History of Britain & Ireland

402 Pages·2011·58.08 MB·English

history of
britain
t h e d e f i n i t i v e v i s u a l g u i d e
& ireland

history of
britain
t h e d e f i n i t i v e v i s u a l g u i d e
& ireland
CONTENTS
LONDON, NEW YORK, MELBOURNE,
MUNICH, AND DELHI
Life in Roman Britain 32
Rome profoundly affects British life with its military
CONTRIBUTORS organization, urban lifestyle, new religious beliefs,
and novel foods.
R.G. Grant, Ann Kay, Michael Kerrigan, Philip Parker
End of Empire 34
EDITORIAL CONSULTANTS In 410 (cid:3)(cid:4), Roman rule over Britain comes to an
end, leaving Britain exposed and at the mercy of
Sir Barry Cunliffe, Eric Evans, Kenneth Morgan, Miri Rubin
BRITONS AND Germanic barbarians.
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DORLING KINDERSLEY INVADERS THE SUTTON HOO SHIP BURIAL 36
Senior Art Editor Senior Editor UP TO 1066 Holy Ireland 38
Edward Kinsey Pip Morgan 8 Rapid growth in Ireland’s Christian Church
Jacket Designer Project Editors in the 5th century, as abbots of the main
Silke Spingies Nicola Hodgson, Peter Preston Introduction 10 monasteries become powerful and send
missionaries abroad.
Cartographers Picture Researcher Timeline 12
Ed Merritt, Simon Mumford Karen VanRoss Anglo-Saxon Rulers 40
Production Controller Production Editor Britain’s First People 14 Between the 5th and 8th centuries, Anglo-Saxon
Erika Pepe Tony Phipps Arrival of first human-like species in Britain invaders establish the powerful kingdoms of
and colonization by modern humans around Mercia, Northumbria, and Wessex.
Managing Art Editor Managing Editor 15,000 years ago.
Owen Peyton Jones Julie Ferris ■ FRANKS CASKET 42
Stone Age Britain 16
Art Director US Editor
Settlers build stone monuments and Christian England 44
Philip Ormerod Rebecca G. Warren
agriculture develops. Missionaries sent by Pope Gregory I convert
Associate Publisher Reference Publisher Anglo-Saxons to Christianity, transforming England
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Liz Wheeler Jonathan Metcalf STONEHENGE 18 into a vibrant and thriving Christian culture, largely
based in monasteries.
Iron Age Britain 20
DORLING KINDERSLEY INDIA
Warrior elites in hill-forts dominate Britain, Viking Raiders and Settlers 46
Managing Art Editor Managing Editor maintaining strong links with Europe Anglo-Saxon kingdoms succumb to Viking raiders,
Ashita Murgai Rohan Sinha and producing art of great beauty. armies, and settlers, leaving Wessex to stand alone,
weak and beleaguered.
Consultant Art Director Production Manager Caesar’s Invasion 22
Shefali Upadhyay Pankaj Sharma Julius Caesar establishes treaty relations with ■ BOOK OF KELLS 48
Project Designer Project Editor British tribes, drawing Britain into the orbit of
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Amit Malhotra Alka Ranjan Roman political ambitions. ALFRED THE GREAT 50
Designers Editors Conquest and Resistance 24 Wessex Takes the Lead 52
Kaberi Hazarika, Mansi Nagdev, Brishti Bandyopadhya, Shatarupa Chaudhuri, The Romans, under Emperor Claudius, conquer In the 10th century, several able kings of Wessex
Zaurin Thoidingjam, Shreya Anand Virmani Sudeshna Dasgupta, Dharini, Rahul Ganguly, much of Britain, despite bitter resistance in Wales progressively conquer Viking-held areas of England,
Bincy Mathew, Karishma Walia and the north of England. uniting the country as far north as the border with
Scotland, and becoming kings of the English.
Assistant Art Editor DTP Manager ■
HADRIAN’S WALL 26
Mini Dhawan Balwant Singh
Ireland in the Viking Age 54
Picture Researcher DTP Designers A Distant Province 28 From their port-enclaves in Ireland, the Vikings,
Sakshi Saluja Neeraj Bhatia, Arjinder Singh, Jagtar Singh, Much of Roman Britain prospers as towns grow without conquering the country, play a major role
Bimlesh Tiwary and roads encourage trade and communication. in shaping Irish culture.
Outside the Empire 30 Triumph of the Danes 56
First American Edition, May 2011
By the 5th century, communities in Ireland and At the turn of the first millennium, the Danes
Published in the United States by DK Publishing,
remote parts of Scotland lay the foundations of successfully invade England and take over the
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014
independent kingdoms. throne for a quarter of a century.
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Independent Realms 58 Challenging Royal Authority 84 ELY CATHEDRAL 112 HENRY VIII 134
In the 9th and 10th centuries, Scotland is more Royal concessions to the barons of England lead to
successful than Wales at achieving unity and a Parliament that has to approve any new taxes the Change of Dynasty 114 Religious Upheaval 136
independence from England. monarch wishes to levy. As Richard II is deposed, a new Lancastrian The Protestant Reformation of the Church radically
dynasty under Henry IV lays the seeds of a changes the lives of the British people, both
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King Edward’s World 60 MAGNA CARTA 86 conflict that would burst into civil war. religiously and culturally. The spirit of theological
Edward the Confessor struggles to contain the self-reliance changes the political landscape as well.
country’s internal tensions. A Prosperous Realm 88 Invasion and Revolt 116
In the 12th and 13th centuries, England prospers, In the 15th century, Scotland proves to be far Scottish Troubles 138
which improves the social and economic life of more troublesome for England than Wales, The tragic life of Mary, Queen of Scots, epitomizes
some of the people. except for the revolt of Owain Glyn Dwr. the dangers Scottish power struggles posed to the
English monarchy.
Subduing Wales 90 The Later Hundred Years’ War 118
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The powerful princes of Gwynedd try to create an Henry V’s bid for the French throne almost ELIZABETH I 140
independent Wales, but Edward I subdues them. succeeds after Agincourt, but a French revival
sees the English kings lose almost all their English Society under the Tudors 142
Scotland’s Independence Struggle 92 lands in France. The country prospers as trade and agriculture
Led by Edward I, an English invasion to crush the flourish, but in the rapidly expanding cities
Scots ends in failure as Robert the Bruce and his Merchants and Guilds 120 hunger and crime stalk the streets.
MEDIEVAL BRITAIN army expel the occupiers. Craftsmen and tradesmen form guilds in British
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cities and towns during the prosperous but TUDOR LIFE 144
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1066–1485 BATTLE OF BANNOCKBURN 94 sometimes turbulent 15th century.
62 Sailors and Privateers 146
Hundred Years’ War Begins 96 The Wars of the Roses 122 Inspired by the skill and daring of several English
Introduction 64 The English and the French fight over the throne of The houses of Lancaster and York embark on a seafarers, the Royal Navy is founded and British
France, starting a series of costly wars that will last long period of civil strife as they fight bitterly for naval power expands with a renewed spirit of
Timeline 66 more than a century. the throne of England. exploration and discovery.
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Norman Conquest 68 Knights and Bowmen 98 MEDIEVAL WEAPONS 124 The War with Spain 148
William the Conqueror installs an Anglo-Norman rule, During the medieval period, advances in infantry England battles remorselessly with her Spanish foe,
introduces a feudal society, and reshapes England. warfare throw a challenge to the central role of finally overcoming its fearful shadow and ushering
heavily armored cavalry. in a golden age.
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BATTLE OF HASTINGS 70
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BATTLE OF CRÉCY 100 THE DEFEAT OF THE 150
Norman Realm 72 SPANISH ARMADA
Henry I’s reign manages to establish the institutional The Black Death 102
bureaucracy that realizes the Norman kings’ desire A deadly infection wipes out half of the population The English Renaissance 152
to dominate their new realm. within a year, causing profound social changes. Arts and philosophy flourish, with great theater,
wonderful music, evocative poetry, striking Tudor
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DOMESDAY BOOK 74 The Peasants’ Revolt 104 portraits, and far-reaching humanist thinking.
