HISTORY OF

GREAT BRITAIN
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ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

HISTORY

Britain is an island nation made up of three smaller countries - England, Scotland and Wales, along
with the Northern part of neighbour Ireland. Britain's population has always been a mix of people
from different places.

Britain has not been invaded since the Normans came from France in 1066, but it was invaded
many times before that. The invaders included Celts, Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings. The
Romans first came in 55 BC and Britain was part of the Roman Empire for almost 400 years, nearly
twice as long as the United States has been a nation!

THE DAWN OF HISTORY

The first men and women came to Britain over two and a half million years ago. They were hunters
and gatherers of food who used crude stone tools and weapons. But the British Isles only became
islands separate from the rest of Europe about 8,500 years ago, when melting ice formed the
English Channel.

3,000 years after Britain became an island, new tribes who came by boat from the mainland
introduced farming. These tribes built earthworks for protection and as tombs for their dead. Many
of these man-made hills and mounds can still be seen.

Later on, people learned to build stone monuments. The most amazing is Stonehenge, a circle of
huge stones begun about 4,500 years ago. Stonehenge is the world's most famous prehistoric
monument. We don't know what it meant or what it was used for, though many different
suggestions have been made. About 3,000 years ago the climate in Britain became colder, and
people had to move. A bit later iron started to be used for tools and weapons instead of bronze. This
Knowledge may have been brought by the Celts, a new wave of immigrants who started to arrive
from southern Europe in about 500 BC (500 years before the birth of Jesus Christ).

THE ROMANS

In 55 BC (55 years Before the birth of Jesus Christ) the Roman general Julius Caesar invaded
Britain. Earlier the Belgae, who were Celts from Gaul (what is now France) had settled in southern
England. This is one reason Caesar invaded Britain. He also wanted gold, silver and tin from
Britain. His armies won victories against the British tribes, but his
boats were wrecked by storms, so he went back to Rome empty-
handed. He tried again a year later, in 54 BC, but once again his
ships were damaged.

Almost a century later, in 43 AD (43 years after the birth of Jesus

Christ), the Roman emperor Claudius decided to invade Britain
establishing bases at present-day London and Colchester, and sent
40,000 soldiers. The soldiers were scared of the Britons at first, but
eventually the Romans conquered most of the country. Under the
Roman occupation towns developed, and roads were built to ensure
the success of the military occupation. These roads were the most lasting Roman achievement in
Britain.

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Trade contributed to town prosperity; wine, olive oil, plate, and furnishings were imported, and
lead, tin, iron, wheat, and wool were exported. This trade declined with the economic dislocation of
the late Roman Empire and the withdrawal of Roman troops to meet barbarian threats elsewhere.
Barbarian incursions became frequent. In 410 an appeal to Rome for military aid was refused, and
Roman officials subsequently were withdrawn.

Britain was part of the Roman Empire for almost 400 years- nearly twice as long as the US has
existed! Gradually the parts of Britain the Romans ruled became peaceful, though early on there
were many rebellions. The most famous was led by Queen Boudicca in 61 AD. The Romans were
good rulers. They built magnificent roads, many of whose routes are still followed today. You can
still see remains of Roman buildings in Britain. The most amazing are the Roman Baths at Bath in
England.

THE DARK AGES

From the time that the Romans more or less abandoned Britain, to the arrival of Augustine at Kent
to convert the Saxons, the period has been known as the Dark Ages. Written evidence concerning
the period is scanty, but we do know that the most significant events were the gradual division of
Britain into a Brythonic west, a Teutonic east and a Gaelic north; the formation of the Welsh,
English and Scottish nations; and the conversion of much of the west to Christianity.

THE ANGLO-SAXONS

The Roman army left Britain in AD 410. When they had gone there was no strong army to defend
Britain, and tribes called Angles, Saxons and Jutes invaded. They came
from Denmark, northern Germany and northern Holland, and are
called the Anglo-Saxons.

At home their land was poor and often flooded, so they were probably
looking for new places to live and farm. Some Saxon soldiers may
have been invited to protect Britain. The Anglo-Saxons rowed across
the North Sea in wooden boats, and each boatload of people formed a
small settlement of just a few large families. Some of the names they
gave to their settlements are still the names of places in Britain. Place
names ending in -don, like Swindon, or -ham, like Birmingham, are
usually Saxon.

Eventually the Anglo-Saxons ruled most of Britain, though they never

conquered Cornwall and Wales in the west or Scotland in the north. They divided the country into
kingdoms, and the five main Anglo-Saxon kingdoms were Kent, Anglia, Wessex, Mercia and
Northumbria. King Alfred from the kingdom of Wessex, who was called Alfred the Great, became
the first king to rule most of England.

The Anglo-Saxons gradually converted to Christianity after St Augustine was sent from Rome in
597 AD.

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ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

Vocabulary:
Look for the meaning of the following terms.

Nation
Neighbor
Population
Mainland
Earthworks
Mounds
Tin
Eventually
Ensure
Arrival
Scanty
Flooded
Tomb
Withdrawal
Threat

Questionnaire. Answer in your copybook.

1. Who were Britain’s first inhabitants?

2. When was Stonehenge constructed? What does represent?
3. What changes were introduced by the Celts and when?
4. When did the Romans invade Britain? Why?
5. Did Julius Caesar arrive to Rome with the British treasure?
6. What elements contributed to town prosperity in Britain? Fill in the following table.

Imports Exports

7. What period is called “The Dark Ages”? Why?

8. Which were the reasons why other tribes invaded Britain after the Romans?
9. Did the Anglo – Saxons soldiers came alone?
10. Which were the five main Anglo – Saxons kingdoms?