Chapter TwoChapter Two

English History 1English History 1

1.1. The origins of the nationThe origins of the nation

• 1. Early Settlers(5000BC----55BC)

• The first settlers of Britain were the Iberians.( 伊比利亚人 )

• 3000BC • The Stonehenge in Sablisbury plain( 索尔兹伯里平原的巨石阵 )

The Beaker FolkThe Beaker Folk• The Beaker Folk ( 比克人 ) came from Ho

lland and the Rhineland at about 2000BC.

The Celts(The Celts( 凯尔特人凯尔特人 ))• The Celts began to arrive in Britain about 700B

C.• The Celts tribes are ancestors of the Highland

Scots, the Irish, and the Welsh.• The Celts came to Britain in three main waves.• 1.The Gaels, 600BC• 2.The Brythons, 400BC• 3.The Belgae, 150BC

• 2. Roman Britain(55BC----410AD)

• First landing in 55 B.C. led by Julius Caesar

• Complete control over the land in 43 A.D.

• Leaving in around 410 A.D.

The Middle Ages( 4th century – 15th century )The Middle Ages( 4th century – 15th century )

The Middle Ages( 4The Middle Ages( 4thth century – 15 century – 15th th century )century )

– Roman influence:– Introduction of Christianity– The Latin language– Roman laws, taxes, engineering skills, archit

ecture– Roman social system– System of writing and numbering– The first written description of the land

• Reasons for limited Roman influence on Britain:

• the roman treated Britain as slave• they never intermarry• no impact on the language and

culture • of ordinary Britons.

The Middle Ages( 4th century – 15th century )

The Middle Ages( 4The Middle Ages( 4thth century – 15 century – 15th th century )century )

3. The Anglo-Saxons(446----871)

• Britain was invaded by the Jutes, Saxons and Angles----three Teutonic tribes.

• The Anglo-Saxons brought their own Teutonic religion to Britain.

• Tiu---- god of war• Thor----god of storm and thunder • Woden----king of heaven• Frega---- goddess of peace

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• Anglo-Saxon Influence:• Transition from tribal society into feudal

society• Influence of Northern mythology on the

English language• Monasteries ( 修道院 )and written books

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• 4. The Vikings and Danes• The Viking raiders (from Scandinavia 斯堪的纳

维亚 ) first attacked Britain in the late 8th century.

• During 9th ---10th centuries: Danes controlled the east and north while the Saxons under King Alfred the Great (871-89

9) dominated the west (Wessex).•

• In 1016 Canute, a Danish leader, replaced Ethelred, the Saxon king and successor to Alfred, and made England part of a Scandinavian empire which included Norway as well as Denmark.

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• 5. The Norman Conquest• 1066 AD, William of Normandy from

France• They set up a central government • Made French the official language • And established the feudal system• Numerous contacts between England

and France

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• 5. The Great Charterthe Magna Carter or the Great Charter document sealed by King John of England on

June 15, 1215, in which he made a series of promises to his subjects that he would govern England and deal with his vassals according to the customs of feudal law.

Over the course of centuries, these promises have required governments in England to follow the law in dealing with their citizens.

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• (1) no tax should be made without the approval of the Grand Council; (2) no freemen should be arrested, imprisoned or deprived of their property; (3) the Church should possess all its rights, together with freedom of elections; (4) London and other towns should retain their traditional rights and privileges, and (5) there should be the same weights and measures throughout the country.

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• 6. The origins of the English Parliament • The Great Council is known to be the

prototype of the current British Parliament. In 1265, Simon de Montfort summoned the Great Council, together with two knights from each county and two citizens from each town. It later developed into the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Its main role was to offer advice. There were no elections or parties. And the most important part of Parliament was the House of Lords.

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7. Hundred Years’ War was a series of short conflicts between France

and England during the years from 1337 to 1453. It resulted from disputes between the ruling families of the two countries over territories in France. In 1453, the battle of Castillon ended English rule in France and marked the end of the Hundred Years’ War.

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• 8. The Black Death • The Black Death is the modern name

given to the deadly epidemic disease spread by rat fleas across Europe in the 14th century. It swept through England in the summer of 1348. It reduced England's population from four million to two million by the end of the 14th century.