A Brief History and Overview of England

Posted on May 14, 2024 in History

A Brief History of England

Roman Invasion to Anglo-Saxon Settlement

43 AD – Roman invasion of England. The Romans introduced Latin, Christianity, laws, and built cities and roads. Cities had clean water, sewage systems, and public baths. The Romans never conquered Scotland and built a wall across the north of England called Hadrian’s Wall.

411 AD – Anglo-Saxons settled in England. They came from Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark.

793 AD – Viking invasion. Origin of names of towns and cities: names with “chester” or “cester” (Manchester, Gloucester, and Leicester) are of Roman origin. Names with “borough” are of Anglo-Saxon origin. Names with “by” at the end (Derby, Rugby) are of Viking origin.

Norman Conquest and the Middle Ages

October 1066: Battle of Hastings – battle between the Normans (from France) and the English. The King of England was King Harold, but his cousin William wanted to be King. They fought and the Normans, under William, defeated the English. William, who was called William the Conqueror, became King of England.

William introduced the feudal system to England. He also built many castles, like the Tower of London.

Middle Ages: 11thc-15thc. England fought the Hundred Years War against France (14thc-15thc). Religion was very important and many Englishmen fought in religious battles called the Crusades (religious battles between the Christians and the Muslims).

1348: The Black Death (the bubonic plague) killed 38% of the population of England.

The Tudors and Stuarts

1485: Henry Tudor became King of England – King Henry VII (Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I, Elizabeth I were all Tudors).

After Henry VIII died, Henry VIII’s son Edward (son of Jane Seymour and Henry VIII) became King Edward VI.

The daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, Princess Mary, became Queen Mary I after Edward VI died.

When Queen Mary I died, the daughter of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII, Princess Elizabeth, became Queen Elizabeth I of England.

Elizabeth I’s reign was called the Elizabethan Period. This was when Shakespeare wrote his plays (Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, The Merchant of Venice etc). and Sir Francis Drake became the first Englishman to sail around the world.

After the Tudors, the next monarchs were the Stuarts. The first Stuart King was King James I. He was King of Scotland and England (this was the Union of the Crowns of Scotland and England – 1603).

1666: The Great Fire of London (which destroyed many parts of the city).

17th c: England established colonies overseas.

1707: The Act of Union – established one parliament for Scotland, England, and Wales.

18th and 19th Centuries

1783: Britain lost the American War of Independence and no longer governed America.

18th c: Captain James Cook – first European to go to Australia and New Zealand.

18th c: Industrial Revolution.

1801: The United Kingdom was created. Great Britain and Ireland became the United Kingdom and had one parliament.

1837: Queen Victoria became Queen. Her reign was called the Victorian Period. Charles Dickens wrote many famous novels (Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities etc) during this period (19th c).

1880: All children aged 5-10 had to go to school.

20th Century and Beyond

1903: The Suffragettes – women who fought for the right to vote. Most famous ones: Emmeline Pankhurst and Emily Davison.

April 1912: The Titanic, the biggest and fastest ship in the world, hit an iceberg and sank. 1,517 people died.

1914-1918: First World War (UK, France, and Russia against Germany and Austria-Hungary).

1918: Women over thirty given the vote.

1929: All women over 21 could vote (the same as for men).

1929: Economic Depression (Wall St Crash).

1939-1945: Second World War. UK PM Winston Churchill. The Blitz: period when the Germans dropped bombs on different cities in the UK. Many women and children were “evacuated” from the cities. They lived in large houses in rural areas until it was safe to go back to the cities.

1945: The National Health Service (NHS) began (free medical care for everyone). People who were ill, old, or unemployed received money from the state (the Welfare State). Education was free up to the age of 15.

Independence of British colonies or countries ruled by Britain: Ireland (1921), India (1947).

The Commonwealth: Organisation made up of countries that were former colonies of the UK (Australia, New Zealand, Canada etc). The British Monarch (Charles III) is the head of the Commonwealth. Made up of 53 nations.

