1. The Native Celts
There were probably people in Britain before the Celts, but we know very little about them.
The Celts are the earliest known group of people to live on the island. Around 700 BC.
They were the ancestors of the Scots, Irish, and Welsh.

2. The Native Celts May have built Stonehenge?
Between BC.
Their religion was Druidism.
Their language was not English. It was similar to Gaelic (old language of Ireland) and Welsh (old language of Wales).

3. Many Celtic Tribes
Picts
Gaels
Britons

4. Roman Britain
Julius Caesar, the Roman Emperor, invaded England in 55 BC.
This was the beginning of England’s written history, because the Celts did not have a written language.
The Celts tried to resist, but the Romans took over England.
The Romans couldn’t defeat the Picts (Scotland), and so they built Hadrian’s Wall, to keep the Picts out of England.

5. Roman Britain
The Romans brought new technology and knowledge, and built many strong walls and stone buildings.
They made London their capital.
Roman travelers and monks came and brought the Christian religion. Some Celts became Christians.
England (“Britannia”) became part of the Roman Empire. But the Roman culture did not influence the Celtic culture very much.
Baths, drained Marshes, better buildings, better farming

6. Londinium Romans built a fort on the banks of the Thames River
They named it Londinium
Londinium became London

7. Roman Empire Rome conquered the entire Mediterranean
Rome controlled most of Europe, including much of Britain
The Roman Empire happened at the same time as Han China

8. The Anglo-Saxon Conquest
In 410 AD, Germanic tribes started attacking the Roman Empire. So the Romans left Britain to return home and fight.
But the Celts were not strong without the Romans to defend them, so the Germanic people invaded England too in 446 AD.
The Celts stayed in Wales, Scotland, and Ireland.
The Anglo-Saxons stayed in England.

9. The Anglo-Saxons
Angles, Saxons, and Jutes settled in different parts of England and fought against each other.
They brought their culture to Britain.
Their religion worshipped many gods. English names for the days of the week were named after those gods.
Their language became the English language.
“English” comes from “Anglo”. .

10. Viking Invasions
Starting in the 8th century, Vikings (from Norway) and Danes (Denmark) tried to invade England many times.
They took parts of England, but couldn’t conquer all of it.
They called their part Danelaw.

11. Alfred the Great
He was an Anglo-Saxon king who defended England against the Vikings/Danes.
He was a Christian, and tried to convince the Vikings to become Christians too.
He also tried paying them money to leave England. They left, but more kept coming back.
He built the first English Navy, and reorganized the army.
In the end, he made a treaty allowing the Danes to settle in the eastern part of England.

12. King Canute He was a Danish leader. He became King of England in 1016.
He made England part of the Viking Empire (Scandinavia).
He wisely, and shared power with the Anglo-Saxons.
He forced Scotland to submit to him as ruler.

13. Edward the Confessor Last Anglo-Saxon king of England. 1042-1066.
Lived most of his life in France.
Appointed many Normans to top jobs.
After he died, his son Harold became king.
But Edward’s cousin William (also from Normandy) wanted to be king…

14. The Norman Conquest In 1066, William “the Conqueror” invaded England.
The first battle was at Hastings.
The Normans rode horses (cavalry) and used arrows. But the English were on foot and carried axes.
Harold was killed in battle, and William became king.
1st Anglo Norman king of England.

15. Effects of the Norman Conquest
Feudalism was introduced.
Nobles were given land by the king.
They had to pay taxes to the king.
They had to send soldiers from their region to fight for the king.
The land was split up between lower nobles and freemen to use. They had to pay taxes to the nobles and serve them.

16. Effects of the Norman Conquest
Construction of Tower of London, etc.
Replaced English bishops with Normans.
King became head of bishops.
Domesday Book 1085 – property record.
2 languages in England until c
Oppression, then intermingling.
Growth of feudalism.
Built by William the con

17. King Henry II Great Grandson of King William.
Founder of Plantagenet Dynasty
Ruled in England and France.
Plantagenet Dynasty lasted from 12th to 15th centuries
Acquired ½ of France through marriage to a French princess.
William I son Henry I daughter Matilda Son Henry II

18. Henry II’s Reforms Reformed judicial system.
Travelling judges sent from London.
Common law – based on social customs.
Jury system replaced trial by torture and fighting.
Centralized his power to better rule his large kingdom.
Reformed taxes.
Barons where in charge of of the court system. Henry II made th gings court.
Jury system judge still had say.

