British History

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British History

• Part 2 After the Normans

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Late British History

• After the Normans, British history can be
  divided into Dynasties
• Anglo-Normans (1066 1215)
• Middle Ages (1216 1347)
• Late Medieval (1348 1484)
• Tudors (1485 1602)
• Stuarts (1603 1713)
• Georgians (1714 1836)
• Victorians (1837 1900)

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Who were the Normans?

• The Normans were originally Vikings (North Men)
  from Scandinavia
• They settled in a part of France called Normandy
• The Normans were the last people to successfully
  invade England

Normandy
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The Norman Conquest (1066)

• In 1066 the Anglo-Saxon King of England died
  without an heir
• Two people claimed the Kingdom
• Harold, The Earl of Wessex
• William, The Duke of Normandy
• Harold had himself crowned King but his position
  was not secure.
• By August 1066 William had assembled a force of
  about 5,000 knights for invasion
• William defeated Harold at the Battle of Hastings
  (Oct 14 1066).
• This resulted in profound political,
  administrative, and social changes in the British
  Isles.

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William the Conqueror

• William was crowned in Westminster Abbey on
  Christmas Day 1066.
• However, native revolts continued until 1071.
• England was divided among 180 Norman tenants in
  chief (basically Lords)
• William brought about many changes in British
  culture

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Anglo-Normans (1066 1215)

• Military conquest followed by settlement and firm
  administration led to the Normanisation of
  England, Wales and lowland Scotland.
• William's victory brought England into closer
  contact with western Europe. Cultural and
  economic links with France and continental Europe
  were re-established.
• Stone castles became a common sight, serving as
  administrative centres as well as military and
  economic strongpoints.

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What the Normans did

• There were considerable changes in the social
  structure of the British kingdoms as a new
  aristocracy was introduced
• However, the Anglo-Saxon central and local
  governments and judicial system were retained
• The English language disappeared in official
  documents, it was replaced by Latin, then by
  Norman-French.
• Written English slowly reappeared in the 13th
  century.

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Knights Feudalism

• Feudalism originated in France, and was brought
  to England by the Normans
• The obligations and relations between lord,
  vassal and fief form the basis of feudalism
• Lords (Land owners),
• Vassals (Knights)
• Fiefs (Land).
• In exchange for use of the fief, the vassal would
  provide military service to the lord.
• Knights were supported by peasants who worked to
  produce food and ideologically supported by the
  church.

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The Domesday Book (1086)

• The Domesday Book was the result of a great
  survey by William I
• He sent officials to 13,418 places to find out
  who lived there and what they owned.
• The purpose of the survey was for tax collection,
  or possibly as a way of resolving disputed titles
  and lands.
• Domesday was the most complete record of any
  country at that time and continued to be
  consulted on legal and administrative matters
  into the Middle Ages.

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The Middle Ages (1216-1347)

• During the thirteenth century, England and
  Scotland developed clearer self-identities.
• In England's case, this was as a result of the
  loss of most of her continental possessions which
  focused the monarchy's attention closer to home.
• There were large constitutional changes and the
  period saw the beginning of parliament to advise
  the king.
• Wales was conquered by the military campaigns of
  Edward I but his wars in France, Scotland and
  Ireland were less successful.

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The Beginning of Parliament 1236 - 1307

• The first reference to a 'parliament' was made in
  1236
• In 1254, the first meeting of a parliament took
  place
• Representatives were two knights from each shire.
• Parliament developed through the reign of Edward
  I to a role beyond that of 'high court'.

