of Wales / waged
war against Scotland and attempted to conquer it (William Wallace
(“Braveheart”) Rebellion of 1305) Supremacy of the English / Edward I 1267 -
1337
Under Edward I Parliament developed and began to meet regularly
representation in Parliament broadened to include: two knights from each county,
two burgesses from each borough and two citizens from each city (1295: Model
Parliament - beginning of House of Commons)
Edward II (King of England: 1307-1327) weak king / deposed by wife, the French
Princess Isabella, and her lover, Mortimer, and English Barons whom the King
ignored in favour of low-born favourites / Also: Setback in Scotland: 1314 – Battle
of Bannockburn lost by English
Edward III (King of England: 1327-1377) became King when his father was
deposed / Shortly after his 18th birthday (1330) Edward III seized power from his
mother Isabella and her lover Mortimer / In 1333 Edward III renewed claims of
English sovereignty over Scotland Scotland -> backed by France -> when the
French King Philip VI declared the confiscation of England’s last continental
possessions (Gascony) Edward decided to openly confront the French King: to
everyone’s great surprise Edward III laid claim to the French crown (1337) ->
Beginning of Hundred Years’ War
7. England during the Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453)/ Lancaster vs. York: Wars of
the Roses 1399 – 1485
1346: Battle of Crécy (Edward’s victory proved the effectiveness of the English
longbow used en masse against armoured knights) / 1346-47: Siege and capture of
Calais / at the same time the Scots attacked from the north but were defeated in
England at the Battle of Neville's Cross (October 1346)
Interlude Black Death: 1348-1351
1356-1360 – Stage II of Edward’s Campaign Battle of Poitiers: 1356 (French Kinh
captured) / 1360: Treaty of Bretigny (Edward III regained most of the Plantagenet
estates in southern France, and was to hold them without doing homage to the
French King)
Richard II (King of England: 1377-1399) -> Edward III’s grandson / he was 9 years
old when he became king / Richard’s uncle, John of Gaunt, was the de facto ruler of
England / when Richard began to take over the business of government himself he
intended to follow a policy of peace with France and he sidelined many important
nobles who wanted to continue the war -> the nobles rose against Richard (Lords
Apellant & The Merciless Parliament: 1388) / in the 1390s Richard managed to
limit the influence of the Lords Appellant and of his uncle – John of Gaunt: he also
banished Gaunt’s son Henry of Bolingbroke on a pretext in 1399. 100 Years War /
Fall of Richard II 1337 – 1399.
Henry returned from exile with an army provided by the King of France to reclaim his
father's lands (Lancaster -> Lancashire) Henry gathered an army and deposed
Richard II (Richard arrested and soon probably starved to death)
Henry V (King of England: 1413-1422) 🡪 In 1415 Henry renewed English claim
to the French Crown, inaugurating the third and perhaps the most famous stage of
the Hundred Years’ War >> Henry raided northern France in a campaign similar to
that of 1346 culminating in the Battle of Agincourt
1429: Joan of Arc / 1453: Battle of Castillon (end of Hundred Years’ War 🡪 exactly
116 years: from 1337 to 1453)
Consequences of the Hundred Years’ War
England substituted a paid army for one drawn from feudal obligation. Standing
armies could protect the king from internal threats and keep the population in
check: it was a major step in the early developments towards centralised nation-
states that eroded the medieval social order.
The war stimulated nationalistic sentiment: the conflict became one of not just
Kings but a conflict between the English and French peoples
The consequences of new weapons and tactics meant that the nobility was no
longer the deciding factor in battle: peasants armed with longbows or firearms
could gain access to the power, rewards and prestige once reserved only for
knights
The war raised questions about the extent of royal authority: see 🡪 the English
Good Parliament and the French Great Ordinance which held that the Estates
General should meet at regular intervals independent of the king’s call
8. The Tudor Age (1485-1603) – Part One: Henry VII & Henry VIII/ 7. The Tudors
1485 – 1603
Henry VII (King of England: 1485-1509) 🡪 diplomatic marriages: Henry’s VII’s
son Arthur married Catherine of Aragon, Princess of the newly-united Spanish
Kingdom (1479) > Later, after Arthur died in 1502, Catherine married his
younger brother – Henry (future Henry VIII); also: Henry VII’s daughter
Margaret was married to King James IV of Scotland. Important: Whose
grandparents were James IV and Margaret Tudor? James V
Henry VIII (King of England: 1509-1547) Wives with whom Henry had children:
Catherine of Aragon, daughter Mary / Anne Boleyn, daughter Elizabeth / Jane
Seymour, son Edward.
