1. Unit 1 Historical Perspectives
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2. In the Beginning Britain was shaped by invaders: the Romans.
In the first century, Romans drove the inhabitants of Britain into the north (Scotland) and west (Wales).
Romans brought well-ordered civilization, roads and schools, towns and trade.
Britain was divided into two provinces: a capital at London, and another at York.
Map of England, Wales, and Scotland:
Map of London and York:

3. The Anglo-Saxon Arrival
Jutes were from present-day Denmark, Angles were from present-day Denmark/Germany border, and the Saxons were from present-day German and North Holland.
The Anglo-Saxon Arrival
In AD 449, Angles, Saxons, and the Jutes crossed the North Sea to occupy an island what the Romans called Albion, later known as England. Britains were pushed west as Anglo-Saxons established the kingdoms along the coasts and river valleys.
Map of Anglo-Saxon Invasions:

4. A Peaceful Invasion
The period between the fall of the Roman Empire (5th Century) and the year 1000 is referred to as the Dark Ages, a time of great social, political, and economic turmoil in Europe. The Roman Catholic Church was the strongest surviving institution.
In 597, Augustine, a Roman cleric, arrived in Anglo- Saxon Britain, intent on converting pagan English to Christianity.
A pagan is a person holding a religious belief other than those of the main world religions.
Augustine:

5. The Venerable Bede
Bede, a learned monk, wrote A Brief History of the English Church and People, marking an important stage in England’s developing sense of itself as an island- nation. Bede describes England as being an “island in the ocean” that is on its way to becoming a nation, a place that is as much a product of its history as of its geography.
Venerable Bede’s A Brief History of the English Church and People:

6. Invasions of the Vikings
During the eighth century, the Vikings arrived from present-day Denmark. For about 100 years, they raided and looted the town and monasteries of the northeast, eventually settling in the area. In 871, the Vikings tried to overrun the rest of the island. They were stopped by Alfred the Great, now considered the first King of England.
Alfred the Great:
Map of Denmark:
Viking:

7. William the Conqueror
The last successful invasion of England occurred in 1066, when France’s William, Duke of Normandy, claimed and won the throne. He was crowned king on December 25, For some time, England was bilingual (conquerors and conquered). The Normans brought more than their language to the island. They also solidified a form of government, social order, and land tenure we call feudalism.
William the Conqueror:

8. Norman Invasion: http://www.timeref.com/maps/maps/invasion1066.jpg

9. A Feudal World
In the centuries between the Germanic invasions and the dawn of the modern world, England changed from a place of warrior bands and invading tribes to a country ruled by a king, nobles, and bishops. By the year 1000, English kings controlled the entire island, with the rulers of Wales and Scotland paying them homage. In the feudal system, the king reigned from the top of a pyramid of power, in which he granted land to nobles, who in exchange owed him loyalty and military service. The nobles in turn granted land to knights on the same terms. At the base of the pyramid were peasants--called villeins or serfs--who worked the land controlled by the knights.

10. A fief was a source of income granted to a person by his lord in exchange for his services.
Feudal System:

11. A Rise of Towns
Towns, such as Jorvik (York today) were becoming thriving centers of international trade, with several thousand household. Merchants, traders, and artisans or crafts workers formed a new middle class, ranked between the nobles and peasants. This class gained power in medieval town, with merchants and artisans forming associations called guilds. Over time, the rise of towns and expansion of trade would change feudalism.
Early Medieval Town: