2 Module E History A1 A2 The History of GREAT BRITAIN THE EARLIEST INHABITANTS For thousands of years before the birth of Christ Britain was inhabited by primitive races who were armed with stone weapons 1, were dressed in skins 2 and who made their homes in caves. The magnificent wooden and stone circles that they built, called henges, are masterworks but their significance is a mystery. The best-known henge is Stonehenge, Europe s most famous prehistoric monument, which was begun around 3,500 years ago. Battersea Shield, 350 B.C. The Sutton Hoo helmet, early 7th century A.D. THE CELTS About 500 B.C. 3 tribes of people whom we know as Celts came to Britain from central Europe. They had weapons made of iron so they won some of the land from those people whose weapons were made of bronze. As time went on, they conquered most of the island. We usually call these Celtic people the Ancient Britons. The Celts left us no writings, but shields 4, helmets, jewellery 5 and pottery 6 which were made by them have been found in Britain. Their priests were called Druids. ROMAN BRITAIN In 55 B.C. Julius Caesar arrived in Britain with an army 7 of 10.000 soldiers. The Britons fought fiercely to prevent the Romans from landing but they were driven back. Caesar did not conquer the country. The real invasion of Britain was planned 8 by the Emperor Claudius in A.D. 9 43 and by A.D. 75 the Romans had conquered most of 10 the country. During the Roman occupation the Romans made roads and built forts, villas, towns and public buildings. They built a wall, Hadrian s Wall, as a defence against the Scots. THE ANGLO-SAXONS The Roman rule in Britain came to an end in the fifth century when German pirates from Europe began to raid 11 the Empire. In A.D. 409 the Romans left Britain. English history begins with the landing of tribes of the Teutonic race called Angles, Saxons and Jutes who by 600 had conquered much of Britain. Within 100 years seven Saxon kingdoms 12 including Wessex, Northumbria and Mercia, had been established over the entire country. The Anglo-Saxons were tall and had fair 13 hair and blue eyes. 1. arma. 2. pelle. 3. B.C., Before Christ. 4. scudo. 5. gioielli. 6. ceramiche. 7. esercito. 8. programmata. 9. A.D., Anno Domini, After Christ. 10. la maggior parte. 11. saccheggiare. 12. regno. 13. capelli biondi. 14. feroce. 15. centro di commercio. THE VIKINGS In the year 851 fierce 14 pirates, known as Vikings, attacked Britain and began to settle in the country. They came from Norway and Denmark and were the same race as the Anglo-Saxons themselves. The Vikings were good sailors and they loved battle. In 865 they invaded Britain and in five years they had conquered Mercia, Northumbria and East Anglia. York became the Viking capital and an important trade centre 15. The kingdom of Wessex alone, governed by Alfred the Great, was left to resist them.
Module E History 3 16. seguaci. THE NORMAN CONQUEST In 1066, the last invasion of England saw William, Duke of Normandy, defeat and kill the Anglo-Saxon King Harold at the Battle of Hastings. William then marched to London and on Christmas Day of the same year he was crowned King of England in Westminster Abbey. The new king divided the land among his followers 16, nobles who protected him with soldiers. William introduced the feudal system. The Normans introduced changes to the language and culture. They built heavy, massive castles, like the Tower of London. TRUE/FALSE 1. Prehistoric Britain was characterized by henges, mysterious circles of stones, built by the pagan people who inhabited the country. 2. The Celts, who came from Europe about 5000 years ago, used iron to make their weapons and left many artefacts all over the country. 3. By A.D. 75 Julius Caesar had managed to conquer most of the country and built roads and towns and a defensive wall against the Scots. 4. Seven Saxon Kingdoms were established throughout Britain by A.D. 700 and the country was ruled by Teutonic tribes from Germany. 5. The Vikings were excellent seafaring warriors who eventually took over the entire country, establishing York as their capital city. 6. The Norman invasion in 1066 resulted in a new king from the Continent who brought many changes to the lives of the British population. FILL IN THE BLANKS Use the words listed below. The Romans The Vikings The earliest inhabitants The Celts William the Conqueror The Anglo-Saxons 1. lived in caves or pits. 2. came from Central Europe. 3. landed in Britain in 55 B.C. 4. had fair hair and blue eyes. 5. came from Northern Europe. 6. defeated and killed Harold near Hastings. QUESTIONS 1. When was Britain inhabited by primitive races? What were their weapons made of? 2. When did the Celts cross the English Channel? Where did they come from? 3. When did Julius Caesar first come to Britain? Who planned the real invasion of Britain? 4. Name Britain s new invaders and say what they were like. 5. Where did the Vikings live? When did they attack Britain? 6. Where was William, Duke of Normandy, crowned King of England?
4 Module E History The first page of the manuscript of «Beowulf», the only epic poem written in Old English known to us THE ROOTS OF ENGLISH The story of English begins when a large group of people in central Europe, the Indo-European tribes, started to travel. Some went to the east and others to the west. The travellers who settled in Britain were the Celts and their language was the first important step in the development of English. In 55 B.C. The Romans invaded Britain and stayed for nearly 500 years, but hardly changed the language of the Celts at all: the Romans spoke one language and the ancient Britons spoke another. English began to change after the Roman Empire collapsed and a second invasion took place. This time the invaders, the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes came from northern Europe. They settled in different parts of Britain and slowly began to introduce their languages. The result was an Anglo-Saxon language which is now called Old English. The next chapter in the story of English began when St. Augustine arrived in Britain bringing with him Latin, the language of the church. By the middle of the 8th century Old English consisted of Celtic, Anglo- Saxon and Latin words. There were two more important influences in the development of English. The first came from Scandinavia with the Vikings and the second from France. This last major influence on English arrived in 1066 when William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, became King of England. As he was French, Britain soon became a tri-lingual country with French the language of the court, Latin the language of the church and of education, and Anglo-Saxon the language of the common people. In the two centuries that followed these three languages became one. TRUE/FALSE 1. The Indo European tribes who travelled east eventually settled in Britain. 2. The development of the English language began with the Celts. 3. Old English was the result of the Roman invasion in 55 B.C. 4. With the Norman invasion a third language was introduced into Britain. MULTIPLE CHOICE Complete the sentences by choosing the correct ending. 1. The first foreigners to influence the 3. Old English : development of English were: was the language spoken the Celts. by the Celts. the Romans. was brought to Britain the Angles. by the Saxons. the Saxons. eventually included Celtic, Anglo- Saxon and Latin. 2. Latin was brought to Britain: was spoken by the Vikings. when the Romans invaded the country in 55 B.C. 4. After 1066: by the invading Anglo-Saxons. Anglo-Saxon disappeared. by the Church of Rome. Latin was only spoken at school. by the Vikings coming from Scandinavia. three languages, French, Latin and Anglo Saxon were spoken in Britain.
