History of England

1
History of England

• Neolithic Period 1216 A.D.

2
Pre-History

• Iberians (Spain and Portugal) settled British
  Isles in Stone Age (Neolithic)
  
• Stonehenge built (2000 B.C.)
• Celts (800-600 B.C.) arrive
• Two groups of Celts Brythons/Britons-settled
  Britain
  
• Gaels- settled Ireland
• Spoke Celtic languages, unrelated to English

3
Hunters and Farmers

• Both groups had little influence on English
  language
  
• Clans loyal to chieftains
• Druids- priests who resolved inter-clan disputes
  memorized and recited epic-heroic myth poems (Old
  King Cole, King Lear)
  
• Pre-Christian religion, included sacrifices

4
Roman Invasion

• Tacitus wrote that Britannia was a land filled
  with gold and silver
  
• 55 B.C. Julius Caesar invades
• A century later, Emperor Claudius establishes
  camps
  
• 407 A.D. Roman legions leave Britain to defend
  Rome from Barbarians
  
• Queen Boudicca-publicly flogged, daughters raped
  for standing up to Roman authority
  
• Hadrian- Most famous wall built by Roman emperor

5
Anglo-Saxon Period

• 449-1066 A.D. Beginning of English language
• Britain invaded by Angles, Saxons, Jutes
• Warriors/fishermen originally from Denmark and
  Germany (Saxony)
  
• Beowulf believed to have been written between
  700-1000.
  

6
Angles Land

• Angles, Saxons and Jutes rule western Britain
• Now called Angles Land, shortened to England
• Germanic languages morph into Angle-ish, i.e.
  English

7
Tribes

• Witan- Council of elders which chooses king
• Four Classes
• A. Earls- Hereditary ruling warlords loyal to
  king
  
• B. Freemen- Landowners/traders, including thanes
  (early barons, served in military)
  
• C. Churls- Bonded servants who work the land
• D. Thralls- Slaves

8
Religion

• Pagan- Wyrd means fate, no free will
• Germanic gods Tiu- god of War (Tuesday) Woden-
  chief god (Wednesday) Fria-Wodens wife, goddess
  of home (Friday)

9
Original Britons

• Settled Wales, Ireland, Scotland
• Continued speaking Celtic languages
• Welsh, Irish, Scottish Gaelic still spoken today

10
Christianity

• Romans introduced it
• Celts kept it alive in Wales and Ireland (St.
  Patrick), then Scotland, finally England
  
• Columba- Soldier/abbot founder 1st Christian
  monastery in England 563 A.D.
  
• Major civilizing/unifying factor in England
• 650 A.D. most of England is Christian

11
Christianity and Literature

• Introduces written literature
• Monks worked as scribes- copiers of manuscripts
• Illuminated manuscripts- manuscripts painted and
  bordered in gold and silver
  
• Oral Tradition
• Scops- singers (Homer) who accompanied themselves
  on harps
  
• Gleemen- assistants

12
Poetry

• Epic- long, heroic poem which used rigid pattern
  of accents
  
• Caesura- pause in middle of poetic line
• Alliteration- repitition of initial consonant
  sounds
  
• 2 Types Anglo Saxon verse A. Heroic Poetry-
  achievements of warriors (Beowulf)
  
• B. Elegaic Poetry- laments over death of loved
  one or something lost

13
Venerable Bede

• 673-735 A.D. Writes A History of the English
  Church and People
  
• First English historian

14
Medieval Period

• Vikings (Norse and Danes) conquer most of Britain
  by 850 A.D.
  
• Alfred the Great, ruled from 871, fought Vikings,
  signed a truce
  
• Under Alfred- rebirth of learning and education
• Translates Bedes history from Latin to
  Anglo-Saxon
  
• Fosters growth of English language and
  literature
  
• Writes Anglo-Saxon Chronicles- history, social
  sketches
  
• Canute becomes first Viking king

15
Edward the Confessor

• Devout ruler, direct descendant of Alfred the
  Great, cousin to William the Conqueror, ruled
  from 1042-1066
  
• Norman- Normandy, coastal region of France
  (D-Day) Normans were French, organized via feudal
  system
  
• Edward appoints Harald Godwinson (reaches for his
  hand on his deathbed), but William the Conqueror
  believes he was promised throne

16
Norman Conquest

• William the Conqueror invades England
• Just before Hadrata, King of Norway and Haralds
  brother unsuccessfully invaded, battled and lost
  
• Battle-weary English lose
• Over one-half of nobility perishes
• Harald killed in Battle of Hastings 1066 A.D.
• All government posts given to Normans
• Feudalism is new law of the land

17
Guillaume le Conquerant

• Despite victory, he encounters resistance from
  Northern England (Scotland)
  
• Vitalis, monk, objective chronicler of events,
  took Williams death-bed confession
  
• William initiates transcription of facts
  pertaining to his kingdom, early census, known as
  the Domesday Book

18
Feudalism

• No strong central government
• Nobles- overlords exchange property and sometimes
  titles (i.e. baron) for personal service
  
• Vassal- Swears loyalty as an act of homage
• Fiefs- Land grants to barons. Barons paid taxes
  and supplied knights (professional soldiers) to
  king
  
• Manors- Land granted to knights.
• Serfs- Peasants who worked the manor
• Craftsmen- Skilled workers who lived in manors
  (like towns)
  
• Normans oppressed Saxons much as Saxons earlier
  oppressed Celts
  
• Normans introduced French words and legal concepts

19
Henry II and Thomas Becket

• Norman rule ends
• Monasteries become engines of economic power
• 1154 Henry, Count of Anjou, begins line of
  Angevin kings
  
• Marries articulate, strong, older woman Eleanor
  of Aquitaine
  
• Legal wiz, father of Common Law
• Seeks to curb abuses of Church power
• Appoints buddy, Thomas Becket, Archbishop of
  Canterbury
  
• Becket defies Henry, appeals to Pope

20
Murder in the Cathedral

• In a fit, Henry II asks to be rid of Becket
• Four knights think he means it!
• Murder Becket in 1170
• Henry condemns killers
• Atones by making pilgrimage to Canterbury where
  Becket is buried
  
• Begins custom recorded in Canterbury Tales

21
Richard the Lionhearted

• Declares war on dad Henry II
• Brother John agrees
• Henry dies of brokenheart
• Mom, Eleanor, favors Richard. Dad, Henry, favors
  John

22
Richards Reign

• Jews present him with gift
• Londoners suspicious, begin pogroms
• Richard first to use word holocaust
• Urges restraint
• Leaves to fight in crusades
• Kidnapped and ransomed
• John declares him dead and takes over

23
King John (Bad)

• Civil war
• Takes land
• Imprisons nobles
• Richard ransomed and returns
• Dies from wound (arrow)
• Barons draft document demanding tax relief and
  other reforms

24
Magna Carta

• 1215- Great Charter, king promises no taxes on
  land without first meeting with barons. Only
  choose officers who knew law and would observe
  it
• Beginning of limits on royal power
• Great Council of Barons is Parliament-partly
  elected by free-men, barons, townspeople

25
Impact of Magna Carta

• Towns grow in importance (London)
• Guilds emerge
• Two most significant
• Merchant- Businessmens association, promoted
  local business, often practically took over local
  govt.
  
• Craft- Like unions protect interests of weavers,
  carpenters, tanners- guarantee quality of work
  
• Towns mean landowners are no longer the only rich
  people