A heavy poll tax causes many people to rebel TUDORS AND
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Reign of a Powerful King 76 against king and government, but the killing of WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE 154
King Henry II fights the Church and his sons, conquers the rebel leaders brings the revolt to an end. STUARTS
Ireland, and reforms the English legal system. Conquest and Plantation 156
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LUTTRELL PSALTER 106 1485–1688 English power savagely puts down several fierce
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MURDER IN THE CATHEDRAL 78 126 revolts in Ireland, followed by colonization and
Religious Enthusiasm 108 settlement in the north of the country, which sets
Invasion of Ireland 80 Monasteries and pilgrimage play a major role Introduction 128 the stage for future conflicts.
Irish infighting opens the way for Henry II to move in English life, though religious reformers are
in and establish English rule over Ireland. brutally suppressed. Timeline 130 The Union of the Crowns 158
James I’s accession effectively unites the kingdoms
England in the Crusades 82 Poets of the People 110 The Early Tudors 132 of Great Britain under the rule of a Scottish dynasty,
Richard I and other kings of England embark on a Geoffrey Chaucer pioneers vernacular writing in Henry Tudor centralizes the state and concentrates the House of Stuart.
series of crusades, as they heed papal calls to a form of English, poetically revealing everyday power on the monarchy, an enduring legacy he
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regain Jerusalem and the Holy Land. contemporary life in his Canterbury Tales. passes on to his successors. THE GUNPOWDER PLOT 160
Colonial Expansion 162 ■ SURRENDER AT YORKTOWN 216
English colonists gradually establish settlements
along much of North America’s eastern seaboard Georgian Society 218
and on many islands of the Caribbean. In the 18th century, the better-off worked, played,
shopped—and reveled in the social season.
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LONDON AND THE RIVER THAMES 164
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LANDED GENTRY 220
Charles I and Parliament 166
Political turbulence unsettles the country as an RISE OF POWER Disorder and Religious Revival 222 INDUSTRY AND
absolutist King collides with an increasingly Social turmoil brings crime and disorder to many
confident Parliament. 1688–1815 English cities, causing thousands to turn to religion EMPIRE
190 for help and guidance.
The Civil War 168 1815–1914
Desperate terror, death, and suffering sweep across Introduction 192 Scottish Enlightenment 224 248
the country as rival supporters of the King and Edinburgh becomes a center for a flourishing
Parliament fight a vicious war that eventually divides Timeline 194 intellectual, scientific, and artistic life. Introduction 250
the entire British Isles.
Succession Wars 196 New Horizons in the Pacific 226 Timeline 252
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THE EXECUTION OF THE KING 170 Rival Protestant and Catholic factions fight each other Voyages of exploration bring many scientific and
in Ireland and then engage in wars of supremacy geographical discoveries, and help to extend Britain’s The Regency 254
The Commonwealth 172 that spread across Europe. imperial horizons. Celebrated for its fashions, art, and architecture the
As the country ceases to be a kingdom, many start to Regency and reign of George IV had political and
build a better society while others feel excluded by ■ TREATY OF UNION 198 ■ GEORGIAN TRADE 228 social repercussions.
the righteousness of the new elite.
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The House of Hanover 200 Modernizing Agriculture 230 BRIGHTON PAVILION 256
Scotland and Ireland Subdued 174 Parliamentary enclosures and landowners seeking
A German dynasty succeeds to the British throne
Scotland and Ireland are drawn into the increased productivity transform British agriculture. Steam and Speed 258
and rules over a people whose patriotism is
life-and-death struggle of the English Civil War, In 19th-century Britain, the unquenchable quest for
increasingly linked to the Protestant cause.
bringing their destinies closer together. Inventors and Entrepreneurs 232 speed creates locomotives and ships that broaden
Scottish Jacobites 202 Invention and entrepreneurship enable the Industrial everyone’s horizons.
