Historical background of Great Britain, British, United Kingdom

1. British Studies
Historical Background
Arif Furqan, S.S, M.A.

2. Doggerland, the British Atlantis
An area now beneath the southern North Sea that connected Great Britain to
continental Europeduring and after the last glacial period. It was flooded by
rising sea levels around 6,500–6,200 BC.

6. Pyteas of Masilla
Flourished 300 BC, Massalia, Gaul
A navigator, geographer, astronomer, and
the first Greek to visit and describe the
British Isles and the Atlantic coast of
Europe.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Pytheas

7. The Celts (Celtic Britons)
From around 750 BC to 12 BC, the Celts were the most powerful people in central and
northern Europe. There were many groups (tribes) of Celts, speaking a vaguely common
language.
http://www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/celts.htm
Illustration by Angus McBride.

8. The Roman Conquest
First invasion (Caesar) in 55BC
Second invasion (Caesar) 54 BC
Third and final invasion (Claudius) 43 AD
The Romans divided England into four areas centered by the following towns London, Cirencester, York
and Lincoln.
http://projectbritain.com/history/romanbritain.html

9. Anglo Saxon Britain
450 AD, First invasions of the Jutes from Jutland, Angles from South of Denmark and Saxons
from Germany.
Britain is divided up into the Seven Kingdoms of Northumbria, Mercia, Anglia, Wessex, Essex,
Sussex and Kent
http://projectbritain.com/history/saxonbritain.html

10. Viking Invasion
The Viking Age in Britain began in the 8th Century (793-1055 AD)
http://projectbritain.com/history/vikingbritain.html

11. Old English (Anglo Saxon) Literature
Beowulf is an Old English epic
poem consisting of 3,182
alliterative lines produced
between 975 and 1025.
It may be the oldest surviving
long poem in Old English.

12. The Seafarer
Manuscript from 10th century (probably 975 A.D.). It is the story of old and young seamen

14. The Norman Conquest
In September 1066 Harald Hardrada, King of Norway, invades England. He defeats the
English at the Battle of Fulford.
http://www.foreignstudents.com/guide-to-britain/british-culture/weather/seasons

15. In 14 October 1066, the Normans defeat the Saxons at the The Battle of Hastings
William of Normandy defeats and kills Harold II with a lucky shot and becomes King of
England.
http://www.foreignstudents.com/guide-to-britain/british-culture/weather/seasons

16. The Motte and Bailey Castle
The Normans start to built its first castle in 1066, after the victory of Battle of Hastings

17. Chadow Castle, Wales (building started in 1067)
In 1067, the first Norman stone castle is built in Wales. The Normans quickly advanced into
Wales, using castles to subdue the surrounding countryside
http://www.castlewales.com/chepstow.html

18. • In 1080-1100, many Great monastery and cathedral building begins
• In 1096, Oxford University was founded
It is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. There is no clear date of
foundation, but teaching existed at Oxford in some form in 1096 and developed rapidly
from 1167, when Henry II banned English students from attending the University of
Paris
https://www.ox.ac.uk/about/organisation/history?wssl=1

19. In 1209, Cambridge university was founded
A group of scholars migrated from the established center of learning at Oxford to Cambridge, where
they set up a new university.

20. 1348-1349, The Black Death (bubonic plague) arrives in England and kills nearly
half of the population
http://projectbritain.com/history/Normanbritain.html

21. • William the Conqueror is part of modern France. The Normans brought a kind of
French
• Linguistic class division; the lower classes spoke English and the upper classes
spoke French.
• The Middle English; In the 14th century English became dominant in Britain
again, with many French words added. It was the language of the great poet
Chaucer (c1340-1400)
https://www.englishclub.com/history-of-english/

