Transcript Anglo-Saxon king - British & American History

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.
The Native Celts
• May have built Stonehenge?
– Between 3000-1000 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).
Many Celtic Tribes
• Picts
• Gaels
• Britons
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.
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.
Londinium
• Romans built a fort on
the banks of the
Thames River
• They named it
Londinium
• Londinium became
London
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
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.
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”.
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.
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.
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 AngloSaxons.
• He forced Scotland to submit to him as ruler.
Edward the Confessor
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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…
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 AngloNorman king
of England.
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.
Effects of the Norman Conquest
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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. 1400.
Oppression, then intermingling.
Growth of feudalism.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Great Charter (Magna Carta)
1. King observes rights of barons (land owners);
barons observe rights of their vassals (people
under them).
2. No taxes without consent of Great Council;
farmers & merchants protected from too
harsh fines.
3. Right to jury trial.
4. Merchants can move freely.
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.
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
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.
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).
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.
Hundred Years’ War 1337-1453
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England vs. France (France won)
Main issue: succession to French throne
England invaded France
English victories at first
Henry V
• Henry V, 1413-1422
• Invaded France, then
retreated in face of
bigger French army
• Stopped retreat
• French army drank &
boasted on eve of battle
Battle of Agincourt, 1415
• Made famous by
Shakespeare, Henry V
• Great English victory
• The English longbow
• Gunpowder changed
the war
Joan of Arc
• French peasant girl –
religious visions
• National heroine
• Captured & burned as a
witch
• Inspired French
peasants to victory
Results of War
• English kings no longer control France.
• English kings now focus on England.
• English now official language in England.
The Black Death
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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.
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.
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.
The Wars of the Roses
• 1455-1485
• Between 2 parts of the Plantagenet family:
– House of Lancaster – Red Rose
– House of York – White Rose
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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.
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.
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.