ENGLISH - A BRIEF BRITISH HISTORY: CLASS NOTES

THE SIGNING OF THE MAGNA CARTA

Magna Carta is a document who signed by king john in 1215. It is a document that limits the
power oI the king, giving the nobles a greater political power. The document ensured that the
kings subject were granted protection and a just trial, But was limited to only the high-born.
Magna Carta is regarded as the Iirst Iounding oI democracy in history

THE REIGN OF KING HENRY VIII

King Henry VIII (1491 1547) is perhaps most Iamous Ior his 6 wives and the events
surrounding his marriages and his desire to produce a male heir, but his importance in the
history oI the U.K. is related to his role in breaking away Irom the authority oI the pope and
the Catholic Church and establishing the Protestant Church oI England. However, as you will
see, these events are not entirely unrelated.

Henry VIII Iirst married Catherine oI Aragon in 1509. He Ielt pressured into marriage, and
grew Irustrated with his wiIe`s inability to produce a male heir to succeed him. AIter
becoming inIatuated with the young Anne Boleyn, Henry sought a divorce Irom Catherine. At
the time, England was a Catholic nation, and the Catholic Church was powerIul and highly
inIluential. With divorce being Iorbidden, Henry appealed to the pope Ior permission to annul
his current marriage and re-marry Anne Boleyn, but was denied. When Henry went ahead and
did this`` anyway, he was excommunicated Irom the Catholic Church and diplomatic relations
between England and Rome broke down. This issue, along with Henry`s opinion that Italians
should not have so much power oI state matters in England, led to him establishing a new
Protestant church and declaring himselI as the head oI the Church oI England; this was part oI
the process known as the English ReIormation that showed England`s desire Ior true
independence.
THE REIGN OF QUEEN ELIZABETH I AND THE FOUNDING OF THE
BRITISH EMPIRE

Queen Elizabeth I (1533 1603) was the daughter oI Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Part oI
the reason why Henry VIII was so desperate Ior a male heir was because he did not believe a
Iemale heir would be strong enough to rule the house oI Tudor and maintain peace, and while
her path to the throne was diIIicult, Elizabeth I became a popular monarch and provided
stability with her long reign, 44 years in all.

Elizabeth never married nor produced an heir, and thus she was called 'the Virgin Queen.
The time oI her reign is known as the Elizabethan Era, a period oI much success Ior England,
with Shakespeare`s plays being written and expeditions at sea to Ioreign lands taking place.
These journeys across the world were the Iirst seeds oI what would later grow to become the
British Empire.

The British Empire began with the establishment oI settlements, trading posts and colonies
Irom the late 16th century and onwards. Britons travelled all over the world, to Asia, Oceania,
AIrica and America. The Iirst permanent settlement in America was Jamestown (named aIter
King James I) in the colony oI Virginia (named aIter Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen),
established in 1607.

While the declaration oI independence Irom the 13 American colonies in 1776 and the
Britons` deIeat in the war that Iollowed was a great loss to the British Empire, it nonetheless
continued to grow and prosper in the 19th century during the reign oI Queen Victoria. The
Empire reached its peak in the 1920s, where it controlled / oI the world`s population and
landmass. However, both World Wars placed a great strain on their resources and strength,
and this, along with many colonies declaring themselves independent, led to a steady decline
oI the British Empire in the 20th century. The return oI Hong Kong, its last major colony, to
China in 1997 marked the end oI the British Empire Ior many.


THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

The Industrial Revolution took place in the 18th and 19th century and was a period oI great
technological advancement and economic prosperity. It started in Great Britain and spread to
the rest oI the world, and it aIIected almost all aspects oI society.

The Industrial Revolution marked a transition Irom manual labour and draIt-animal-based
economy to machine-based manuIacturing. This was made possible by the introduction oI
steam power, new iron-making techniques and the use oI coal as Iuel, which powered the
increase in production capacity. Building better roads and railroads also helped to promote
trade, and the great export oI goods abroad to British colonies and the world ensured a
tremendous economic growth Ior Great Britain.

In general, standards oI living improved overall during this time, but the working class
struggled and experienced new kinds oI problems. Child labour was common, working
conditions in Iactories and elsewhere were oIten hazardous, and increased pollution and lack
oI sanitation led to many health-related problems. However, despite the many problems and
drawbacks, the advancements made in this period has led some to call it the most important
event in the history oI humanity since the domestication oI animals and plants.
THE WORLD WARS

World War I began in 1914 and lasted until 1918. It was a complex conIlict that was built up
by the growing tension between the great empires oI the time, and the war itselI was triggered
aIter the assassination oI Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne oI Austria-Hungary, in
Sarajevo by a man aIIiliated with a revolutionary group Iighting Ior Yugoslavian
independence. As a result, Austria-Hungary declared war on the kingdom oI Serbia, and
through the various alliances the diIIerent countries had entered in the past, soon all the great
powers were at war. Britain entered the war on the Allies` side, Iighting alongside Serbia,
France, Italy and Russia against the Central Powers. At the end, the Allies were victorious,
partly due to the United States intervening in the war and joining their side in 1917.

World War I is known as The Great War, and is remembered Ior its employment oI trench
warIare on the Iront lines. World War I ranks as one oI the deadliest conIlicts in history
because during the war, new and powerIul weaponry was introduced, such as the artillery,
machine guns and tanks. This was used to devastating eIIect, and Ior Great Britain, their
losses were substantial 750 000 were killed and 2 million were wounded.

World War II began in 1939 and lasted until 1945. It was a political struggle over the balance
oI power in Europe and started with Germany`s invasion oI Poland. Britain and France had
previously vowed to protect Poland, and thus declared war on Germany. During WWII, Great
Britain was not invaded, but was heavily bombed and suIIered a lot oI damage to some oI its
major cities. Britain`s losses were again heavy, with 450 000 casualties over the course oI the
war. As with WWI, it was American involvement which helped ensure a victory Ior the
Allies, and later the United States did its part to rebuild the European states through its
Marshall Plan, oIIering Ioreign aid to the nations most impacted by the war.