19. Henry II and the Church
He wanted the Church to submit to the King, not to the Pope in Rome.
In 1162 he made Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterbury.
But Becket did not want to change the laws. He wanted to obey the Pope.
Henry’s knights murdered Becket. So the Pope wanted to excommunicate Henry.
King did public penance (showed he was sorry) at Becket’s tomb.
Becket was made a saint; pilgrimages to tomb.
Geoffrey Chaucer’s, Canterbury Tales, 1400, tells about the pilgrims’ journeys.

20. King John 1199-1216 Son of Henry II. Tyrannical & greedy.
Brother King Richard I (the Lionhearted) – Crusader – kidnapped on trip home.
Legend of Robin Hood.
Forced to sign Magna Carta in 1215.

21. The Great Charter (Magna Carta)
King observes rights of barons (land owners); barons observe rights of their vassals (people under them).
No taxes without consent of Great Council; farmers & merchants protected from too harsh fines.
Right to jury trial.
Merchants can move freely.

22. Magna Carta
Key point in English history. Similar to the Declaration of Independence for the Americans.
Protects only freemen (12% of population)‏.
Later extended to serfs (lower workers).
Social order now regulated by law – began to end unfair feudalism.
The beginning of a constitutional gov’t.

23. King Henry III Son & successor of King John Started wars with France.
People disliked Henry III Because:
He disobeyed the Magna Carta by taxing the people
He obeyed the Pope

24. Beginning of Parliament
Simon de Montfort, the King Henry III’s brother-in-law, led a rebellion of barons – defeated and imprisoned the king.
Simon invited knights and representatives to join the Great Council (made up of nobles).
1265 the first meeting. Earliest “Parliament”.
House of Lords was the most important house in parliament.

25. Edward I (“Longshanks”)
Son & successor of Henry III.
Conquered Wales.
Heir to the throne given the title Prince of Wales.
Invaded Scotland.
Opposed by William Wallace (Braveheart)‏.

26. Decline of Feudalism Feudalism only lasted from the 11th to 14th c.
Class structure in 14th century:
Upper landed class (nobles)
Lower upper class (gentlemen, knights)
Lower class (land workers, craftsmen)
There was starting to be a bigger middle class.

27. Hundred Years’ War 1337-1453 England vs. France (France won)
Main issue: succession to French throne
England invaded France
English victories at first

28. Henry V
Henry V,
Invaded France, then retreated in face of bigger French army
Stopped retreat
French army drank & boasted on eve of battle
Born 1386

29. Battle of Agincourt, 1415 Made famous by Shakespeare, Henry V
Great English victory
The English longbow
Gunpowder changed the war

30. Joan of Arc French peasant girl – religious visions National heroine
Captured & burned as a witch
Inspired French peasants to victory

31. Results of War English kings no longer control France.
English kings now focus on England.
English now official language in England.

32. The Black Death Bubonic Plague 1348-1349 Wiped out half of population
Labor shortage: demands for better wages & working conditions.
Gov’t made laws to try to preserve serfdom.
Widespread peasant unrest.

33. Wycliffe and the Lollards
Oxford religious reformer.
Lollards preached equality of men before God & communal ownership of all things.
Opposed tyranny.
First English translation of Bible.
Democratic ideas & practices.
“Priesthood of all believers” – don’t need priests to talk to God.
Early example of Protestant Reformation.

34. The Peasant Uprising (1381)
King Richard II deceives & killed peasant leaders.
King granted some of their demands.
Serfdom begins to die out after revolt.
Labor shortage from Black Death & peasant revolt weakens feudalism.
New class of free farmers (yeoman) emerges.
Paves the way for capitalism.

35. The Wars of the Roses
Between 2 parts of the Plantagenet family:
House of Lancaster – Red Rose
House of York – White Rose
War between “rival gangs of nobles”
Many jobless soldiers from Hundred Years’ War.
Reduced noble class and feudalism.
Common people mostly did not care about the noble houses.
Strengthened royal house & central gov’t.

36. Henry Tudor
The Wars of the Roses ended in 1485 when Henry Tudor became King Henry VII. He was the founder of the Tudor Monarchy.
House of Tudor marks the end of Middle Ages & beginning of modern world history.

37. Required Reading Vol 1; Ch 2; Sec 4 – The New Monarchy; Henry VII;
Henry VIII and Reform of the Church;
Elizabeth I.
Vol 1; Ch 2; Sec 5 –
Background to the Revolution;
James I and the Parliament;
The Civil Wars;
Restoration.