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How did the Civil War break out?
It was very reluctantly that the Parliament concluded that the only way it could impress its views on such a king would be to defeat him in a battle, and then impose legal conditions upon him before allowing him to reign again. This idea was important until 1645. On August 22, 1642 in a field near Nottingham King Charles raised his standard beneath a glowering sky, and bade all his supporters to join him. Thus the First Civil War began.
The Civil War (also called Revolutionary War or the English Bourgeois Revolution, or the Puritan Revolution) broke out in 1642. The Left Wing of Parliament was composed of free farmers, tradesmen, and artisans of the country towns. They made up the most revolutionary section and were generally known as Roundheads because their hair was cut close to the skin. The English Bourgeois Revolution in its upsurge was also called the Puritan Revolution. The king's support mainly came from the West and the North of England. The king's supporters were generally known as the Cavaliers or Royalists.
Cromwell was a country gentleman and Member of the Parliament. He organized a compact army of well disciplined soldiers which became known as the New Model Army. These soldiers were mostly devout Protestants.
★King Charles ----Cromwell
★The King’s men were called Cavaliers, and the supporters of Parliament were called Roundheads because of their short haircuts.
The English Civil War is also called the Puritan Revolution, because the King’s opponents were mainly Puritan, and his supporters chiefly Episcopalian and Catholic.
Consequences of The Civil Wars
Because of the absolute rule of Charles, the confrontation between Charles I and the parliament developed into the civil war. The war began in 1642 and ended in 1651. Charles I was condemned to death.
The English Civil War is also called the Puritan Revolution. It has been seen as a conflict between the parliament and the King, and a conflict between economic interests of the Crown. The economic interests of the urban middle classed coincided with their religious (Puritan) ideology while the Crown’s traditional economic interests correspondingly allied with Anglican religious belief. The English Civil War not only overthrew feudal system in England but also shook the foundation of the feudal rule in Europe. It is generally regarded as the beginning of modern world history.
The Restoration
When Oliver Cromwell died in 1658 and was succeeded by his son, Richard, the regime began to collapse. One of Cromwell's generals occupied London and arranged for new parliamentary elections. The Parliament thus was elected in 1660 resolved the crisis by asking the late King's son to return from his exile in France as King Charles II. It was called the Restoration.
The Glorious Revolution of 1688
In 1685 Charles II died and was succeeded by his brother James II. James was brought up in exile in Europe, was a Catholic. He hoped to rule without giving up his personal religious vies. But England was no more tolerant of a Catholic king in 1688 than 40 years ago. So the English politicians rejected James II, and appealed to a Protestant king, William of Orange, to invade and take the English throne. William landed in England in 1688. The takeover was relatively smooth, with no bloodshed, nor any execution of the king. This was known as the Glorious Revolution.
How did the \
----- When Charles II died in 1685, he was succeeded by his brother, James II. James II was a Catholic and hoped to be able to rule without giving up his personal religious views. But English in 1688 could not tolerate a Catholic as King. The English politicians appealed to a Protestant king, William of Orange, James’ Dutch nephew and the husband of Mary, James’ daughter, to invade and take the English throne. William landed in November 1688. On their acceptance of the Bill of Rights (1689), William and Mary were crowned jointly in Westminster Abbey. Thus the age of constitutional monarchy, of a monarchy with powers limited by Parliament, began.
Whigs and Tories
These two party names originated with the Glorious Revolution (1688).
The Whigs were those who opposed absolute monarchy and supported the right to religious freedom for Nonconformists. The Whigs were to form a coalition with dissident Tories in the mid-19th century and become the Liberal Party.
The Tories were those who supported hereditary monarchy and were reluctant to remove kings. The Tories were the forerunners of the Conservative Party.
The Industrial Revolution (1780-1830)
Britain was the first country to industrialize because of the following factors:
(1) Favorable geographical location. Britain was well placed geographically to participate in European and world trade;
(2) Political stability. Britain had a peaceful society, which, after the 17th century, was increasingly interested in overseas trade and colonies. International trade brought wealth to merchants and city bankers. They and those who had done well out of new farming methods provided capital in large quantities for industrialization.