1952: Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II (the Queen who died in September 2022).

Notting Hill Carnival: held every year in London. Started in 1965 by immigrants from Caribbean countries.

The UK became a member of the EU in 1978.

1994: Channel Tunnel railway line joined England and France.

English Culture and Traditions

Traditional Dancing and Holidays

Morris Dancing/Dancers: Traditional English dancing which originates from the 15th c.

Bank Holidays: The name given to national or public holidays.

Christmas Traditions

Christmas Day traditions: Turkey, cranberry sauce, and Brussels sprouts for Christmas dinner.
Boxing Day: 26th December.
Christmas trees were first introduced in 1841 by Queen Victoria. This tradition came from Germany.
Every year a Christmas tree is lit in Trafalgar Square, London. It is a gift from Norway to the UK for its help during WW2.
New Year’s Eve: Many people go to the Houses of Parliament to hear Big Ben strike midnight (known as the Bells).

Other Holidays and Celebrations

April Fool’s Day: 1st April. Similar to December 28th in Spain. Before 1562 April 1st was the start of the new year in Britain. On 1st April 1562 this changed, but some people forgot and celebrated the start of the new year. They were called April Fools.
Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Tuesday: The day before Ash Wednesday. People eat pancakes.
Easter Sunday: People give chocolate eggs as a present on Easter Sunday.
Halloween: 31st October.
Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes Night: 5th November. There are fireworks and bonfires everywhere in Britain on this night. A “Guy” or doll is burned. This Guy represents Guy Fawkes, who tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605. He was executed along with his friends.
Remembrance Day: 11th November. On this day people in Britain remember the people who died in the 1st and 2nd World Wars. The First World War ended at 11 o’clock on the 11th November 1918. People in Britain wear poppies on this day.
Trooping the Colour: Soldiers and musicians march through London, beside the Monarch’s gold carriage, to celebrate the Monarch’s birthday.
Changing of the Guard: Ceremony which takes place every day at Buckingham Palace. The soldiers on guard finish their shift and the next guards take over.
Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race: A rowing race along the River Thames between teams from the two universities (dates from 1829).

Food and Drink

Fish and chips (with salt and vinegar): Probably the most famous takeaway food sold in Britain.
A Full English Breakfast: The traditional breakfast served in hotels (fried egg, bacon, sausages, beans, fried tomato, and black pudding). Many people have this at the weekend.
On Sundays many people have roast beef, roast lamb, or roast ham for lunch/dinner with vegetables and Yorkshire pudding.
Types of cheese: Red Leicester, Wensleydale, Cheddar, and Stilton.
Traditional drink: Tea.
Afternoon Tea: A combination of tea or coffee with sandwiches and cakes normally served between 2pm and 5pm.

Major Cities and Regions in England

London

River: The Thames.
Government headquarters is in London: called the Palace of Westminster or the Houses of Parliament. The clock tower is called Big Ben.
10 Downing Street: Official residence of UK Prime Minister.
Westminster Abbey: Church where the Monarch is crowned in a ceremony called the Coronation.
The West End: Area famous for its theatres, restaurants, and clubs.
Covent Garden: Former market now converted into a shopping mall with cafes etc.
The City: The financial area of London.
St Paul’s Cathedral: Famous church with an enormous copper dome. Designed by Sir Christopher Wren. Built in the 17th c., after the Great Fire of London. Baroque style.
The Tower of London: A castle built in the 11th c. It has been a royal palace, a prison and place of execution and home to the Crown Jewels and the Royal Mint (where money is produced). The Crown Jewels are still on display there. The Beefeaters (or Yeomen Warders) are the official guardians of the Tower of London.
Hyde Park: London’s most famous park.
The Tate Modern: The world’s largest modern art gallery.
The London Eye: The largest Ferris wheel in Europe.
Windsor Castle and Hampton Court: Royal palaces near London.