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Late Medieval (1348 1484)

• This period was dominated by the long period of
  conflict known as the Hundred Years' War
• Profound social and economic changes were brought
  about by the Black Death (bubonic plague).
• The popular and successful Edward III reigned for
  fifty years, presiding over a mixed period of
  success for England in France.
• Parliament continued to develop and English
  rather than French became the language of daily
  use.
• A new dynasty - the Stewarts - was established
  Scotland. They would eventually rule England

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The Black Death (1348)

• In 1348, the bubonic plague arrived in Britain
  through the southern coast ports.
• Known as the Black Death, the disease was spread
  by fleas living in the fur of rats.
• The plague reached London by September 1348 and
  Scotland, Wales and Ireland in the winter of
  1349.
• Between 10-30 of the population died
• The plague returned periodically until the
  seventeenth century. The first few outbreaks
  severely reduced the fertility and density of the
  population.
• Labour became scarcer
• Poorer land was simply abandoned, and many
  villages were never re-occupied.

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Tudors (1485 1602)

• Known as the Early Modern period of British
  history.
• The Tudors ruled in England and the Stuarts in
  Scotland. In both realms, as the century
  progressed, there were new ways of approaching
  old problems.
• Henry VIII of England and James IV of Scotland
  were both cultured, educated Renaissance princes
  with a love of learning and architectural
  splendour.
• Henry broke away from the Catholic Church to form
  the Church of England (of which he had himself
  proclaimed Head).
• The early modern period was an era where women
  exercised more influence
• Catherine de Medici in France, Elizabeth and
  Mary in England and Mary in Scotland ruled as
  their male counterparts had done before them.

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Circumnavigation of the globe 1578 - 1580

• On 13 December 1577, Francis Drake, on board his
  ship the Pelican, left Plymouth on a voyage that
  would take him round the world.
• In August 1578, Drake passed through the Magellan
  Strait (the south of South America) and entered
  the Pacific Ocean.
• By June 1579, Drake had landed on the coast of
  modern California (which he claimed for England
  as 'New Albion').
• On 26 September 1580, the navigator returned to
  Plymouth in his ship, renamed as the Golden Hind.
  
• The following April, Drake was knighted by
  Elizabeth I on board ship.

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The Stuarts (1603 1713)

• King Charles I was unable to work with Parliament
  so he attempted to rule without it.
• This lead to a civil war, and the execution of
  Charles I.
• England became a republic (no Kings or Queens)
  for a short time until the restoration of the
  monarchy 1660.
• Shortly afterwards, a devastating plague swept
  through the country followed by the Great Fire of
  London 1666.
• Compromise between the crown and Parliament
  finally achieved a balanced government and the
  two kingdoms of England and Scotland were joined
  in the 1707 Act of Union.

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The Gunpowder Plot (1605)

• On 5 November 1605, a plot was discovered to blow
  up parliament with gunpowder stored in the
  cellar.
• Guy Fawkes was one of the conspirators. He was
  captured and executed.
• King James I declared 5 November a day of
  national celebration.
• Guy Fawkes Day is still celebrated today

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The Rise of the Industrial Revolution

• From 1430, people in Europe discovered sea routes
  to Asia and America.
• England made great gains from overseas trade.
• England became wealthy and people invested in the
  making of machines and setting up factories.
• The large overseas market encouraged people to
  produce more products quicker and of better
  quality, so they invested in the production of
  machines in England.
• A banking system developed - the banks lent money
  to industrialists who used the money for
  industrial development, which led to the
  Industrial Revolution.
• The fast growth of science and technology since
  the 17th century helped the rise of the
  Industrial Revolution. It led to population
  growth, the basis for the invention of machines
  and the Agricultural Revolution.

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Why the Industrial Revolution started in Britain

• Britain was able to succeed in the Industrial
  Revolution because of its plentiful resources.
• Britain had a dense population for its small
  geographical size.
• The agricultural revolution made a supply of
  labour readily available (urbanisation).