Module E History 5 Thomas Becket s reliquary BECKET AND HIS KING In 1154 Henry II mounted the throne of England. He was a strong King. Henry s great friend and adviser 1 was Thomas Becket whom the King made his Lord Chancellor, his chief minister. Henry tried to bring the Church under his control. To do so, he hoped to have the support of Becket whom he had appointed 2 Archbishop 3 of Canterbury. As Archbishop Becket fought for the liberty and the authority of the Church. MURDER 4 IN THE CATHEDRAL When Henry wanted to have supreme rule over the Church courts, Becket opposed him. Henry was very angry and the good friends became bitter 5 enemies. In 1170 four of the King s knights 6 went to Canterbury Cathedral and murdered the Archbishop on the steps 7 of the altar. The effects of this deed were terrible for the king. After Becket s canonization in 1173 Canterbury became a major centre of pilgrimage. MAGNA CARTA During the reign of King John, known as Lackland 8, the powerful English barons, to protect themselves and the Church from arbitrary taxation, compelled the king to sign 9 a great charter, or Magna Carta, limiting the royal powers 10, on 15th June 1215 at Runnymede in Surrey. This document, an important symbol of political freedom, marked 11 the beginnings of the freedom the British enjoy today. THE WAR OF THE ROSES This long war began in 1455 and lasted 12 until 1485. It was a bitter struggle 13 for power between two factions of the royal family - the Houses of York and Lancaster. For 30 years the struggle went on: sometimes the Yorkists won and sometimes the Lancastrians. The war came to an end when Henry Tudor, a member of the House of Lancaster, sailed 14 from France and defeated Richard III at Bosworth. King Richard III QUESTIONS 1. consigliere. 2. nominò, designò. 3. arcivescovo. 4. assassinio. 5. implacabile. 6. cavalieri. 7. gradini. 8. Senzaterra. 9. firmare. 10. potere. 11. segnò. 12. durò. 13. lotta. 14. salpò. 1. Who was King Henry II s great friend and adviser? 2. To what office was Becket appointed after being Chancellor? 3. When did King Henry and Thomas Becket become bitter enemies? 4. Where and by whom was the Archbishop of Canterbury killed? 5. Where and when was King John forced to sign the Magna Carta? 6. What do documents like this guarantee to the people of a country? 7. How long did the Wars of the Roses last? 8. When did the Wars of the Roses finish? MATCHING Match the dates with the historical events. 1215 1485 1170 1154 1. Henry II, also called Henry Plantagenet, became King of England. 2. Four of the King s knights killed the Archbishop of Canterbury. 3. The barons forced King John to sign the Magna Carta. 4. The long Wars of the Roses came to an end.
6 Module E History 1. di bell aspetto, attraente. 2. concedere, consentire. 3. ruppe. 4. sottrasse. 5. ristabilire, ripristinare. 6. sanguinaria. 7. non vedevano di buon occhio, odiavano. 8. straniero. 9. fascino. 10. fece in modo. 11. flotta. 12. marinai. 13. si rivelò. 14. figli, prole. THE HOUSE OF TUDOR Henry Tudor was crowned King in 1485 as Henry VII and was succeeded by his son Henry in 1509. Tudor rule is often considered one of the most important periods in English history. Henry VIII was a handsome 1 monarch. He was a fine musician and a writer. He had been married to Catherine of Aragon for twenty years and she had given him a daughter. The King wanted a son and he asked the Pope to allow 2 him to divorce Catherine. As the Pope refused, Henry broke 3 with the Church of Rome and by the Act of Supremacy (1534) declared himself Head of the Church of England. Henry then divorced Catherine and married Anne Boleyn. The King closed monasteries and other religious houses, took 4 church property, and imprisoned or killed all those who opposed him. Sir Thomas More, a well-known scholar, was executed because he refused to recognize Henry VIII as head of the church. Henry VIII had six wives and died in 1547. Edward VI, Henry VIII s son, was only a child when he became king so the country was ruled by a Council. Mary I, daughter of Catherine of Aragon, became queen when Edward died in 1553 at the age of fifteen. She was a strong Catholic. Mary s main object was to restore 5 Catholicism. She was called Bloody 6 Mary because she prosecuted and sentenced to death hundreds of Protestant martyrs. The country became alarmed when she married King Philip of Spain. The English hated 7 the idea of a foreign 8 husband. Mary died in 1558. Queen Elizabeth I. Elizabeth was the only child of Henry VIII and his second wife Anne Boleyn. She was twenty-five years old when she became queen in 1558. Elizabeth was an intelligent woman and had inherited her father s charm 9 and determination. During her reign the Protestant Church secured its position. To this end, the queen managed 10 to keep Catholics and Protestants in harmony. In 1588 King Philip II of Spain sent a fleet 11 of 130 ships, the Invincibile Armada, to invade England. The English fleet, though inferior in number, attacked the Armada and, favoured by the wind, damaged the whole Spanish fleet. Only fifty-three vessels returned to Spain. Both before and after the Armada, Elizabeth encouraged English sailors 12, like Francis Drake and Walter Raleigh, to attack and destroy Spanish ships bringing treasures from the new continent. In her long reign, Elizabeth showed herself 13 to be an able queen. She was a real Renaissance monarch. The nation prospered in all directions. Literature flourished and produced its greatest genius, William Shakespeare. Elizabeth I died in 1603. She never married and she had no children 14. QUESTIONS 1. Who was the second Tudor king? When did he become King of England? 2. What title had the Pope given to King Henry VIII? Why? 3. Why did King Henry VIII and the Pope quarrel? 4. Who ruled England for Edward VI? Why? 5. Who was Mary Tudor s mother? 6. What was Mary Tudor s religion? 7. When did Elizabeth I come to the throne? 8. What did she inherit from her father? 9. Name two Elizabethan sailors and say why they are famous.
