英国历史简介 Brief Introduction of English History

The Origins of a Nation (5000BC-1066)

I.

Early Settlers

（

5 000BC-55BC

）

The Iberians

The Beaker Folk

The Celts

II.

Roman Britain (55BC-410AD)

British recorded history begins with the Roman invasion. In 55BC and 54BC,

Julius Caesar, a Roman general, invaded Britain twice. In AD 43, the Emperor

Claudius invaded Britain successfully. For nearly 400 years, Britain was under

the Roman occupation, though it was never a total occupation.

III.

The Anglo- Saxons (446-871)

In the mid-5th century a new wave of invaders, Jutes, Saxons, and Angles

came to Britain. They were three Teutonic tribes. The Jutes, who fished and

farmed in Jutland, came to Britain first. A Jutish chief became the King of

Kent in 449. Then the Saxons, users of the short-sword from northern

Germany, established their kingdom in Essex, Sussex and Wessex from the

end of the 5th century to the beginning of the 6th century. In the second half

of the 6th century, the Angles, who also came from northern Germany and

were to give their name to the English people, settled in East Anglia, Mercia

and Northumbria. These seven principal kingdoms of Kent, Essex, Sussex,

Wessex, East Anglia, Mercia and Northumbria have been given the name of

Heptarchy.

IV

．

Viking and Danish invasions

The invaders were the Norwegians and the Danes. They attacked various parts

of England from the end of the 8th century. They became a serious problem in

the 9th century, especially between 835 and 878. They even managed to

capture York, an important center of Christianity in 867. By the middle of 9th

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century, the Viking and the Danes were posing a threat to the Saxon kingdom

of Wessex.

Alfred

was a king of Wessex. He defeated the Danes and reached a friendly

agreement with them in 879. The Danes gained control of the north and east,

while he ruled the rest. He also converted some leading Danes into Christians.

He founded a strong fleet and is known as

“the

father of the British navy”. He

reorganized the Saxon army, making it more efficient. He translated a Latin

book into English. He also established schools and formulated a legal system.

All this earns him the title “Alfred the Great.”

V

．

The Norman Conquest (1066)

The Norman Conquest of 1066 is perhaps the best-known event in English

history. William the Conqueror confiscated almost all the land and gave it to

his Norman followers. He replaced the weak Saxon rule with a strong Norman

government. He replaced the weak Saxon rule with a strong Norman

government. So the feudal system was completely established in England.

Relations with the Continent were opened, and the civilization and commerce

were extended. Norman-French culture, language, manners and architecture

were introduced. The Church was brought into closer connection with Rome,

and the church courts were separated from the civil courts.

The Shaping of the Nation

（

1066-1381

）

Norman Rule

（

1066-1381

）

William's Rule

（

1 066-1087

）

King Henry II and his reforms

The Great Charter

The origins of the English Parliament

The Hundred Years' War

（

The Hundred Years? War refers to the war

between England and France that lasted intermittently from 1337 to 1453. The

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causes of the war were partly territorial and partly economic. The territorial

causes were related with the possession by the English kings of the large

duchy in France

，

while the French kings coveted this large slice. The

economic causes were connected with cloth manufacturing towns in Flanders

，

which were the importer of English wool

，

but they were loyal to the French

king politically. Besides

，

England's desire to stop France from giving aid to

Scots and a growing sense of nationalism were the other causes.

The English being driven out of France is regarded as a blessing for both

countries. If the English had remained in France

，

the superior size and

wealth of France would have hindered the development of a separate English

national identity

，

while France was hindered so long as a foreign power

occupied so much French territory.

）

The Black Death

The Black Death is the modern name given to the deadly epidemic disease

spread by rat fleas across Europe in the 14th century. It swept through

England in the summer of 1348. It reduced England's population from four

million to two million by the end of the 14th century.

The Peasant Uprising of 1381

Armed villagers and townsmen of Kent and Essex

，

led by Wat Tyler and Jack

Straw

，

moved on London in June

，

1381. The king was forced to accept their

demands. Most of the rebels dispersed and went home

，

while Tyler and other

leaders stayed on for more rights. Tyler was killed at a meeting with the king.

The uprising was brutally suppressed

，

but it had far-reaching significance

in English history. First

，

it directed against the rich clergy

，

lawyers and the

landowners. Second

，

it dealt a telling blow to villeinage

，

and third

，

a new

class of yeomen farmers emerged

，

paving the way to the development of

capitalism.

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Transition to the Modern Age (1455-1688)

The Wars of Rose

The name Wars of the Roses was refer to the battles between the House of

Lancaster

，

symbolized by the read rose

，

and that of York

，

symbolized by

the white

，

from 1455 to 1485. Henry Tudor

，

descendant of Duke of

Lancaster won victory at Bosworth Fireld in 1485 and put ht country under

the rule of the Tudors. From these Wars

，

English feudalism received its death

blow. The great medieval nobility was much weakened.

The English Reformation

Henry VIII was above all responsible for the religious reform of the church.

There were three main causes

：

a desire for change and reform in the church

had been growing for many years and now

，

encouraged by the success of

Martin Luther

，

many people believed its time had come

；

the privilege and

wealth of the clergy were resented

；

and Henry needed money.

Elizabeth I

（

1558 -1603

）

The English Renaissance

The Civil Wars

Because of the absolute rule of Charles

，

the confrontation between Charles I

and the parliament developed into the civil war. The war began on August 22

，

1642 and ended in 1651. Charles I was condemned to death.

The English Civil War is also called the Puritan Revolution. It has been seen as

a conflict between the parliament and the King

，

and a conflict between

economic interests of the Crown. The economic interests of the urban middle

classed coincided with their religious

（

Puritan

）

ideology while the Cr

own?s

traditional economic interests correspondingly allied with Anglican religious

belief. The English Civil War not only overthrew feudal system in England but

also shook the foundation of the feudal rule in Europe. It is generally regarded

as the beginning of modern world history.

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