Break with Rome - Thomas Cromwell: chief advisor to Henry / Thomas
Cranmer: made by Henry Archbishop of Canterbury / 1533: establishment of the
Anglican Church / 1534: Act of Supremacy / opposition to the Break 🡪 Sir
Thomas More / 1536-1539: Dissolution of the Monasteries (In 1536 Henry adopted
the policy of dissolving monasteries in order to seize their possessions >> Henry
needed money and land to grant to his supporters and the new Tudor gentry) / 1539:
The Six Articles (They reaffirmed Catholic doctrine on issues such as:
transubstantiation / the reasonableness of withholding of the cup from the laity during
communion / clerical celibacy / observance of vows of chastity / permission for
private masses / the importance of auricular confession 🡪 The Six Articles reaffirmed
the fact that although Henry wrested control over the English church from Rome, he
did not alter the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church >> The Catholic nations in
Europe, were now forced to concede that Henry was not so great a heretic after all)
Conflict in Europe between Charles V Holy Roman Emperor (1519-1556) on one
side and Francis I King of France (1515-1547) and the German Protestant
League (Schmalkaldic League) on the other.
Charles V sacked Rome in 1527 (Sacco di Roma) How was Charles V related to Henry
VIII’s first wife? Why was this important?
SECTION 7: The Tudor Age (1485-1603) – Part Two: Elizabeth I Queen Elizabeth I:
1558-1603
1559: Act of Uniformity
1568: Netherlands - Beginning of the 80 Years’ War 1585: Treaty of Nonsuch Why did
English involvement in the 80 Years’ War lead to England’s war with Spain?
England's support for the rebellious Netherlands against Spain. Execution, under the judgment
of Elizabeth I, Queen of Scotland Maria Stuart. Corsair activities on the trade routes used by
Spain and Portugal.
Francis Drake (c.1540-1596) traveled round the world / led the English navy against the
Armada
Mary Stuart king of scots 1558 she married the 14-year-old Dauphin François. In 1559
François’s father died and he became King Francis II of France. Mary became Queen Consort
of France > encouraged by the French, Mary declared herself Queen of England > but
already in 1560 Francis II died of an ear infection. 🡪 Mary returned to Scotland soon after her
husband's death > Mary, being a devout Roman Catholic, was regarded with suspicion by
many of her Protestant subjects. 🡪 In 1565 Mary married Lord Darnley a descendant of
Henry VII Of England > Queen Elizabeth was infuriated by the marriage because Mary's and
Darnley's Scottish and English royal blood would produce children with extremely strong
claims to both Mary's and Elizabeth's thrones. 🡪 Mary’s and Darnley’s only child – James
(the future James VI of Scotland and James I of England) 🡪 Darnley murders David
Rizzio, later Darnley himself is killed (probably on Mary’s orders) 🡪 1567: The Scottish
nobility turned against Mary and her new husband (whom she married without the noble’s
consent) Bothwell > the nobles raised an army against Mary who was defeated, imprisoned
and forced to abdicate 🡪 A year later (1568) she escaped from prison and raised an
army but was once more defeated at the Battle of Langside and then Mary fled to
England 🡪 When Mary entered England she was arrested by Elizabeth’s officers. 🡪 She
was imprisoned at Sheffield Manor where she would spend the rest of her life. ALSO
VERY IMPORTANT! 🡪 1586: The Babington Plot / 1587: Mary is tried and executed
1585: SPAIN (King Philip II of Spain) declares war on ENGLAND / 1588: in response to
Mary Stuart's death, the Spanish Armada sailed to England to depose Elizabeth
In IRELAND - Nine Years War / Hugh O'Neill
9. Charles I, the English Civil War, the Commonwealth & the Restoration (1625-
1660)/ The Stuarts / Revolution! 1603 – 1714
Charles I (King of England: 1625-1649) Charles continued to struggle with the
Parliament over issues of prerogative (TAXES!)
William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury persecuted religious dissenters (all those
[not only Catholics] who did not want to recognize the King as Head of the Church)
1438: First Bishops’ War the Church of Scotland abolished Episcopalian Church
government (governance of the Church by Bishops) replacing it with Presbyterian
government (local governance by Elders and Deacons) Charles saw this as a rebellion
against his authority and wanted to put it down. In 1639 Charles wanted to collect
taxes to fund the war against Scottish Presbytarians, but his English subjects refused to
sponsor it: the confrontation ended for Charles in a humiliating truce.
1640: the “Short” and the „Long” Parliament (LONG PARLIAMENT: King
forced into various concessions, for example: Triennial Act required that
Parliament was to be summoned at least once every three years, and that when
the King failed to issue summons, the members could assemble on their own 🡪
unexpectedly in 1641 the Irish Rebellion broke out 🡪 The Parliament had to raise tax
for an army to fight the rebels in Ireland, but it feared that the King might use it
against Parliament itself 🡪 Charles’ parliamentary opponents attempted to pass a
special Militia Bill to deprive the King of the control of the army 🡪 Charles
attempts to arrest those MPs who suggested introducing the Militia Bill, but they have
already fled 🡪 early 1642: WAR between King and Parliament BREAKS OUT
The Irish Cessation Charles then signed a truce with the Irish rebels in order to to set
free his army to fight in England (this was very unpopular in England 🡪 many of
those who were still undecided whose they were on to join the Parliamentarians
Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658) NEW MODEL ARMY (nicknamed “the
Ironsides”, The New Model Army was raised from among veteran soldiers who
were zealous Puritans devoted to Cromwell) Battle of Naseby, June 1645:
Ironsides’ decisive victory 🡪 By May 1646 the Royalists were defeated and Charles
surrendered himself to the Scots, who were later forced to hand the King over to the
leaders of the New Model Army 1648: the Scots, afraid of Cromwell’s political
radicalism, joined forces with the Royalists (King’s supporters) and attacked the New
Model Army, but were defeated by Cromwell at the Battle of Preston
Early 1649: trial and execution of Charles I
1649-1660: The English Commonwealth led by Cromwell (until his death in 1658)
as Lord Protector
1649-1653: Cromwell’s Conquest of Ireland
The Restoration – 1660 Charles I’s son, Charles, is returned to the throne as
Charles II
10. Queen Anne to beginning of Napoleonic Wars (1702-1792)/ The Hannoverians
1714 – 1837
1701: Act of Settlement Act of Union 1707 (Crowns of Scotland and England
united)
George I (King of England: 1714-1727) First English monarch of the House of
Hanover
Robert Walpole (1676 – 1745) “1st Prime Minister of Great Britain”
1756 – 1763: Seven Years’ War In North America, France lost to Britain all of its
possessions east of the Mississippi. The war ended France's position as a major
colonial power in the Americas and its position as the leading power in Europe, until
the time of the French Revolution. Great Britain, meanwhile, emerged as the
dominant colonial power in the world.
George III (1760-1820) The king under whom England lost its North American
colonies. 1775-1783: American Revolution
11. Napoleonic Wars to 19th Queen Victoria (1798-1837)
Admiral Horatio Nelson (1758 – 1805) 1798: Battle of the Nile / 1805: Battle of
Trafalgar
1798: Irish Rebellion 1800: Act of Union (Union of England, Scotland and Ireland)
1812-1813: Napoleon’s disastrous Russian campaign / 1814: the Allies entered Paris -
Napoleon abdicated on April 6 - the victors exiled Napoleon to the island of Elba –
Congress of Vienna starts / 1815: Napoleon’s last stand 🡪 defeated by the English
under Wellington [Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington]at Waterloo.