Module E History 7 ACTIVITY PAGE FILL IN THE BLANKS Read this passage and fill in the spaces using the words listed below. Defender England king divorce Pope Catholic head reign Henry VIII as a young had defended the church against Martin Luther s attacks, and the had given him the title of of the Faith. Before the end of his, however, Henry had become the bitter enemy of the Roman Church. When the Pope refused to give his permission to Catherine of Aragon, Henry made himself of the Protestant Church of. MULTIPLE CHOICE 1. Henry VIII had had a daughter by Catherine of Aragon but: he was tired of being married to Catherine and wanted a divorce. he wanted a son. he also had six other children by his other six wives. he did not want her to be Catholic so he broke with the Church of Rome. 2. Henry VIII s oldest daughter Mary: succeeded her cousin Edward VI upon his death. was a Protestant martyr. wanted Britain to become Catholic again. married a foreigner who became very popular with the English. 3. In 1558 Elizabeth I became Queen: and restored the Church of England, outlawing Catholicism. and hers was a long and extremely prosperous reign. the English fleet, with only 53 ships, defeated the Invincible Spanish Armada. was only 25 years old when she died. 4. The Tudors: ruled England for over 100 years. were all able and much loved rulers. hated the Spanish. reigned over one of the most peaceful and prosperous periods in English history. MATCHING Match the dates with the historical events. 1547 1534 1485 1588 1558 1. Edward VI was a boy of nine when he came to the throne. 2. The English fleet destroyed the Spanish Armada sent by King Philip II to conquer England. 3. Henry Tudor defeated King Richard III and was proclaimed King of England as Henry VII. 4. Mary Tudor nicknamed Bloody Mary died and Elizabeth I became Queen of England. 5. Henry VIII declared himself head of the Church of England.