• Local supplies of coal, iron, lead, copper, tin,
  limestone and water power, resulted in excellent
  conditions for the development and expansion of
  industry.
• The stable political situation in Great Britain
  from around 1688

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The First Steam Engine (1712)

• One the most significant inventions of the
  Industrial Revolution was the steam engine.
• This was originally invented for draining mines,
  but was rapidly put to use in factories and later
  on the railways.
• The first successful engine was built in 1712 by
  Thomas Newcomen and developed over the next
  ninety years by James Watt and Richard Trevithick

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The Georgians (1714 1836)

• The Georgian period was one of change.
• There was a new dynasty and the infrastructure of
  Britain was changing.
• Agricultural developments were followed by
  industrial innovation.
• This, in turn, led to urbanisation and the need
  for better communications.
• Britain became the world's first modern society.

• With these changes came increased population and
  increased wealth (for some).
• Politically, the Georgian period was a period of
  confrontation.
• Britain became involved in conflicts with India,
  her American colonies and continental Europe.
• Because of its financial, naval and military
  strength, the British government tended to
  prevail.

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The Napoleonic wars 1803 - 1815

• After the French Revolution, Napoleon I of France
  began a series of European wars. He wanted to
  rule all of Europe.
• In 1805, Napoleon's planned invasion of Britain
  from France failed at Trafalgar.
• Napoleon then decided to invade Russia but was
  defeated by the Russian resistance, losing some
  380,000 men.

• Britain, Prussia, Russia, Austria and Sweden
  formed a new coalition, which defeated Napoleon.
• He returned to Paris in 1815, but was finally
  defeated at Waterloo by Wellington and his
  Prussian allies, on 18 June.

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Colonisation of the Antipodes - penal colonies
1788

• The colonisation of Australia and New Zealand
  began with the desire to find a place to put
  prisoners after the original American colonies
  were lost.
• The first shipload of British convicts landed in
  Australia in 1788, on the site of the future city
  of Sydney.

• The majority of these convicts were young men,
  many of whom had committed only petty crimes.
• New South Wales opened to free settlers in 1819.
  By 1858, transportation of convicts was abolished.

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The union with Ireland and adoption of the Union
Flag 1801

• Because of fighting between Catholics and
  Protestants in Ireland, the Prime Minister,
  William Pitt, concluded that direct rule from
  London was the only solution.

• After bribery of the Commons and gentry, Britain
  and Ireland were formally united, with seats for
  132 Irish members in Parliament
• The red cross of St Patrick was incorporated in
  the Union flag to give the present flag of the
  United Kingdom

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The Victorians (1837 1900)

• During Queen Victoria's reign, the revolution in
  industrial practices continued to change British
  life.
• With it came increased urbanisation and a
  burgeoning communications network (Railways,
  canals, telegraph).
• The industrial expansion also brought wealth and,
  in the nineteenth century, Britain became a
  champion of Free Trade across her massive Empire.
  
• Both industrialisation and trade were glorified
  in the Great Exhibitions,
• However by 1900, Britain's industrial advantage
  was being challenged successfully by other
  nations such as the USA and Germany.
• The Empire witnessed renewed conflict, although
  Victoria' reign can be seen as the imperial
  Golden Age

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Irish famine 1845 - 1850

• When the potato crop failed (a staple of the
  Irish diet), over 1,000,000 Irish citizens died.
• A further 1-2,000,000 emigrated (mainly to
  Britain and the United States).

• The Irish rural economy had come to rely on the
  potato too much as a cheap and available source
  of food.
• The crisis was not helped by poor weather,
  epidemic disease and a slow response from the
  British government.

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Education Act 1870

• This act provided mass education on a scale not
  seen before.
• The State became more involved in the running of
  schools.
• Elected school boards were given powers to
  enforce attendance of most children below the age
  of thirteen
• By 1874, over 5,000 new schools had been founded.

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The British Empire

• The British Empire was the world's first global
  power
• It was a product of the European Age of
  Exploration following the discovery of the
  Americas in the 15th century.
• By 1921, the British Empire governed a population
  of about 470570 million people (1/4 of the
  world's population)
• It covered about 37 million square kilometers,
  almost a third of the world's total land area.

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