Moments in English History

The Magna Carta John I king of England from 1199-1216 -one of the most unpopular kings in history nicknamed Lackland by his father Henry II as he did not inherit land to provide him with an income hated for his cruelty and for trying to seize the crown while his popular brother King Richard the Lionheart was crusading June 15, 1215- he was compelled by the barons to agree to their demands by sealing the Magna Carta (Great Charter) Magna Carta it is seen as the worlds first BILL OF RIGHTS and the start of fair government in England it showed that even the king had to obey the law it contained 63 clauses, most related to feudal customs clause 39 every free man the right to a fair trial clause 40- gave everyone the right to instant justice John got the Pope to annul the document 3 days later it was reissued in 1225 after his death The Hundred Years War a long war between France and England (from1337-1453) it was caused by: - disputes over Guyenne (English land in southwest France -English claims to the French throne - French support for the Scots - French efforts to block the English wool trade in Belgium 1337 French king Philip VI tried to take over Guyenne English king Edward III claimed the French throne 1347 he took the French port of Calais 1356-Edward ,The Black Prince (son of Edward III), won a great victory over the French at Poitiers Henry V won the last great victory at Agincourt (6000 English beat a French army of 30,000) The English won most battles, but the French won the war The Wars of Roses a series of civil wars fought in England in the 1400s-as two branches of the Plantagenet family fought for the English throne the house of Yorks emblem-a white rose the house of Lancasters badge a red rose outbreak of war in 1453 when Lancastrian king Henry VI became insane (he became king in 1421 aged 9 months old) the country in chaos Warwick the kingmaker set up Richard, Duke of York as Protector in Henrys place In 1455 Henry VI seemed to recover and war broke out

In 1460 Richard was killed; Henry VI got insane again in 1461Richards son put on the throne as Edward IV (after a crushing Yorkist victory) he was a brave fighter, a clever army commander, a good politician his brothers turned against him and invaded England from France (in 1470) with Henry VIs Queen Margaret of Anjou and drove Edward out Henry VI was brought back for 7 months he was murdered and Edward IV came to throne again in 1483 Edward dies his sons vanished-probably murdered in the Tower of London (in 1674 the skeletons of two boys were found buried in the Tower) their uncle Richard III seized the throne he was the last king to die in battle Two years after seizing power he was killed at the battle of Bosworth Field (he insisted to wear his crown with his armour he became an easy target ) The End of Wars Henry Tudor became Henry VII married Elizabeth of York to end wars died in 1485 leaving England richer and calmer than it had been for hundreds of years Henry VIII was the king who separated the church in England from Rome he had six wives, beheading two of them he was 18 when he came to the throne when young, he was handsome and athletic, spoke several languages, played the lute and had humanist ideas as he grew old he became grossly fat, sick, and inclined to outbreaks of anger he was served by clever ministers: Wolsey and Cromwell The First Modern Navy Henry VIII was the 1st king to realize the need of proper navy paid for 20 new ships, all designed for war also paid for full-time captains to command them the most famous= Mary Rose- sank as she left harbour in 1545 (water poured through the gun-parts [holes for firing canons]- cut into her hull) Elizabeth I (daughter of Henry VIII and 2nd wife Anne Boleyn) Henry VIIIs 9-year-old son became king Edward VI but died in 1553 he was succeeded by his older sister Bloody Mary she was Catholic and killed- by burning them alive- all Protestants who would not give up their beliefs when Mary dies in 1558- Elizabeth became queen (she was 25) two when her mother was beheaded- brought up by governesses and tutors was fluent in many languages by the time she was 12 later, she was taken care of, by her fathers sixth wife Catherine Parr, being educated to the highest standards she was taught the art of public speaking- unheard for women at the time Englands Golden Age