The Restoration 176 Revolution to transform the British landscape, social
Jacobite rebellions in Scotland by Catholic Stuarts ■
The monarchy is restored, bringing fashion, fun, and assumptions, and sense of identity. ISAMBARD KINGDOM BRUNEL 260
rock the Protestant Hanoverian state.
color at first, then the King starts to revert to his
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father’s old absolutist ways. ■ The Anti-slavery Movement 234 ROYAL ALBERT BRIDGE 262
BATTLE OF CULLODEN 204
The campaign to abolish slavery gradually succeeds
Commerce and War 178 despite powerful vested interests. Years of Change 264
Politics and Prime Ministers 206
As the world enters a new and more dangerous age, The Industrial Revolution brings new ways of working
successive governments of England are prepared to Robert Walpole and William Pitt the Younger use Reaction to the Revolution 236 that alter everything from timekeeping and housing
their new position to transform British politics.
fight for their commercial interests. The British establishment worries that the revolution to family dynamics and class relations.
in France will cross the Channel and undermine its
Power of the Pen 208
Pepys’s London 180 tradition and the rule of law. The Irish Famine 266
New tracts, journals, and newspapers dissect every
Samuel Pepys vividly records the political gossip, A potato-destroying fungus causes a widespread
pioneering ideas, and cultural pursuits of Britain’s aspect of British politics, manners, and thought. Rebellion in Ireland 238 famine in Ireland, which the authorities do little to
global commercial center. Inspired by the French Revolution, the Irish people alleviate—yet a million people die.
Commercial Expansion 210
rise up against the British, but face defeat.
■ THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON 182 The Royal Navy gives protection to seaborne trade, The Triumph of Reform 268
while the slave trade flourishes from English ports Napoleonic Wars 240 As Britain’s economy booms, profound reforms
Enquiring Minds 184 such as Bristol and Liverpool. Britain, with other European countries, attempt to take place to improve the fairness of the way
Modern science is born as new institutions and control the vaunting ambition of Napoleon governments are elected and society is run.
scholars champion reasoned knowledge and Colonial Conquests 212 Bonaparte, the “Little Corporal.”
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experimental methodology. The Seven Years’ War gives Britain control of Canada, QUEEN VICTORIA 270
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while the East India Company begins the gradual ADMIRAL NELSON 242
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ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL 186 British takeover of India. THE GREAT EXHIBITION 272
The War of 1812 244
The Glorious Revolution 188 America is Lost 214 Land and sea battles between the United States and The Crimean War 274
Parliamentary democracy succeeds in overthrowing The 13 colonies of America rebel against Britain end inconclusively for both sides. War with Russia dents Britain’s self-confidence and
James II, preventing the King’s despotic attempts to Britain, which fails to suppress the rebellion questions its competence, while newspapermen
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shape the religious beliefs of the nation. in a costly and prolonged war. BATTLE OF WATERLOO 246 have a field day at the front.
Workshop of the World 276 The Suffragettes 308 Irish independence 332 The Modern Monarchy 362
Britain becomes the world’s first industrial power, Parliament’s failure to give women voting rights Southern Ireland finally gains independence from Queen Elizabeth II’s reign is long and stable, yet
successfully manufacturing a range of goods for propels them into a campaign of demonstrations Britain as the island is partitioned, with Northern witnesses great changes in the world and in the
international markets. and escalating direct action. Ireland receiving Home Rule. country’s attitudes to the monarchy.
Victorian Values 278 Trade Unionists and Socialists 310 Crisis and Depression 334 Retreat from Empire 364
Britain’s expanding middle class espouse hard work, Political radicals voice the concerns of the working Britain experiences the decline of Victorian industries, Britain all but ceases to be a colonial power and its
progress, self-improvement, and a high moral tone. classes, organizing their collective strength. a general strike, a worldwide depression, financial Commonwealth is an international organization of
crisis, and mass unemployment. limited practical importance.
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VICTORIAN ENTERTAINMENT 280 The Road to War 312
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Despite Britain’s economic leadership and imperial THE JARROW MARCH 336 THE SUEZ CRISIS 366
Cultural Conflict 282 authority, the rise of German power casts a long
Currents of dissent unsettle British self-confidence, shadow of war over the country. Life in the Twenties and Thirties 338 The Cold War 368
with new cultural, religious, and artistic ideas that Despite the misery of unemployment, many Britons Britain lives with the risk of nuclear
challenge the status quo. enjoy picture palaces, dance halls, and the wireless, annihilation as it joins America in a Cold War
and some even buy homes and cars. confrontation with the Soviet Union.