(3) Good foundation in economy. The limited monarchy which resulted from the Glorious Revolution of 1688 ensured that the powerful economic interests in the community could exert their influence over Government policy.
(4) It was a country in which the main towns were never too far from seaports, or from rivers, which could distribute their products. (5) Britain had many rivers, which were useful for transport but also for water and steam power. Britain also had useful mineral resources.
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(6) British engineers had sound training as craftsmen.
(7) The inventors were respected. They solved practical problems. (8) Probably laissez faire and “Protestant work ethic” helped.。
(9) England, Scotland, and Wales formed a customs union after 1707 and this included Ireland after 1807. So the national market was not hindered by internal customs barriers.
(10) The enclosures and other improvements in agriculture made their contributions by providing food for the rising population, labor for the factories, and some of the raw materials needed by industry.
Consequences of the Industrial Revolution
（1） Britain was by 1830 the “workshop of the world”;
（2） Towns grew rapidly and became the source of the nation’s wealth.
（3） Mechanization destroyed the livelihood of those who could not invest in it . The working men worked and lived in an appalling condition. （4） The industrial revolution created the industrial working class, the proletariat, and it later led to trade unionism.
Queen Victoria and Her Time(1837-1901)
Victoria, who reigned over the British Empire for more than half a century, was another well-known Queen in English history. She mounted the throne in 1837, one year after the memorable 1836 when the dissatisfied English workers started their Chartist Movement and Charles Darwin returned from his travel.
Victoria's time was full of tremendous changes in almost every field. The industrial revolution continued to develop in spite of the social problems that accompanied it. The invention of the locomotive threw Britain into a frenzy of railway construction. Agriculture was further mechanized. Trade and commerce grew apace, driving more peasants, hand spinners and weavers into factories. England was arriving at the age of machinery.
Development of productivity broadened men's field of vision and increased their interest in scientific knowledge. In 1859, Darwin published his Origin of Species. His theory greatly shocked clergymen because it contained the suggestion that man descended from monkeys.
Rapid social changes and people's eagerness to gain useful knowledge made it possible for a group of famous writers to appear because a growing number of people were fond of books. Thackeray, Bronte, Dickens, and George Eliot were among the most famous.
Victoria was of high reputation for her contribution to Britain as well as her personality. She set a very severe home discipline for her children who were usually beaten up for dishonesty, mischief and negligence of duty. She was very careful about her behavior in public. In addition, she maintained a harmonious relation with her husband and almost set a standard for domestic virtues. Victoria's achievements were so popular in Britain and her personality was so widely esteemed and imitated by the middle class that the epithet Victorian was later applied to any person or time with the characteristics of decency and morality, self-satisfaction based on wealth, conscious rectitude, unquestioning acceptance of authority and orthodoxy, and great industrial and scientific development.
Her time was called “the polite society” in English history.
Mrs. Thatcher
Thatcherism撒切尔主义referred to the policies put forward by Margaret Thatcher, the first woman prime minister in England in 1979. The main contents of her policies included the return to private ownership of state-owned industries国有工业私有化, the use of monetarist policies货币主义政策 to control inflation通货膨胀, the weakening of trade unions, the strengthening of the role of market forces in the economy, and an emphasis on law and order强调法律和秩序. To some extent her program was successful and she led one of the most remarkable periods in the British economy.
Why is Tudor Monarchy the new monarchy?
1. The position of the Tudor Monarchy was greatly strengthened and the influence of the newly-born bourgeoisie increased. 2. The change in the balance of strength prepared the base for a centralized government. 3. The monarchy did its best protect and promote the development of trade and industry. 4. The monarchy built a strong navy to protect its foreign trade and expansion.
5. It was also during the Tudor Monarchy that America was discovered and the Renaissance spread to England. 6. The Tudor Monarchy thus served as the transitional stage from feudalism to capitalism in English history.
Roman Britain (55BC-410AD)
1.British recorded history begins with the Roman invasion. In 55BC and 54BC, Julius Caesar, a Roman general, invaded Britain twice. In AD 43, the Emperor Claudius invaded Britain successfully. For nearly 400 years, Britain was under the Roman occupation, though it was never a total occupation. 2. Roman’s influence on Britain.
The Roman built many towns, road, baths, temples and buildings. They make good use of Britain’s natural resources. They also brought the new religion, Christianity, to Britain.
3. Reasons for limited Roman influence on Britain.
First, the Romans always treated the Britons as a subject people of slave class. Second, never during the 4 centuries did the Romans and Britons intermarry. Third, the Romans had no impact on the language or culture of ordinary Britons.
King Alfred (849-899) and his contributions
Alfred was a king of Wessex. He defeated the Danes and reached a friendly agreement with them in 879. The Danes gained control of the north and east, while he ruled the rest. He also converted some leading Danes into Christians.
He founded a strong fleet and is known as “the father of the British navy”. He reorganized the Saxon army, making it more efficient. He translated a
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Latin book into English. He also established schools and formulated a legal system. All this earns him the title “Alfred the Great.”
3. What were the consequences of the Norman Conquest?
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. 1. The feudal system was completely established in England.
2 .There was a much stronger control over the country by the Romanbacked Catholic Church.. 3. French gradually became the official language.
4. There were numerous contacts between England and France.
Contents and the significance of the Great Charter
Great Charter was signed by King John in 1215 under the press of the barons. It consists of sixty-three clauses. Its important provisions are as follows: (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.
Although The Great Charter has long been popularly regarded as the foundation of English liberties, it was a statement of the feudal and legal relationships between the Crown and the barons, a guarantee of the freedom of the Church and a limitation of the powers of the king. The spirit of the Great Charter was the limitation of the powers of the king, keeping them within the bounds of the feudal law of the land.
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.
The Hundred Years’ War and its consequences.
The Hundred Years’ War refers to the war between England and France that lasted intermittently from 1337 to 1453. The causes of the war were partly territorial and partly economic. The territorial causes were related with the possession by the English kings of the large duchy in France, while the French kings coveted this large slice. The economic causes were connected with cloth manufacturing towns in Flanders, which were the importer of English wool, but they were loyal to the French king politically. Besides, England’s desire to stop France from giving aid to Scots and a growing sense of nationalism were the other causes.
The English’s being driven out of France is regarded as a blessing for both countries. If the English had remained in France, the superior size and wealth of France would have hindered the development of a separate English national identity, while France was hindered so long as a foreign power occupied so much French territory.
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.
The economic consequences of the Black Death were far-reaching. As a result of the plague, much land was left untended and there was a terrible shortage of labor. The surviving peasants had better bargaining power and were in a position to change their serfdom into paid labor. Some landlords, unable or unwilling to pay higher wages, tried to force peasants back into serfdom. In 1351 the government issued a Statute of Laborers which made it a crime for peasants to ask for more wages or for their employers to pay more than the rates laid down by the Justices of the Peace.
The Wars of Roses
They referred to the battles between the House of Lancaster and the House of York between 1455 and 1485. The former was symbolized by the red rose, and the latter by the white one. After the wars, feudalism received its death blow and the king’s power became supreme. Tudor monarchs ruled England and Wales for over two hundred years.
The Peasant Uprising of 1381 and its significance
Armed villagers and townsmen of Kent and Essex, led by Watt Tyler and Jack Straw, moved on London in June, 1381. The king was forced to accept their demands. Most of the rebels dispersed and went home, while Tyler and other leaders stayed on for more rights. Tyler was killed at a meeting with the king.
The uprising was brutally suppressed, but it had far-reaching significance in English history. First, it directed against the rich clergy, lawyers and the landowners. Second, it dealt a telling blow to villeinage, and third, a new class of yeomen farmers emerged, paving the way to the development of capitalism.
The English Reformation
Henry VIII was above all responsible for the religious reform of the church. There were three main causes: a desire for change and reform in the church had been growing for many years and now, encouraged by the success of Martin Luther, many people believed its time had come; the privilege and wealth of the clergy were resented; and Henry needed money.
