英国殖民历史和英伦三岛

The full name of the country is the United Kingdom of Great

Britain and Northern Ireland. It includes 4 parts: the island of Great Britain is made up of England, Scotland and Wales, and Northern Ireland.

● The effects of its imperial past

1) The days of empire ended after World WarⅡ.But there are close relationships which exist with the 50 or more colonies of that empire, and which maintain links through Commonwealth of Nations.

2) It has great effects on the makeup of the British population because of the immigration in the 1950s and 1960s.

● Racial, gender, class, regional and economic differences in the society

1) a multi-racial society: most are Christians and because of immigration, many are Muslims

2) gender difference: male and female live different lives 3) class difference: the class structure of UK society is obvious 4) difference between highland and lowland Scots, north and south England

England

● A history of invasions

Invaders Iberians Time 3000BC (New Stone Age) Representative men or events Contribution / Learn how to grow plants and raise animals, brought language Celts 700BC (Bronze Age) Romans 43AD / / Celtic language, iron-working Hadrian’s wall, political system Anglo--Saxons The 5th century King Arthur AD (round table) The forefather of the English, brought their language Danes The end of 8th King Alfred the Great century Normans 1066 William the Conqueror ,Battle Unified England, of Hastings, Robin Hood change old English into modern English

● Dominant position

1) The next few hundred years following the Norman invasion: join the various parts of the British Isles together under English rule, unite the kingdom internally and externally

Cultural divide 2) Power transferred from the monarch to the parliament gradually

①1649,CharlesⅠwas executed, England was ruled by parliament’s leader ,Oliver Cromwell for 11 years

②In 1660, the son of CharlesⅠresorted the monarchy and was called CharlesⅡ

③Further conflict between parliament and king led to removal of the Scottish house of Stuart and the final establishment of parliament’s dominance over the throne in 1689 (Glorious Revolution)

● A cultural and economic dominance of England

1) London dominant in government, finance and culture 2) England’s dominance in size and population---largest of 4 nations, 80% of total population ● Legends

1)King Arthur and his Round Table, giving knights equal precedence and showing knights’ demand for a more democratic system.

2) Robin Hood hid in the forest and rebelled against Normans and robbed from the rich to give to the poor. ●The Norman Conquest and its consequences

The Norman Conquest of 1066 is perhaps the best-known event in English history. William the Conqueror confiscated almost all the land and gave it to his Norman followers. He replaced the weak Saxon rule with a strong Norman government. So the feudal system was completely established in England. Relations with the Continent were opened, and the civilization and commerce were extended. Norman-French culture, language, manners and architecture were introduced. The Church was brought into closer connection with Rome, and the church courts were separated from the civil courts.

Scotland

● Invasions Invaders Romans Time 43AD Results and influences Scotland was not conquered,“Hadrian’s Wall” Anglo-Saxons, The 6th Got its name from Scots, division People from northern century between highland and lowland Scotland Ireland called Scots Viking raids AD remains a cultural divide The 9th The establishment of an independent century singular Scottish state ● Physical features of Scotland

1) the 2nd largest of the 4 nations

2) most rugged parts of UK, the most confident of its own identity

3) the north---the Highlands the south---the Southern Uplands

the middle---the lowland zone with 3/4 of the population 4) capital : Edinburgh---east coast, famous for its beauty, dominated by its great castle on a high rock ● History between Scotland and England

1) In the Middle Ages, endless contest of strength between England and Scotland

2) In 1298, William Wallace’s uprising (Braveheart)

3) After William Wallace’s death, Robert of Bruce won the Battle of Bannockburn and lead Scotland to 300 years of full independence.

4) In 1603, James the Sixth of Scotland became James the First of England. But Scotland maintained its separate political identity.

5) In1707, Scotland joined the Union 6) Two rebellions in 1715 and 1745

7) The rebel army was destroyed at the Battle of Culloden 8) In may 1999,the first election to parliament ● the Battle of Bannockburn

The battle of Bannockburn, fought on the fields south of Stirling at midsummer 1314, is the best known event in the history of Medieval Scotland. It was a unique event. The clash of two armies, each led by a king, followed a clear challenge to a battle to determine the status of Scotland. As a key point in the Anglo-Scottish wars of the fourteenth century, the battle has been extensively discussed, but Bannockburn was also a pivotal event in the history of the British Isles.

Wales

● Campaign for independence of UK---resist the English

1) In1267, Llwelyn ap Gruffudd forced the English to acknowledged him as Prince of Wales by a military campaign and unified Wales as an independence nation.

2) In1282, he was killed. The English King Edward named his son the Prince of Wales trying to bring Wales into the British nation.

3) In1400, Owain Glyndwr led an unsuccessful rising against the English.

4) In1536, Wales was brought legally into the UK by an act of the British Parliament.

5) Wales sends 38 representatives to the London Parliament. 4 of them are from the Nationalist Party.

Northern Ireland