George IV (King of England: 1820-1830) 🡪 Social upheaval and revolutionary
turmoil (Peterloo Massacre at Manchester) / Catholics granted representation in UK
parliament – but economic census increased.
1832: Great Reform Act under Prime Minister Earl Grey (tak, ten od herbaty…)
🡪 the Act got rid of the inequities in the electoral system which were great; for
example, large towns such as Manchester and Birmingham elected no members
(though they were part of county constituencies), whilst minuscule boroughs such as
Old Sarum (with seven voters) elected two members of Parliament each. [Rotten
Boroughs] / The Act also increased the number of individuals entitled to vote,
increasing the size of electorate by 50–80%, and allowing a total of 653,000 adult
males (around one in five) to vote, in a population of some 14 million. Women did not
get the vote.
12. Queen Victoria – British Imperialism and Social Reform (1837-1901)/ Victorian
Britain 1837 – 1901 (1914)
Robert Peel (1840s Tory party is split)
William Gladstone (Liberal)
Benjamin Disraeli (Conservative)
1845-1852 Irish Potato Famine 1846 Corn Law repealed / What were the political
consequences of the repealing of the Corn Law? see Robert Peel above…
1867 Second Reform Act enfranchised all male householders
1872 – Ballot Act
1884 – Representation of the People Act
1918 – women over 30 given the vote
1928 – full suffrage for women
13. World War I to outbreak of World War II (1914-1939)/ Britain in and between
the World Wars 1914 – 1945
KING George V (1910-1938)
Triple Entente – 1907 (UK, France, Russia)
Battle of Gallipoli (April-Dec. 1915)
David Lloyd George (Prime Minister: 1916-1922)
Winston Churchill 🡪 Minister of Munitions in Lloyd George’s government
Labour Party – 1906 (win 29 seats in Mouse of Commons)
Ramsay MacDonald 🡪 first Labour Prime Minister (in 1924)
Ireland: Easter Rising – April 1916 / Irish War of Independence January 1919 - July 1921
Consequences? 🡪 Ireland split into North Ireland [still within the UK] and the Irish free State
Stanley Baldwin (Prime Minister, consevative) 🡪 Winston Churchill Chancellor of the
Exchequer (1924–1929) in Baldwin’s government / General Strike, May 3-12, 1926
During the General Strike of 1926, Churchill was reported to have suggested that machine
guns be used on the striking miners.
KING Edward VIII abdicates on 11 December 1936 🡪 his brother becomes George VI
(king: 1936-1952) [Queen Elizabeth II’s father]
Neville Chamberlain (Conservative Prime Minister 1937-1940) 🡪 Munich Agreement:
appeasement of Nazi Germany
Winston Churchill 🡪 Prime Minister 1940-1945
14. End of World War II to Suez Canal Crisis (1945-1956)/ Modern Britain /
Decolonization 1945 – 1963
After WWII:
Churchill’s Conservative Party loses General Elections of 1945 🡪 Clement Attlee
of the Labour Party becomes Prime Minister and represents UK at the Potsdam
Conference (Attlee, Truman, Stalin)
Palestine: in response to Israeli pressures the British announced their desire to terminate
the Palestine mandate and withdraw by May 1948 🡪 Israeli-Arab war breaks out: Israel
gains independence
India: 1947 Partition of India: India and East and West Pakistan gain independence (Lord
Louis Mountbatten last Viceroy of India)
1951: Conservatives back in power: 1951: Churchill refuses to join The European Coal
and Steel Community proposed by the French foreign minister Robert Schuman
Africa: 1956 Suez Canal Crisis (under Prime Minister Anthony Eden) dealt a humiliating
blow to UK’s post-war colonial ambitions
12. Modern Britain
Labour vs. Conservative
Harold Wilson
PM 1964-1970 & 1974-1976
LABOUR
Margaret Thatcher
PM 1979-1990
CONSERVATIVE
