3.) Examine the main stages in the formation of population of gb(Ancient, Britain, Celts, Romans, Anglo-Saxon)

3 000 B.C. – the Iberians/Neolithic (New Stone Age) People/Megalithic (Big Stone) People crossed the English Channel in small boats. They came from the Iberian Peninsula (territory of present-day Spain). They settled in Ireland and in the west of Great Britain (present-day Wales).

They lived in stone huts, knew the art of grinding and polishing the stone making the edges and points of it sharp. The are also referred to as “the Battle Axe People” as they invented a kind of battle axe made of stone. It is said that the Iberians started the construction of the Stonehenge

2 400 B.C. – the “Beaker Folk” came from the east of Europe and settled in the south-east of Britain. They are known for their fine pottery (beakers).

They were round-headed, strongly built and taller than the Iberians. They are also known for the first individual graves furnished with pottery and bronze tools that began to replace the stone ones.

1 000 B.C. – the Picts came from somewhere on the Continent and settled mainly in Scotland. Some scientists distinguish them as a separate group of Celtic origin that came independently, others think they were just a mixture of the Iberians and the Celts that arrived later.

The Picts were short, dark-hared, aggressive, covered all over with paintings and tatoos (that’s why the Romans called them “Pictus”, i.e. “painted”

The language of the Picts is a mystery. The scientists can easily split it into words and read but cannot decode it (cannot get the meanings of the words and the message of the texts).

700 B.C. – the Celts arrived from Central Europe pushing the local inhabitants into the territory of present-day Wales, Scotland and Ireland. They were tall, red-hared and blue-eye. There were 2 main Celtic tribes that settled in the British Isles:

1)Scots(first they settled in Ireland and then moved to Scotland and intermixed with the Picts) : The Gaelic Branch: Languages (Irish/Erse (Ireland), Scotch Gaelic (the Scottish Highlands), Manx (dead; the Isle of Man)

2) Britons(settled in the south-east of England). The Britonnic Branch: languages (Breton (Brittany, modern France), Welsh (Wales), . Cornish (dead; Cornwall).

The Celts also had their own ancient alphabet called Ogham (see details in the Internet).

The Celts were technologically advanced. They knew the how to work iron.

Celtic Life: The Celts were successive farmers. They introduced more advanced ploughing methods that made it possible to farm on heavier (solid) soils. The Celts introduced money in the form of iron bars, later (a Roman borrowing) – coins. Roman Invasion

55 B.C. – Julius Caesar attacked Britain. Reasons:

economic – Britain was an important food producer due to its mild climate + it was rich in raw materials (tin ore, corn, slaves) + Britain provided slaves for the Roman army;

political – the Romans fought with the Celts of Gaul on the continent who found shelter in Britain and were supported by the Celts of Britain. Soon after his arrival, Julius Caesar left Britain with many slaves and riches.

43 A.D. – Emperor Claudius conquered Britain and it became a province of the Roman Empire. The only area that caused much trouble was Caledonia (Scotland). The Romans spent more than 100 years trying to conquer it and failed. Finally, they decided to build a wall – Hadrian’s Wall – to keep pot the Celtic raiders from the north and to mark the border.

Roman Life: The Romans brought reading and writing skills and the Latin language to the British Isles. But only town-dwellers spoke the language of the Romans while in the villages the Celts used their Celtic dialects. The Romans established towns as centres of administration and civilisation. The Romans established London as the most important trading centre. The Romans built roads that continued to be used long after the Romans left Britain. The Roman control came to an end as the Roman Empire began to collapse. The Romans were gradually leaving the country going back home to protect the Empire. The left romanised Celt alone to fight the Scots in the north, the Irish in the west and the Anglo-Saxons that started to arrive from the mainland. 410 A.D. – the last Roman soldiers left Britain.

Anglo-Saxon Invasion

5th c. A.D. (430) – the Germanic tribes started to arrive to Britain. The were 3 powerful tribes that came in 3 waves:

1)Jutes(Origin-Nothern Denmark or Scandinavia)-settled Kent, Isle of Wight

2)Saxons( origin-Germany)-settled Sussex, Essex, Wessex

3)Angles(origin- Southern Denmark)- settled East Anglia, Mercia, Northumbria

These Germanic tribes pushed the Celts to Cornwall, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The 3 tribes were very close in speech, customs and traditions and gradually merged into one nation called the Anglo-Saxons. 4.) Describe Danish raids on England. The Struggle of Alfred the Great and its results At the beginning of the 9^th cent. Wessex became the most powerful kingdom in England. However, it began to face a most dangerous enemy. They were the Danes and Northmen frequently called as the Vikings. These 2 Scandinavian people were closely related with one another, but in the main the Danes were invaders of England.

The Vikings came in their large open rowboats from the Scandinavian coasts and from Jutland (Denmark) to the British Isles as pirates, bent on plunder, but later they came in larger numbers, conquering one territory after another. The Vikings were great seamen known widely around the world. They ploughed the seas and oceans on their long-ships with their great square sail.

By the 60s of the 9^th cent. they began to attack east England conquering one territory after another. The kingdom of Wessex alone was left to resist them. Fortunately, there appeared a Saxon king to resist them. This was Alfred born 849.

At first fortune was not on his side, but eventually he gathered his men and defeated the Danes. As a result England was divided into 2 parts by a line drawn from London to Chester: the Dane-law and Saxon England.

Much effort was undertaken to fortify English towns and villages. He built many ships to keep off the Danes from English shores. He is considered to be the founder of the English fleet.

5.) Outline the Norman Conquest and the establishment of feudalism in England and further consolidation of the English state. The main dates in the formation of the U.K The Norman conquest of England began in 1066 with the invasion of the Kingdom of England by the troops of William, Duke of Normandy, and his victory at the Battle of Hastings. This resulted in Norman control of England, which was firmly established during the next few years.

The Norman Conquest was a pivotal event in English history for several reasons. It largely removed the native ruling class, replacing it with a foreign, French-speaking monarchy, aristocracy, and clerical hierarchy. This, in turn, brought about a transformation of the English language and the culture of England.

By subjecting the country to rulers originating in France it linked England more closely with continental Europe, while lessening Scandinavian influence, and set the stage for a rivalry with France that would continue intermittently for many centuries.

The Norman Conquest is associated with the establishment of feudalism. The system of serfdom was imposed.

The king owned all or most of the land and gave it to his leading nobles in return for their loyalty and military service. The nobles in turn held land that peasants, including serfs, were allowed to farm in return for the peasants' labor and a portion of their produce. Under feudalism, people were born with a permanent position in society.

The written record of a census and survey of English landowners and their property made by order of William the Conqueror in 1085-1086 is known as the Domesday Book. According this register > 2 mln people lived in England. 90 % of the populations were serfs.

Unique features of feudalism:

• The system reached a higher regularity than elsewhere;

• The king’s power was greater than barons;

• The power of the state was built around the king’s power and the big lords had to accept it whether they liked it or not.

1066 - Death of Edward the Confessor in January, Harold II accedes to the English throne. Norman invasion and conquest of England, Harold II is killed and William the Conqueror becomes King of England.

1071 - Norman conquest of England complete

1096 - First crusade begins

1266 - Western Isles acquired by Scotland

1468 - Orkney and Shetland Islands acquired from Norway by Scotland

1536 – Henry VIII brought Wales under the English parliament through special Acts of Union.

16th century, legislation had united England and Wales.

1603 - the crowns of England and Scotland had been united

The 1707 Acts of Union were passed by the Parliaments of England and Scotland, forming the United Kingdom of Great Britain.

1800 - Great Britain was united with Ireland through another Act of Union to become the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland