Help needed- British history

[Xen]

basically said, I need some help in this subject as soon as possible, i dont realyl need specifics, but, considering there is LOT opeople far more educated then I in the subject, I fet it woul dbe best to come here, and ask for some of the more major points in british history spanning well... from tyhe battle of hastings, up to the napoleonic wars... yes, its alot I know, but I odnt really need you guys to go indepth if you dont want, just a sport of list of topics i can research to have a good project... and, like I said, this needs to happen rather fast.. I really dont have any oppertunitis to go onto the computer for leasure anymore... so please, if you can help please help, and please do so quicklly

a humble request, Xen

[privatehudson]

Well...... First you would have to define the period were Britain was not united in any form from the period of it's unification gradually. This by necessity brings a seperate early history for the component countries.

Major wars I'd say would be:

Inter-British wars (Can't think of a better name, basically the wars fought by Edward I and II against Wales and Scotland)
100 Years war
War of the roses (a kind of 14th century civil war)
English Civil War
Jacobite Rebellions
7 Years War (and the wars of sucession in europe)
American Revolutionary war
Napoleonic Wars

(and no doubt some others, but I consider these to be the most important)

Outside of major wars, good points to study would be the tudor period which spans the time frame from the end of the War of the Roses to the period leading to the civil war. During this much of the religious changes in the country occurred with the establishment of the protestant religion/church in the country, the beginings of the empire came into being and of course it is the period of great literature with the likes of Marlowe and Shakesphere. The seeds of Irish troubles are sometimes rooted here with Tudor attempts to implant protestants into the country.

I'm sure I could think of more and I could definately elaborate, but it's nearly 1am and I need sleep

[Al Zan]

Jacobite Rebellions?

[Pangur Bán]

Originally posted by Al Zan
Jacobite Rebellions?

http://www.tartans.com/articles/jacobitemain.html

[privatehudson]

Originally posted by Al Zan
Jacobite Rebellions?

As calagus' link says, in basic terms the attempts by exiled part of the Catholic Stuart line to otherthrow the Protestant (be it Stuart, Orange or Hannover) They all failed for a variety of reasons but lead to some emnity and ill events such as the aftermath of Culluden were many highlanders died or were exiled. They also affected Ireland heavily and it's history continues to affect the divide to some extent to today. Hence why I included it.

[Hawkster]

ok from 1066 (battle of hastings onwards),

(pre - Harold (godwinson) king - despite promise to william to support his bid for throne when Edward the Confessor dies without heir,hence William's attack. {note Harold may not have lost if it hadn't been for viking&harolds brother attacking in north}

Medevil Period
Norman conquest - harrying of the north (suspression of rebellion/dissent) - doomsday book
death of william the conqueror - william rufus became king (not a popular man)
Civil war between Stephen & Matilda - battle for throne
Edward I - conquest of wales and parts of scotland - major castle building in wales
Edward V
Richard III - princes in the tower etc (in reality not like shakespeare wrote)
War of the roses
Henry V - wars against france (agincourt)

Tudor Period
Henry VIII - of six wives fame / split with catholic church/ dissolution of monestaries
Elizabeth I - spanish armada, etc etc


Stewarts
James II unification of scotland and england

after that (I prefer the earlier period - so not too much detail here)
The regency
Industrial revolution

[Marla_Singer]

Don't forget to talk about almost 1000 years of British attempts to control continental territories (i.e. France). At the End, they only succeeded to get a rock in Southern Spain.

[privatehudson]

Or the attempts of Europe to control Britain, which if you ignore the changes in Monarch failed completely for the same period

[Kafka2]

Gah. Why start in 1066? Why not earlier?

As far as English history is concerned, most of the main points have ben covered. However there are a few that need adding-

1215- Magna Carta. The starting point for what later became democratic government, through limiting the power of the Crown.

1640- 1688. From Charles I to James II, the events that irrevocably installed Parliament as the true power in England. Particularly the "Glorious Revolution" of 1688, when James II was deposed. It may have been largely religious bigotry, but it was a key step towards democracy.

19th Century- The Reform Acts. The extension towards a true democracy.

That's England. Want more on Wales, Scotland and Ireland?

[Xen]

earlyer periods would be welcomed as well really, but time is limited- i figured that since hastings is, from what I knw about post Roman era britain (not much really) that the modrn English state can more or less draw the current government (or rather the stable state that allowed over time and several monarchies to lead into the current republic, or what ever it is exactley) that starting from that point would be the bare minimum....

as for Wales and scotland and Ireland? I'd like to knwo more about them, but for now, i need to concentrate on England (the entire United Kingdom is more or less beig dissected, and I choose to do England, though wales was atempting choice as well)

oh and

THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR HELP! I cannot express on a simple post reply on a web site forum how much this helps me, and how much i thank you

[nonconformist]

Ireland has a long histor of resisting english rule- form the "Curse Of Cromwell" where brutal acts were carred out by the British soldiers, right up to the Irish Republican Army and the "Black and Tans", I think they were officially RIC- Royal Irish Constabulary- in the 1920s being helped in the era 1914-1918 by the Germans, who sent kover weapons to overthrow British rule, and the Easter Uprising. Just some starting points, but I don't know much about Wales.

[Kafka2]

Going back further, here are some key events

8th Century- Mercian dominance under Offa.

9th Century- Wessex replaces Mercia as most powerful Saxon under Ecgbert.
Danish invasion, Ivar the Boneless and his descendants take York, most of England overrun.
Alfred the Great fights back and re-takes Wessex and much of Mercia.

10th century
937- Battle of Brunnanburh. Wessex/Mercia under Athelstan defeats combined forces of Viking Dublin, Strathclyde and Scotland.
954- Erik Bloodaxe (last Viking king of York) deposed by Eadred.
970- Edgar crowned king of all England

11th century.

1014- Athelred deposed by Swein and Cnut. Danes rule England.