A Brief History of England

It’s An Island!

• The sea is really important to British culture as well as the idea of sea power. (Navy, Trade)

• Really temperate climate• England itself is the best farm land.

Invasions

• British history is the history of a series of invasions from mainland Europe. Each successive wave brought advancement in technology and culture.

• This basically goes on until the British start invading other people.

Neolithic PeopleWe know relatively little about the Stone Age inhabitants of Britain. Stone Age people means that they used mostly stone tools, had some farming, and lived in small settlements. One of the big mysteries is Stonehenge. What is it for? (astronomical clock? Showing off prominence? They got bored? )

The Celts• 7th Century BCE• Came from mainland

Europe.• Brought iron weapons and

tools.• Celt is a language group that

covers many different tribes

The Romans

• 50BCE to 400CE• Built roads, towns,

and more.• Mostly, only the rich

adopted Roman customs.

• The Celts became Christian.

But then Rome fell…

• The Celts went back to acting like Celts.

• Everybody else in Europe went back to pillaging and warring.

• 400-ish CE

In come the Anglo-Saxons!• 450-ish CE• Came from Germany,

Denmark-ish• First they came as

pirates, then mercenaries, then colonists.

• King Vortigen hired them to protect him from other warring Celtic kingdoms, but instead they took over.

England= Angle-land

• This is the start of England as we know it.

• This is the start of English as a language. The Angles brought a version of early German with them, what we call Old English.

Anglo-Saxon England

• The Angles established various kingdoms and became Christian.

• They also had to deal with the new invaders, Vikings!

Anglo-Saxon Culture• Warriors were heavily admired.

Big on looting and pillaging. Big on bragging about brave deeds. Fighting was a way of life and peace was for losers!

• “Kings” ruled small communities and ruled over warriors (Thanes). They gave gifts to earn loyalty. The next king was the coolest warrior, not the old king’s son.

• Center of village is Meadhall, where everyone eats and hangs out.

The Normans

• In 1066, William of Normandy or William the Conqueror invaded England and set up a new kingdom.

• This is the start of Middle English as Norman French and Old English mix.

Norman Culture

• Upper classes spoke Norman French.

• Lower classes still spoke English

• Beef/ Cow Pork/ Pig• Chaucer will be crazy

by writing in English.

Medieval Christianity

Towns build cathedrals to show off how awesome they are and attract visitors, called pilgrims. The visitors shop at the market, bringing in money for the town.

Medieval Society• Three Classes: Clergy,

Nobles, Peasants• Manor System: farming

village that pays revenue to the lord that lives in the manor house

• Village Church really important.

Chaucer and The Canterbury Tales• Geoffrey Chaucer: 1343? To 1400• Wrote The Canterbury Tales- series of short stories

with a moral lesson.• Born minor nobility, worked various jobs at the court,

saw all parts of society from rich to poor• Wrote The Canterbury Tales in Middle English so

regular people could read it• This was considered crazy and revolutionary because

he acted like the poor people were smart enough to understand.

• Vernacular- the language regular/ most people speak

Stages of the English Language

• Old English- Pretty Much German- 450-1066ish

• Middle English- Add In Some French- 1066-1500ish

• Early Modern- Shakespeare’s English 1500ish to 1800ish

• Modern- What We Speak- 1800ish to now