The United Kingdom of Great Britain

1. The United Kingdom of Great Britain England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland plus several smaller islands

3. Mnemonic Devices • Learning techniques that aid memory • Some mnemonic devices you may be familiar with: • Roy G. Biv • Please excuse my dear aunt Sally. • Every good boy does fine. / FACE

4. Great Britain has provided a variety of products and ideas • Stonehenge • The theory of gravity • The Industrial Revolution • Radar • Penicillin • Shakespeare • Robin Hood • The Beatles

5. The US took from Britain • Common law • emphasizes personal rights and freedom • British parliamentary government • British literature • English language

6. Invaders of Great Britain • Iberians • Celts (pronounced kelts) • Romans • Angles and Saxons • Vikings • Normans

7. Iberians (Old & New Stone Age) • 1st people to live in England • Short, dark skinned • Knowledge of metalworking • Knew how to make bronze • Bronze is an alloy consisting of mainly copper with tin. • Alloys combine two or more metallic elements to give greater strength or resistance to corrosion. • Bronze has been used for boat and ship fittings and propellors, statues and sculptures, cannons, guitar and piano strings, cymbals, medals, as well as other items.

8. Celts (Approx. 600 BC – 55 BC) • Physical characteristics: • Tall, blonde • Warriors • Lifestyle: • Introduced the use of iron to Europe • Skilled artisans (workers in skilled trades, especially ones that involved hand-made items; a craftsperson) – furniture, tools, clothing, jewelry • Highly developed religion • Legal system specified individual rights

9. Religion of the Celts • Animism – Latin word for “spirit” • Spirits in everything (rivers, trees, stones, fire) • Spirits (gods) controlled all aspects of existence; had to be constantly satisfied • Ritual dances or human sacrifices • Druids – priests • Intermediaries between gods and people • Stonehenge – May have been used by druids for religious rites related to solar and lunar cycles http://youtu.be/_n2QNHN72wA

10. Celtic Stories • The Celtic legends  • strong women • fantastic animals (wolves, serpents, dragons) • incredible adventures • enchanted lands. • Anglo-Saxon stories  brooding; male dominated

11. Romans (Approx. 55 BC – 400 AD) • Beginning of Christianity • Julius Caesar  invaded in 55 BC • Emperor Claudius  invaded about 100 years later; defeated the Celts • Romans built Hadrian’s Wall to prevent invasions • a 73-mile long defensive wall

13. More about Romans • Romans left in 410 AD • problems in Rome • Contributions: • Roads (5000 miles of stone road, some still in use today) • Walls • Villas • Great public baths • Left no central government in Britain

14. Anglo-Saxons (450 AD) • Angles and Saxons  from Germany • Jutes  from Denmark • Invaded  middle of the 5th century • Celts resisted; eventually retreated to Wales • Today, traces of this culture can still be found.

15. Alfred the Great • Early Anglo-Saxon England  • Divided into independent principalities • Each with its own “king.” • The country became a true nation when King Alfred of Wessex defeated the Danes • Danes  Viking people • Crossed the North Sea  8th and 9th centuries • King Alfred  revived interest in • Learning • The English language

16. Hagar the Horrible

17. St. Augustine • Converted England to Christianity a 2nd time by converting the Anglo-Saxon kings/subjects • Irish and Continental missionaries. • Parts of old pagan religion remained • Anglo-Saxons and Danes continued to battle • Defeated by William, Duke of Normandy in 1066

18. Anglo-Saxon Life • Depended upon loyalty to the leader • Homesteads  • single-family, wooden dwellings • surrounded a warm, fire-lit chieftain's hall, also called a mead hall • Fire in center; dais at one end • Protected by a wooden stockade fence • Led to a • Sense of security • Close relationship between leaders and followers

19. Two-class society • Thanes, or earls • Rulers • Related to the leader of the tribe • Churls • Bondservants • Ancestors  captured by the tribe • Provided hard labor • Bound to earls’ service • They could earn possessions and special royal favor to become freemen.

20. Loyalty to the leader • Chieftain and his followers  bound to each other until death • If the leader died • warriors had to avenge his death or die beside him. • Followers  gain fame and success by • showing loyalty to the tribe leader • Success  measured in gifts from the leader • The more loyal  the more gifts • The more gifts  the more successful

22. Lifestyle • Emphasized warfare • VERY SOCIAL! • Dinner  noon until 3 PM in the mead hall (center of family life) • Mead  drink of fermented honey, malt, & spices • Food  • meat & fish • primary vegetable  cabbage • Entertainment: • Women  needlework • Men  chess & backgammon, fishing, hunting, gambling, drinking, & fighting

23. Women’s Roles • The Anglo-Saxon society focused on warfare. • Women did have rights  • inherit and hold property even after marriage. • Upper-class women supervised • the weaving and dyeing of cloth • slaughter of livestock • brewing of mead • beekeeping

24. Religion • Christianity had been brought to England • Pagan elements remained • Paganism  dark, fatalistic religion • Wyrd represents one’s fate in life • Did not believe in the afterlife • Immortality  achieved through heroic actions

25. Bards • Bards  storytellers & history keepers • Also called scops • Sang about heroes and gods • accompaniment of harps. • Not inferior to warriors • writing poetry  as important as fighting, hunting, farming, or loving.

26. Anglo-Saxon Literature • Elegiac, or mournful, in nature • Remember  • Fatalistic • No belief in afterlife • Handed down orally

27. Monks and Monasteries • Monks founded monasteries • Monasteries  • Sanctuaries for refugee scholars • Centers of learning • Stored Greek and Latin classics • Job  copy manuscripts by hand • Scriptorium  writing room • Quill pens • Vellum  “paper” made from sheepskin • Winters so cold ink would freeze • The Church took learning seriously • Monks  vows of silence

28. The English Language • Latin language of serious study • King Alfred  • Had primary education taught in English • English  respect as a language of culture • Instituted the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle  a lengthy running history of England • Kept in the British Library