the Queen strengthened the Protestant Church of England by the Act Of Supremacy in 1559- the Bible and prayers were in English rather than Latin she was also careful to keep some aspects of Catholic worship- traditions of candlesticks, crucifixes, clerical robes the Elizabethan Age characterized by the blooming of arts authors like Spencer, Shakespeare, Marlowe an intelligent and strong ruler encouraged the creation of colonies abroad a first step on the colonial empire the area of Virginia in America was named after Elizabeth known as the Virgin Queen A Queen with the Heart and Stomach of a King she re-organized the fleet forming a new navy of 134 ships and merchant vessels the English were able to fight the Spanish Armada (130 ships)- only half of it surviving the Queens personal pirate Sir Francis Drake (pirate attacks on ships carrying treasure back to Spain) she kept her cousin Mary (Queen of Scots) a prisoner for almost 20 years Mary was found guilty of treason and beheaded in 1587 Queen Elizabeth dies in 1603, almost 70 The Stuarts and the Civil War James VI of Scotland became James I of England making monarchical union he believed in rule by divine right nick-named the wisest fool- very intelligent but fond of very silly friends he dismissed the Parliament as it objected to his actions ruled without legislation for 10 years Charles the only English king put on trial and executed like his father, he dismissed the parliament, in 1629 he provoked a civil war between Roundheads (supporters of Parliament), and Cavaliers (the royal familys supporters) 6 years of fighting he was found guilty and executed !!! 11 Years with no King !!!! after Charles I death England and Scotland and Wales run by a Council of State in 1653, the commander of the Roundheads, Oliver Cromwell, was chosen by Parliament to rule as Lord Protector, through army officers England was called Commonwealth, run by Puritans he tried to bring peace but his rule was unpopular after his death, the army removed his son Richard Cromwell and called for Charles II who escaped to France -as king The Restoration A Return to Monarchy Charles II interested in science encourage great scientists like Isaac Newton, Edmund Halley and Robert Hooke to form the Royal Society he set up a new Royal Observatory at Greenwich

science killed him - killed by poisonous medicines his brother, James II became king he signed the Declaration of Indulgence in favour of Catholics gave them key jobs in the army, Church and universities jailed any bishops who refused to support the Declaration he tried to force religious union with Rome and make England Catholic again he had to flee the country in 1688 The Glorious Revolution Parliament chose James Protestant daughter Mary and her husband, William of Orange, as queen and king crowned as joined monarchs in 1689 the Bill of Rights was passed the same year no sovereign was to rule without a Parliament In 1702 William died Queen Anne-the youngest sister of Mary II-came to throne Major Changes Parliaments laws: -union of England and Scotland -ban on anyone but a Protestant from being the British king or queen Other kings: -George I -great-grandson of king James I- never learned English-speaking German or French George II- under his reign the British conquered new lands in Canada and India stopped rebellions in Scotland the last king to ride into battle George III-interested in agriculture William IV nick-named Silly Billy- opposed the right to vote for ordinary people- but finally was forced by the Parliament, to change his mind Victoria the Empress she became queen at the age of 18 Queen Victoria-the longest reigning British monarch the head of a vast empire her husband - her cousin prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg Gotha-interested in arts and science founded the greatest public museum Victoria and Albert during her reign the British Empire doubled in size-India, Australia, Parts of Africa and South Pacific (Victoria became fascinated by India's cultural heritage and rich civilization; she collected Indian jewels and art treasures; hired an Indian servant to teach her Hindi) nicknamed the grandmother of Europe -had 9 children who married other royal families in Europe her descendants ruled in Germany, Russia, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, Greece, Romania- Queen Mary-, Yugoslavia and Britain! there were no great conflicts while Queen Victoria was on throne The Workshop of the World British engineers and businessmen-world leaders in technology and manufacturing

invented the steam-power machines mass-produce goods in factories built steam-powered ships and locomotives to transport them in 1851 Prince Albert organized the Great Exhibition in London to display goods made in the workshop of the world at home-rapid expansion of cities vast slum areas critics of the poor living conditions social reformers and writers such as Charles DickensParliament had to pass laws -to improve conditions for working people -to provide education for all (education made compulsory for all children up to the age of 13) Empress of India took an active involvement in the affairs of state was far from being a figurehead as queen strongly believed that Britain should rule much of the world as an empire she worked with two prime ministers of great prominence: -Benjamin Disraeli - William Gladstone. - Benjamin Disraeli -twice PM- British Empire gained more status when Victoria became Empress of India 1868 1874-80 - William Gladstone-served four terms as PM 1868-1874 1880-1885 1886 1892-94 often viewed as the moral and political voice of the Victorian era, yet famously disliked by Queen Victoria. for decades Gladstone and Disraeli were rivals Post-Victorian Erathe Modern Age Victorias son Edward VII became king (he was 60)1901-1910 King George (1910-1936) changed his name from Saxa-Coburg-Gotha (the German surname inherited from Victoria and Albert) into Windsor- the royal favourite home Something must be done- Edward VIII s famous words- during the 1920s and 30s economic crises also known as the king that gave up his throne for love (to marry a divorced woman, Wallis Simpson) George VI ruled until 1952 with his wife queen Elizabeth both admired for devotion- during WWII they stayed in London to support people, even after Buckingham Palace was bombed Elizabeth II head of the Commonwealth since 1952 in 2002 she celebrated her Golden Jubilee- 50 years as queen-