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VICTORIAN WORKHOUSE 284
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DOMESTIC APPLIANCES 340 Never Had it so Good 370
Exploring the World 286 Britons buy houses and splash out on cars, TVs,
British explorers and missionaries venture into many Imperial Issues 342 and other consumer goods as their rising wages
corners of the world, including the dark heart of The British Empire reaches its greatest extent, yet bring security and prosperity.
Africa, the blazing heat of Australia, and the icy poles. it is challenged by a vigorous independence
movement in India led by Gandhi. Britain Goes Pop 372
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CHARLES DARWIN 288 Britain loses its stuffy image in the Swinging
The Abdication of Edward VIII 344 Sixties with the flowering of popular culture,
British India 290 MODERN TIMES A constitutional crisis is averted when fashion and music, stylish art, and loose morals.
Britain gradually takes over of the Indian King Edward VIII abdicates, chosing love and
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subcontinent and the Indian Raj becomes the 1914–present exile over the throne. BEATLEMANIA 374
country’s jewel in the crown. 314
Slide to War 346 Conflict in Society 376
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INDIAN MUTINY 292 Introduction 316 Britain tries to appease Hitler’s aggressive Nazi Social and political conflicts dominate the 1970s
regime, but in the end war becomes inevitable. and 1980s as Britain experiences high inflation and
Dominions and Emigrants 294 Timeline 318 rising unemployment.
The white colonies in Canada, New Zealand, and Britain Alone 348
Australia develop as self-governing dominions, Britain Enters the Great War 320 Britain finds itself alone in Europe as it upholds Troubles in Northern Ireland 378
attracting many emigrants from Britain. The war that would be “over by Christmas” becomes the cause of freedom and survives through epic IRA terror and the presence of British troops on the
a terrifying stalemate of pointless trench warfare and endurance, loyally supported by its Commonwealth. streets of Ulster fuels a bitter sectarianism and a
Imperialist Muscle 296 a merciless war of attrition. collapse of law and order.
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Britain’s bellicose imperialism triggers wars WINSTON CHURCHILL 350
against the Chinese, Zulu, and Ashanti. Victory through Slaughter 322 Turn to the Right 380
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With patriotism, courage, and stoical endurance, THE BLITZ 352 Party politics assumes a more right-wing identity in
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RAILWAY STATION 298 troops from Britain and its allies finally triumph over Thatcher’s Britain as wealth and enterprise replace
their German foes, but victory comes at the cost of Life in Wartime Britain 354 the belief in solidarity and security.
Irish Home Rule 300 almost a million lives. During the war, Britons endure rationing, air raids,
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As Parnell and Gladstone try to get Home Rule flying bombs, American GIs, evacuation, and an MARGARET THATCHER 382
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legislation through Parliament , the Fenians and FIRST DAY OF THE SOMME 324 all-controlling government.
Invincibles resort to terrorism. Wars in Peacetime 384
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The Home Front 326 THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN 356 Britain defends the Falklands, British aircraft bomb
The Boer War 302 Propaganda and censorship force British citizens to Serbia, and the country’s forces join the United
South Africa plunges into a bitter guerrilla war in support the war, yet the social solidarity helps to An Allied Victory 358 States in waging wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
which a much-relieved Britain defeats the Boers. make the country more democratic. Britain’s alliance with the United States and the
Soviet Union triumphs over Germany and Japan, Facing the Future 386
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The Edwardian Age 304 WAR GRAVES 328 but the war exhausts the nation’s resources. Globalization, Europe, and financial meltdown
A brief age of extravagance and elegance witnesses are key concerns in Britain’s future.
a range of modern novelties, from motorcars and Peace and After 330 The Postwar Years 360
tabloid newspapers to airplanes and cinemas. The enormous human cost of victory and the difficult In 1945 the newly elected Labour government Monarchs and Rulers 388
path to a durable peace casts a long shadow over starts to rebuild a country devastated by war and
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SINKING OF THE TITANIC 306 the disillusioned people of Britain. creates a welfare state. Index and Acknowledgments 390