8 Module E History Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson Queen Victoria 1. convinzione, credenza. 2. esecuzione (capitale). 3. severo. 4. diritti. 5. guidò, condusse. 6. parente. 7. gettò. 8. migliorò. 9. nipote. 10. approvate, promulgate. 11. obbligatoria. 12. gratuita. 13. potente, forte. 14. ciò nonostante. THE STUARTS When Elizabeth I died in 1603 the throne passed to James I whose belief 1 that kings ruled by divine right provoked a conflict with Parliament. Under his son, Charles I (1625-1649), the conflict provoked a Civil War that ended with his execution 2. On the king s death the country became a republic known as the Commonwealth. Oliver Cromwell was a strict 3 Protestant and a champion of the rights 4 of Parliament. He led 5 the Parliamentary forces to victory in the Civil War. He became Lord Protector of the Commonwealth from 1653 to 1658. In 1660 Charles II regained the throne, but after his death James II lost his kingdom because he wished to restore the Catholic religion to England. Protestantism was reaffirmed with William of Orange and his wife Mary who became king and queen as William III and Mary II. THE HOUSE OF HANNOVER After William s death, Mary s sister, Anne became queen and when she died in 1714 Parliament offered the crown to her Protestant relative 6, George of Hannover, who became King George I. The time between 1714 and 1830 is known as the Georgian Age because four kings named George succeeded in turn. Britain entered the French revolutionary wars in 1793 and the commander of the British fleet, Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson, won brilliant victories over the French Navy. He became a national hero after his death at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. In this period Britain developed as an industrial nation; laid 7 the foundations of the British Empire; improved 8 the working life of the poor; and limited hours of work for children and women in particular. THE VICTORIAN AGE William IV succeeded his brother George IV in 1830 and when he died the crown passed to his niece 9 Victoria. Queen Victoria. When Victoria became queen in 1837, she was only 18. Her reign was one of the most glorious in British history. Loved and esteemed by her people, Victoria ruled over Britain and the British Empire. The Great Exhibition of 1851, was organized by Prince Albert, the Queen s husband. It celebrated Britain s industry and technology. Under Queen Victoria s reign there were important social and political reforms. Laws were passed 10 limiting working hours and improving the conditions of the workers. More people got the vote; universal education was introduced and made compulsory 11 and free 12. When Victoria died in 1901 Britain was the richest and most powerful 13 industrial nation in the world. In spite of that 14, millions of people were still living in miserable conditions. They had poor food and bad houses. TRUE/FALSE 1. At the end of the English Civil War Charles II was executed and the Commonwealth republic was established. 2. Cromwell ruled Parliament and was a popular Protestant monarch for 5 years. 3. In 1660 Charles II was crowned King and the monarchy was restored. 4. When William and Mary s reign ended, Mary s sister Anne ascended the throne. 5. The Georgian Age was a period of expansion when industry developed. 6. Working hours were limited for women and children in British factories. 7. Queen Victoria ruled Britain for sixty-four years. 8. Her reign was characterized by great social reforms.
Module E History 9 MULTIPLE CHOICE ACTIVITY PAGE 1. Charles I s reign: was followed by the restoration of Catholicism. brought republican ideas to the monarchy. was succeeded by a period of Protestant Victories over Parliament from 1653 to 1658. was characterized by a civil war and his execution. 2. King George I: built the British Empire. was the first king of the Georgian Age, which lasted until 1830. was a famous commander of the British Navy. was a Catholic from Hannover. 3. Victoria became Queen in 1837 and: was George IV s niece who inherited the crown upon his death. was a very popular and able ruler until her death in 1901. ruled over a small territory with a reduced population. passed many laws limiting working conditions and compulsory education. FILL IN THE BLANKS Use the names listed below. Oliver Cromwell Horatio Nelson James I George I Queen Victoria Charles I 1. and his son Charles II believed in the Divine Right of Kings. 2. regained the throne but his brother James II lost his kingdom (the crown). 3. governed Britain from 1653 until his death in 1658. 4. was the first king of the House of Hannover. 5. was one of Britain s greatest heroes. He was killed at Trafalgar. 6. was the niece of William IV. Her reign was a period of great social reforms. QUESTIONS 1. What provoked a conflict between the Stuart monarchs and Parliament? 2. Who ruled England after the death of King Charles I? 3. Who was the first king of the House of Hannover? When did he ascend the throne? 4. What do we mean by the Georgian Age? How long did this period last? 5. Who was Horatio Nelson? Why is he considered a hero of English History? 6. The Victorian Age was an age of progress. Can you say in what directions? MATCHING Match the two parts. 1. King James I believed in the Divine Right of Kings. 2. The Civil War of 1642 between the King and Parliament a. Britain was an Empire and a prosperous nation. b. He believed that kings were appointed by God. 3. When Queen Victoria died in 1901 c. ended with the execution of King Charles I.