CRASH COURSE IN

ENGLISH HISTORY

IN THE BEGINNING…• Between 800 and 600 B.C., two groups of

Celts from southern Europe invaded the British Isles.

• The “Britons” settled on the largest island, Britain, and the Gaels on the second largest, known as Ireland.

Enter the Romans

• In 55 B.C., Julius Caesar invaded England.

• However, the Romans didn’t establish control until over 100 years later.

• The Roman camps turned into towns.

• Roman rule continued for another 300 years.

• Rome lost control of England in 407 A.D.

CHRISTIANITY IN ENGLAND

By the 4th Century, the Romans had accepted Christianity and had introduced it to Britain.

When the Anglo-Saxons invaded, the Celts fled but took their belief in Christianity with them.

AND HERE COME THE VIKINGS

• In the 9th Century, the Norse from Norway and the Danes from Denmark invaded the English Islands, which was under control of the Saxons.

The Norse conquered Northumbria, Scotland, Wales and IrelandThe Danes took eastern and southern England.

The Viking hordes destroyed monasteries and religious texts, and stole sacred religious objects.

AND THE NORMANS GET INTO THE ACTION

• Also in the 9th Century, the Normans (from France) invaded England when William’s claim to the throne was ignored.

• William, Duke of Normandy, assumed the throne in 1066.

• William took land from the Anglo-Saxon nobles and established a feudal system.

FEUDALISM

• Feudalism is an exchange of property for personal severice.

• All land belongs to the king, who gives out land, titles and special privileges to his supporters.

• In return, the supporters would pay fees/taxes and supply the king with knights (soldiers).

THE MAGNA CARTA

• After years of abusing his power, King John agreed to certain conditions from his unhappy supporters to avoid a civil war.

• The king promised not to tax land without first meeting with the supporters.

• Although it brought about no real changes, many historians believe that the restrictions on royal power were the beginning of constitutional government in England.

THE WAR OF THE ROSES

• In 1399, the Lancaster family had control of the British throne. Three families, the Lancasters, the Yorks and the Tudors, all claimed the throne.

• Many of Shakespeare’s history plays were focused on the lives of the these kings- Henry IV, Henry V, Henry IV, and the battles between the families for control

MUSICAL THRONES• For generations, the families fought each

other, and these years became known as the War of the Roses.

• The feud ended when Henry Tudor led a rebellion against King Richard III of York, and crowned Henry VII.

• Tudor then married Richard’s niece, uniting the three families.

Richard III

YOU FEELING OKAY?

• In 1348 and 1349, a great plague, called the Black Plague, devastated the country, killing half the population.

• Due to a massive labor shortage caused by the death of so many peasants, the value of the peasants’ work increased.

• The rich were forced to pay the poor (many of whom were indentured servants) more money for their services and goods, which shifted the power.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

• Unhappy with their way of the life, the poor revolted against the system in 1381.

• Though the revolt failed and was crushed, the causes they fought for survived and eventually brought about social change and the decline of the feudal system.

ANGLO-SAXON LITERATURE

• Anglo-Saxon literature began in oral tradition, or stories told orally during special occasions. And often took the form of poetry.

• Anglo-Saxon poetry fell into two categories:

heroic poetry- stories of warriors and their achievements

elegaic poetry- sad poems about the death of loved ones and the loss of the past.

BEOWULF• Beowulf is a long, heroic poem about a

legendary warrior who was known for his courage, strength and dignity.

• It was the first known epic poem written in English, and is considered the national epic of England.

• The author is unknown• Though the text we have was composed in the

8th Century, it wasn’t written down until the 11th Century.

• As a result, there are many references to Christian ideas and Latin classics.