1. “Previously in Great Britain…”
Great Britain/ United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland)
“Previously in Great Britain…”

2. It starts with invasion
Celts (Britons) (become Wales and Scotland)
Romans
Angles (German, brought Anglisch)
Saxons
Danes
Normans (Vikings)
William of Normandy (in France) invaded in 1066

3. What role did geography play?
How do you think Britain’s geography impacted its past?

4. Historic structures Feudalism Led to the Magna Carta in 1215
Decentralized
Local militaries
Mixed monarchy
Struggle between King and nobles or balance between King and nobles?
Led to the Magna Carta in 1215
Formally limited the King so he would obey his feudal obligations
Not democractic

5. Transitions to democracy
1200s: knights were coming to London to consult with the king
Kings needed revenue to wage wars (with France of course)= taxes
King invited people to his court so he could squeeze money out of them
This would become parliament
Knights and Burgers: House of Commons
Nobles and church leaders: House of Lords

6. At this point: all males, all wealthy
Still- they kept the King from gaining too much power
1500s: Henry VIII (divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived…)
Split from the Catholic Church
Began the Anglican Church
Easier to secularize
Henry relied on Parliament

7. Parliament vs. King
1st round: Kings were growing in power in the 1500s and 1600s: divine right theory emerges (score one for the king)
2nd round: absolutism (king wins again)
3rd round: civil war (Royalists and Parliamentarians) and a king is beheaded (Charles I) (win for Parliament)
Round 4: Military dictatorship (score one for Cromwell?)
Round 5: 1600s: Catholic Charles II comes in and manipulates parliament (king scores again)

8. Round 6: 1685: Charles II is very Catholic, which gets him removed (Parliament is in the lead)
Round 7: Mary and William of Orange are brought in (protestant) and they sign to English Bill of Rights (Glorious Revolution)
Parliament wins with a knockout in the 7th round! King can not collect taxes or laws without parliament’s consent.

9. Prime minister: Head MP
George I used a cabinet headed by a first, or prime, minister
After the Declaration of Independence, the English cabinet became responsible to the Commons, not the King
The government then consisted of the leader of the largest party in the House of Commons and that leader chose other cabinet members

10. Democratization 1700s: parties begin to form
Whigs: merchants and manufacturers
Tories: landed aristocracy
1800s: twp party system emerges
Whigs turned into the Liberal party
Tories turned into the Conservative party
At this time, the House of Lords was a hereditary noble group while the House of Commons was home to gentry, land owners and better- off people
Enter: Revolutions….

11. Ya say ya want a revolution?
Democracy
Right to vote
Industrial revolution:
A powerful middle class
An abused working class?
Reform Act of 1832, headed by the Whigs
(woo-hoo, now 7% of people can vote…)

12. Union
Both Wales and Scotland were independent kingdoms which resisted English rule.
1707 England and Scotland unified as Great Britain.
Legislative union of Ireland and Great Britain completed 1801 under name United Kingdom.
1921 Irish Free State established (Republic after WWII)
Six northern, predominantly Protestant, Irish counties have remained part of the United Kingdom.

13. 1867: 16% of people could vote 1884: mostly male suffrage
1918: women got the vote
VERY SLOW GROWTH
Allows for an educated electorate
People don’t get the vote until they want the vote
Edmund Burke: conservatism is constant but never radical change. Modify!

14. Welfare states
By the 1900s British parliament was looking at issues like
Public education
Housing
Jobs
Healthcare
By the end of WWI: Labour (very centrist) had become a larger party than the Liberals
Chief quarrel has come from the idea of a welfare state

15. Institutions developed which are characteristic of Britain:
political, administrative, cultural and economic center in London;
a separate but established church;
a system of common law;
distinctive and distinguished university education; and
representative government.

16. British Expansion and Empire
Foreign trade
Sea power protected English trade and opened up new routes
British empire = roughly one-fifth to one-quarter of the world’s area and population.
Colonies contributed to the UK’s economic growth and strengthened its voice in world affairs as well as developing and broadening its democratic institutions at home.

17. British Empire 1719

18. The Sun Never Sets

19. 20th Century
By early 1900’s, UK’s comparative economic advantage had lessened.
UK’s preeminent international position eroded
Ireland gained independence in 1921.
Nationalism grew in other parts of the empire (ex. India, Egypt)

20. Commonwealth of Nations
Autonomy granted to number of states within the Empire
Commonwealth formed
British empire dismantled – became independent members of the Commonwealth.

21. Just to reiterate…
UK usually is referring to England, Scotland, Wales and N Ireland
The “government” refers to cabinet ministers
House of Lords have lost a lot of power but still carry judicial and legislative weight
While having no formal constitution, British laws can be declared unconstitutional due to common law practice