The reform began as a struggle for a divorce and ended in freedom from the Papacy. Henry VIII wanted to divorce Catherine of Aragon but the Pope
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refused. Henry’s reforms was to get rid of the English Church’s connection with the Pope, and to make an independent Church of England. He made this break with Rome gradually between 1529 and 1534. He dissolved all of England’s monasteries and nunneries because they were more loyal to the Pope than to their English kings. The laws such as the Act of succession of 1534 and the Act of Supremacy of 1535 made his reform possible. He established the church of England as the national church of the country, and he made himself the supreme head of the church of England.
Henry VIII’s reform stressed the power of the monarch and certainly strengthened Henry’s position; Parliament had never done such a long and important piece of work before, its importance grew as a result. His attack on the Pope’s power encouraged many critics of abuses of the Catholic Church. England was moving away form Catholicism towards Protestantism.
What did the British Disease refer to?
British Disease referred to the slow growth of productivity, soaring inflation and large unemployment in Britain in the 1970s. Britain’s rate of economic growth was low in comparison with that of other industrialized countries.
What measures did HenryⅡ take to centralize power? 1. He forced foreign mercenaries to leave England. 2. He abolished the annual land tax.
3. He took steps to reform the law courts and divided the country into six circuits to increase the power of the King’s Court.
4. He also planned to reform the church courts, which had the exclusive right of justice over the whole body of the educated men throughout the country.
What do you know about the English Renaissance?
Renaissance was the revival of classical literature and artistic styles in European history. It began in Italy in the early 14th century and spread to England in the late 15th century.
The English Renaissance had 5 characteristics: (1) English culture was revitalized not so much directly by the classics as by contemporary Europeans under the influence of the classics; (2) England as an insular country followed a course of social and political history which was to a great extent independent of the course of history else where in Europe; (3) Owning to the great genius of the 14th century poet Chaucer, the native literature was vigorous enough and experienced in assimilating foreign influences without being subjected by them; (4) English Renaissance literature is chiefly artistic, rather than philosophical and scholarly; (5) the Renaissance coincided with the Reformation in England. The English Renaissance was largely literary, and achieved its finest expression in the so-called Elizabethan drama. Its finest exponents were Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson, and William Shakespeare.
What are the main functions of Parliament?
The main functions of Parliament are: (1) to pass laws; (2) to provide the means of carrying on the work of government by voting for taxation; (3) to examine government policy and administration, including proposals for expenditure; (4) to debate the major issues of the day.
The Bill of Rights
In 1689, William and Mary accepted the Bill of Rights to be crowned jointly. The bill excluded any Roman Catholic from the succession, confirmed the principle of parliamentary supremacy and guaranteed free speech within both the two Houses. Thus the age of constitutional monarchy began.
The Economy
I. The Evolution of the British Economy since the War
The evolution of the British economy since WWII falls into three periods
(1) Steady development in the 50s and 60s: The British economy in this period is characterized by slow but steady growth, low unemployment and great material prosperity with rising standards of consumption.
(2) Economic recession经济滞胀 in the 70s: In the 1970s among the developed countries, Britain maintained the lowest growth rate最低经济增长率 and the highest inflation rate最高的通货膨胀率, and the high record of trade deficits最高的贸易赤字纪录.
(3) Economic recovery经济复苏 in the 80s: An outstanding feature of the economic recovery in the 80s was its length, lasting seven years. Another was the improved financial position of the government政府金融地位最高, with stronger current account of the balance of payments国际收支大大盈余. ★ Measures taken by Mrs. Thatcher's government to improve the economy
Mrs. Thatcher's government took numerous measures to improve the efficiency of the economy during the past decade, using both macroeconomic and microeconomic policies.
(1) Macroeconomic measures were directed towards bringing down the rate of inflation and achieving price stability.
(2) Microeconomic policies were aimed at working with the grain of market forces by encouraging enterprise, efficiency and flexibility.
Reasons for the British coal mining is called a “sick” industry today.
Today the coal industry in Britain is on the decline，the number of miners, collieries and the total output have been falling.
The reasons for the decline are as follows: exhaustion of old mines, costly operations of extraction, poor old equipment, little investment, fall in demand due to imports of cleaner, cheaper and more efficient fuels, etc.
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