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HISTORICAL AND SOCIAL BACKGROUND ((VIKING RAIDS (THE LAST INVASION: the…
HISTORICAL AND SOCIAL BACKGROUND
1000 BCE
The Celts arrived in Europe. There were three groups: the Gauls, the Britons and the Gaels.
They spoke the same language and their religion was Druidism with sun god connected with Stonehenge.
(43 CE) The Romans conquered the island under Emperor Claudius. The Romans brought their civilsation to Britain. They also brought their language and Christianity.
Christianty was introduced by the Romans but disapparead with the invasion of the pagan Anglo-Saxons. The Romans Britain had been driven to the western part of England where they maintained the Christian faith. One of them, Saint Patrick, among the Celts of Ireland
(410) The last Roman soldiers left Britain in 410 CE. New invaders now arrived from across the North Sea. These were Germanic tribes of Angles, Saxons and Jutes, who spoke dialects of a language we now call:
OLD ENGLISH
ANGLO-SAXON BRITAIN
(660-800) Anglo-Saxon was divided into seven kingdoms:
EAST ANGLIA
MERCIA
NORTHUMBRIA
ESSEX
KENT
WESSEX
SUSSEX
THIS PERIOD IS KNOW AS THE "HEPTARCHY"
VIKING RAIDS
In 793 Viking raiders attacked the monastery of Lindisfarne.
Many monasteries in the north sere destroyed. The remaining monks fled to Kells in Ireland with a gospel book, known as the BOOK OF KELLS
(871-900) As the Vikings prepared large, king Alfred united the Anglo-Saxon people against the Danes.
Anglo-Saxon England continued to flourish after Alfred's death. King Edgar issued laws recognising many different tribes of England at the time.
THE LAST INVASION:
the battle of Hastings
Harold, defeated the Vikings at the battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066. He was then forced to move hit army to the south coast to face a Norman invasion. William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy defetead the Anglo-Saxons at the battle of Hastings. Harold was killed and the Anglo-Saxon reign came to an end
WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR
(1066-1087)
William, duke of Normandy, with him as king of England, Normandy became an English territory.
The Normans introduced the feudal system and also brought their language, Norman French. Latin and Norman French were now the languages of church and government.
HENRY II
(1154-1189)
On Stephen's death in 1154 the throne passed to Henry Plantagenet.
Henry II is also remembered for bis struggle with the power of the church and his is held responsible for Becket's Murder in Canterbury Cathedral (1170).
Henry II was succede by his son Richard in 1189.
He spento the first half of this reign on crusade in Palestine and the second half fighting in France.
On the death of Richard in 1199, John, his younger brother, became king. He continued to fight unsucceful wars in France until England lost all its French possessions.
MAGNA CARTA
In 1215 they forced the king to sign the Magna Carta.
This important document established freedom under the rule of law for all men and declared that the king himself was subject to the law of the land.
THE HUNDRED YEARS'WAR
(1337-1453)
The Hundred Year's War with France bega in 1337.
Under Edward III, the English won important victories at Crécy and Poitiers.
Under the reign of Henry VI fortunes changed. Joan of Arc led the French to victory.
Over the following years, the French regained their territories.
THE WAR OF THE ROSES
(1455-1485)
England was torn by the quarrelling over the crown between two branches of the Plantagenet royal family
The House of York
The House of Lancaster
This 30-year dynastic struggle was known as the War of the Roses, because the red and white rose were the symbol of this two branches.
Henry VII became the first Tudor king and united the two families through marriage.
The new Tudor dynasty brought a period of a strenght and growth to England and marked the end of the medieval period.