Other Cities and Towns

Oxford: City famous for its university. Oxford University: oldest university in England and UK (12th c). Near London.
Stratford-upon-Avon: Town where Shakespeare was born.
Cambridge: City famous for its university (13th c). The different faculties at Oxford and Cambridge are called colleges. The most famous college at Cambridge is King’s College. Cambridge is the second oldest university in England and UK. North of London.
Birmingham: Second biggest city in England. Aprox pop: 850,000. City in the south.
York: City in the north. Walled city built by the Romans. Famous for its wool trade in the past. York Minster: Gothic cathedral.
Liverpool: City in the north on the coast. Important for trade in the past. Home to the Beatles. River Mersey.
Manchester: City in the north. Important in the past for its cotton mills (textile industry).
Blackpool: On the coast. Popular holiday destination.
Newcastle-upon-Tyne: City in the north. Industrial city. Angel of the North – enormous sculpture near Newcastle.
Bath: Roman city. Famous for its Roman Baths.
Glastonbury: Famous for its music festival, which is held every year.
Stonehenge: Stone circle or cromlech (megalithic monument) which dates from the Neolithic Age. People go there to see the summer solstice (on the longest day of the year).
Canterbury: Roman town. First cathedral was built there. Archbishop of Canterbury is the head of the Church of England.

National Parks and Landscapes

10 natural parks in England: biggest is the Lake District (in the north).
Scafell Pike – in the Lake District – highest mountain in England.
William Wordsworth: Poet who wrote about the Lake District in the 18th-19th c.
Other National Parks: The Yorkshire Dales, the Northumberland National Park, the Peak District, and the North York Moors.
The Pennines: Low mountains in the north of England.
The Brontë sisters: Wrote about the landscape around the Pennines in “Wuthering Heights” (Emily Brontë). Other novels by the Brontës: Jane Eyre (Charlotte Brontë).
The counties of Devon and Cornwall (on the south west coast of England) are famous for their beaches, fishing villages, and cliffs. Newquay: famous for its waves and a destination for surfers.
Land’s End: The most southern part of England (south west corner).
Dover: The famous White Cliffs of Dover on the south coast of England (called the Jurassic Coast because the cliffs date from 185 million years ago).

Education and Daily Life in England

Education System

: 1. PRIMARY SCHOOL (FROM AGE 4/5 TO 11), 2. SECONDARY SCHOOL (FROM AGE 11 TO 16 or 18) ● GCSEs: NATIONAL EXAMS WHICH PUPILS SIT AT THE AGE OF 16 (THEY NORMALLY DO 7 GCSEs) 9 ● A-LEVELS: NATIONAL EXAMS WHICH PUPLS SIT AT THE AGE OF 18 (they normally do 3 or 4 A-Levels) ● PUPILS WHO LEAVE SCHOOL AT 16 CAN GO TO COLLEGES TO DO COURSES (LIKE “MÓDULOS” DE GRADO MEDIO O SUPERIOR). YOU NEED A-LEVELS TO GO TO UNIVERSITY ● SCHOOL UNIFORM IS COMPULSORY AT MOST SCHOOLS ● THE WORKING DAY: NORMALLY FROM 9AM UNTIL 5PM ● THE UNDERGROUND IN LONDON IS CALLED THE TUBE OR THE SUBWAY ● THE SUBURBS OF A CITY: THE RESIDENTIAL AREAS OF A CITY- WHERE MOST PEOPLE LIVE IN HOUSES. ● TYPICAL MEALS: A CEREAL AND TOAST FOR BREAKFAST, SANDWICHES AT LUNCH TIME AND THE MAIN MEAL IS AT NIGHT (NORMALLY BETWEEN 5PM AND 7PM). THE MAIN MEAL IS CALLED TEA OR DINNER. ● SUPPER: PEOPLE OFTEN HAVE SUPPER AT NIGHT (after dinner and before they go to bed), WHICH IS COFFEE OR TEA AND A BISCUIT OR TOAST. ● RUSH HOUR: BUSIEST TIMES OF THE DAY WHEN COMMUTERS ARE TRAVELLING BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS TO WORK IN THE MORNING AND IN THE EVENING.