Intro to British History

1
Intro to British History through the Middle
Ages (Medieval Period) 800 B.C. 1485 A.D.
2
The first invaders of Britain, around 800 BC,
were the Celts. These invaders came from
southern Europe and called themselves Brythons
Typical Celtic building
Iron Age Celtic warrior
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Celtic Society and Culture
They were fierce warriors!
They were organized into many small, tightly knit
clans. Each clan had its own chieftain (king),
to whom clan members were fiercely loyal
Celts were farmers and hunters.
They followed a pagan religion based on worship
of nature. Their priests were called Druids.
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The second invaders arrived in 55 B.C. They were
the Roman legions of Julius Caesar from
Italy. They occupied and ruled Britain from 50
A.D. 407 A.D.
How did the Romans contribute to cultural
development?

1. The Romans brought a more advanced level of
   culture.
2. Their Latin language and greater vocabulary
   formed the basis for much of the developing
   English language. Latin became the language of
   law and religion.
3. Their camps grew into the first towns.
4. They built a system of roads.
5. They introduced Christianity to the Celts around
   300 A.D.

The Romans abandoned Britain in 407 A.D. to go to
the defense of Rome, which was under attack from
the Vandals.
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The third invaders were the Anglo-Saxons, who
arrived in 449 A.D. They came from Germany.
How did British culture change?
The invaders Germanic language blended with the
Latin and Celtic Languages. King Ethelbert became
the first Christian king in Britain when he
converted in 597. A Roman Catholic priest, Saint
Augustine, founded the first monastery at
Canterbury, which became the religious center of
England. The Church counseled rulers, settled
quarrels, and promoted peace. It helped to unify
the English people
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The fourth invaders were the Vikings from
Denmark. They raided, plundered, and settled
England from 793-871 A.D.
These Vikings were ferocious warriors, skilled
seafarers, explorers, traders, and feared pirates
known for their brutality. By 850 they
controlled all of northeastern England.
In 886, an Anglo-Saxon king signed a treaty with
the Vikings. For this, he became a hero and was
called King Alfred the Great. The Dane Law
divided England in half and established peace.
The last Anglo-Saxon king of England was Edward
the Confessor, who died in 1066, ending the
Anglo-Saxon era.
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The final invaders were the Normans from France.
Edward the Confessor, King of England, died
without an heir. English lords chose Harold as
their new king. William of Normandy invaded
England in 1066 and killed King Harold at the
Battle of Hastings. William the Conqueror
became the first Norman king of England.
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• How did the Norman Conquest shape British history
  and culture?
• French culture and language were introduced.
• Anglo-Saxons were oppressed their lands were
  confiscated and given to Williamss knights.
• Most importantly, French FEUDALISM was introduced
  and became the new structure of medieval English
  society.

Feudalism was a social system based on an oath of
loyalty to the king. All land and property
belonged to the king, who would give lands and
castles to noble lords who pledged their loyalty,
armies, and support.
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Structure of Feudal Society
King Lords Knights Freemen Peasants Serfs
Formed a pyramid of power with the king at the
top
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The Royal House of Plantagenet Norman domination
of England began its decline in 1154 when Henry
Plantagenet became King Henry II, founding the
Plantagenet royal line. Henry involved himself
deeply in legal affairs of the country, which had
formerly been generally controlled by the
Catholic Church and the Pope. This brought him
in conflict with the Church. In 1170, Henrys
knights tried to please him by murdering the
Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket (head of
the English church), in Canterbury
Cathedral. King Henry made a pilgrimage (holy
journey) to Beckets tomb in Canterbury to atone
for his guilt over Beckets murder, establishing
Canterbury pilgrimages as a way to show religious
devotion.
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The next Plantagenet king, Richard the Lionheart,
spent much of his reign on crusades in the Holy
Lands, running up huge debts for England before
he died.
The MAGNA CARTA Richards brother, King John,
later tried to pay these debts by raising taxes,
enraging the nobles and almost starting a civil
war. To restore peace, King John was forced to
sign a document, the Magna Carta (Great Charter)
in 1215. The Magna Carta said the king could
not tax land without first meeting with his
nobles. This first limitation of a kings power
marked the first step toward a constitutional
government in England.
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War of the Roses 1455-1485
House of York
House of Lancaster
1399 The last Plantagenet king died and the
House of Lancaster took the throne. However,
this started a power struggle between the House
of Lancaster and the House of York. War for the
throne started in 1455 and raged for 30 years.
In 1485, Richard III (House of York) was king of
England. He was killed in battle by Henry
Tudor, a relative of the House of
Lancaster. Henry Tudor became King Henry VII,
founder of the Tudor dynasty. To end the War of
the Roses, Henry married Richard IIIs niece.
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Henry VIIs reign marks the end of the Middle
Ages/Medieval Period. It also marks the end of
the declining feudal system.

• Reasons for the decline of feudalism
• The Black Death in 1348-1349 caused labor
  shortages.
• Labor shortages made peasants work more
  valuable.
• Landowners began paying workers in cash.
• Money gave peasants a taste of freedom this led
  to a demand for rights.
• 1381 Peasants revolted against heavy taxes and
  harsh laws for serfs. The revolt was crushed,
  but discontent did not end.
• Feudalism did not end suddenly. It gradually
  evolved over the next 100 years into a free
  peasant class.