England first ruled by Celtic tribes. 55 BC – Rome invaded and Romanized Celtic Britons. When Rome invaded Gaul, they withdrew their soldiers from Britain to fight the German invaders. Angles and Saxons (from east of the Rhine) and Jutes from Jutland (Denmark) began to invade. These invasions pushed the Celtic Britons into Wales. The invaders settled and blended with some of the remaining Celts.

Britain becomes England (land of the Angles) and people were Anglo-Saxons. The settlements of Germanic invaders combined into a number of small kingdoms such as Northumbria, Mercia, and Wessex – these became the most dominant. Early 800s – Egbert of Wessex forced others to recognize him as ing. England had been Christianized after Augustine began the conversion of the pagan English in 597. Churches and monasteries were established. Venerable Bede lived at the monastery at Jarrow and translated the Gospel of St. John into the vernacular and wrote his history of England.

Most able of the Anglo- Saxon kings. He fought off the Danes to the north of England and saved the rest from conquest. He built a navy. He encouraged Christianity and education, having Latin books translated into the vernacular.

Alfred was succeeded by weaker men and the monarchy declined – King Canute of Denmark brought England under his rule. That rule however was short and little change took place under the leadership of Denmark.

1042 – Edward the Confessor restored the line of Anglo-Saxon kings. But Edward the Confessor died without an heir and there was a fight for the throne.

Harald Hardrada Harold Godwinson William of Normandy

Harald Hardrada was a Norwegian king that desired to expand his kingdom. He claimed the English throne based on an agreement between his predecessor and Edward the Confessor’s predecessor that stated that if either of them died, the other would inherit that kingdom. He aligned himself with Tostig, Edward’s brother.

He was the son of the Earl of Wessex. He became the second most powerful man in England after the monarch. The Saxon nobility, the Witan, chose him as the man that they would want to succeed Edward the Confessor when he died.

Harald Hardrada and Tostig invaded England in On September 25 th, they met Harold Godwinson’s army at the Battle of Stamford Bridge. Harald Hardrada was killed in the battle. Harold Godwinson’s army would be the victors.

William of Normandy claimed the English throne as King Edward’s cousin. William claimed Edward had promised him the throne upon his death. Several days after Godwinson’s victory over Hardrada, William invaded Britain. In the Battle of Hastings, William defeated Godwinson’s army after Harold was shot in the eye with an arrow and died.

William made himself King of England which ended rule of the Anglo-Saxons. He became king on Christmas Day, He compelled his Norman knights and all of England to take an oath of allegiance to him personally. The English lords that had supported Harold lost their lands. He granted fiefs to 200 Norman lords who swore oaths of loyalty. He forbid nobles to wage private wars among themselves. He had much more power than the king of France.

William laid the foundation for centralized government and extended royal power. He had a census done to determine who owned the land and how much they owned. The Domesday Book was an account of all land and property owned n England. It would assist in developing an efficient system of tax collection. The English language was gradually changed by mingling and blending English and Norman languages – Anglo-Saxon prevailed over the Norman French language. Normans brought the higher culture of the Europeans to England. William and his successors continued to rule Normandy and this entangled England in French politics and wars with France for hundreds of years.

Henry II added to England’s holdings in France by marrying Eleanor of Aquitaine. He strengthened royal courts by sending royal justices to every part of England at least once a year – collected taxes, settled lawsuits. Introduced jury system. Rulings of English courts formed unified body of law known as common law.

Archbishop of Canterbury Henry II got into a dispute with the Church over his ability to dealing with the clergy in royal courts. Henry was good friends with Thomas Becket, but they were fiercely opposed on this issue. In 1170, Henry forced his knights into action by saying, “Who will rid me of this meddlesome priest?” They murdered the archbishop but Henry denied involvement. Becket was later declared a saint and Henry made peace with the Church.

First son of Henry II. In 1173, Richard joined his brothers, Henry and Geoffrey, Duke of Brittany, in a revolt against their father. Richard spent only a small fraction of his reign in England, being far more concerned with his possessions in what is now France and his battles in Palestine. he spent the remainder of his reign attempting to regain the territory he had lost in France. He never returned to England.

Nicknamed John Softsword. Lost Normandy and all his lands in n. France. He battled Innocent III over selecting a new archbishop of Canterbury – England was placed under an interdict. John’s nobles revolted – he was mean and raised taxes to finance wars. Was forced to sign the Magna Carta, June 15, It guaranteed nobles rights and limited the power of the king.

Another step toward democratic government resulted from Edward I’s struggle to hang onto his remaining French lands – Edward needed to raise taxes for a war against the French. He summoned two burgesses (citizens of wealth and power) from every borough and two knights from every county to serve as a parliament. Future kngs would call the knights and burgesses together whenever a new tax was needed. Parliament would eventually emerge in a two house structure that met separately. - The House of Commons – burgesses and knights - The House of Lords – nobles and bishops