23. Tudor Dynasty 1485 – 1603
In 22 August 1485, Henry Tudor (Welsh-English) defeats Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth
The Tudor dynasty ended when Henry's grand-daughter Elizabeth I died childless. The Throne
passed to their cousins, the Scottish Stuarts, unifying England and Scotland.
During their reign encouraged new religious ideas, overseas exploration and colonization.
http://projectbritain.com/history/tudorbritain.html

24. During The Tudor rule, England became richer than ever before.
The country became wealthier, towns grew, beautiful houses were built and schools
and colleges were set up. Arts and crafts flourished too. England was home to great
painters, writers and musicians.
The era is famous for many things, including the Henry VIII and his six wives, the
exploration of America and the plays of William Shakespeare.
http://projectbritain.com/history/tudorbritain.html

25. academe accused addiction advertising amazement
arouse assassination backing bandit bedroom
beached besmirch birthplace blanket bloodstained
barefacedblushing bet bump buzzer
caked cater championcircumstantial cold-blooded
compromise courtship countless critic dauntless
dawn deafeningdiscontent dishearten drugged
dwindle epileptic equivocalelbow excitement
exposure eyeball fashionable fixture flawed
frugal generous gloomy gossip green-eyed
gust hint hobnob hurried impede
impartial invulnerable jaded label lackluster
laughablelonely lower luggage lustrous
madcap majestic marketable metamorphize mimic
monumental moonbeam mountaineer negotiate noiseless
obscene obsequiously ode olympian outbreak
panders pedant premeditated puking radiance
rant remorseless savagery scuffle secure
skim milk submergesummit swagger torture
tranquil undress unreal varied vaulting
worthless zany gnarled grovel
http://shakespeare-online.com/biography/wordsinvented.html

26. Stuart Britain 1603 - 1714
The Stuart (Stewart) dynasty ruled Scotland (1371 - 1714) and England (1603 - 1714)
• In 1606, The Union Flag adopted as the National Flag for use at sea
• In 1707, England and Scotland officially became one country - Great Britain
http://projectbritain.com/history/stuartbritain.html
The Trial of King Charles I which was found guilty for treason and executed

28. 1719

29. Georgian Britain (Hanovarian)
A period of great change, as cities grew, trade expanded and consumerism and popular culture
blossomed. The Georgians witnessed the birth of industrialization; radicalism and repression; and
extreme luxury alongside extreme poverty.
• In 1780s, Industrial Revolution begins
• In 1801, Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and Ireland were formally joined under
the Act of Union to create the United Kingdom in 1801
https://www.bl.uk/georgian-britain/

30. In 1788, the First Fleet of British ships arrived at Sydney, New South Wales,
Australia

31. Victorian Britain - 1837 to 1901
Victoria reigned for more than 60 years, longer than any other British monarch. Her reign
was a period of significant social, economic and technological change, which saw the
expansion of Britain's industrial power and of the British empire
http://projectbritain.com/history/victorianbritain.html

32. • In 1838, Charles Dickens' 'Oliver Twist' is published
• In 1859, Charles Darwin's 'On the Origin of Species' is published
• In 1866, Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Caroll
• In 1876, Victoria is declared empress of India. Alexander Bell invented the telephone
• In 1883, First electric railway
http://projectbritain.com/history/victorianbritain.html

34. Twentieth Century Britain
1914-1918, First World War.
Britain declares war on Germany in response to the invasion of Belgium
Compulsory military service and food rationing introduced
http://projectbritain.com/history/victorianbritain.html

35. Second World War, 1939 - 1945
Britain declares war on Germany in response to the invasion of Poland

36. Commonwealth,
also called Commonwealth of Nations, formerly (1931–49) British Commonwealth
of Nations, a free association of sovereign states comprising the United Kingdom
and a number of its former dependencies who have chosen to maintain ties of
friendship and practical cooperation and who acknowledge the British monarch as
symbolic head of their association.

37. British Battle of Surabaya, November 1945

38. One nation has always had its history
on war and conquer. Even in popular
culture such as movie, art, and even
games, war is always a good theme.
What do you think about it?