United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

BEA JOY LORRAINE ARCENIOIII-9 BSE HISTORY

PHILIPPINE NORMAL UNIVERSITY

CADBURY WORLD

DARTMOUTH CASTLE

THE EDEN PROJECT

EDF ENERGY LONDON EYE

LONDON EYE CRUISE

WINDSOR CASTLE

HARRY POTTER WARNER BROS. STUDIO TOUR

MADAME TUSSAUDS LONDON

THE 02 ARENA

SCOTNEY CASTLE

THE NATIONAL GALLERY

OXFORD UNIVERSITY

BIG BEN

BLENHEIM PALACE

THE BATH TOUR

BUCKINGHAM PALACE

YORK MINISTER

THE CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL

LAND AREA: 243,610 sq. Km

• The British Isles comprise Great Britain, Ireland, and a number of smaller islands (Isle of Man & Channel Islands).

CAPITAL

BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND

Cardiff, Wales

National Flag of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern

Ireland

UNION FLAG/ UNION JACK

WALES

ENGLAND• The largest and

the most populous constituent country.

• Capital: LONDON• ST. GEORGE’S

CROSS

• CAPITAL: Edinburgh• FLAG: Cross of Saint

Andrew

SCOTLAND

WALES• CAPITAL: Cardiff• FLAG: The Red

Dragon of Prince Cadwalader plus the Tudor Colours

NORTHERN IRELAND

• CAPITAL: BELFAST• FLAG: Cross of St.

Patrick

TYPE OF GOVERNMENT:CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY

AND PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACY

HEAD OF STATE: ELIZABETH II

HEAD OF GOVERNMENT:DAVID CAMERON

BRISTISH POPULATION 2014

• The terms 'English' and 'British' do not mean the same thing.

• 63,047,162

The UK’s Higher Education System is one of the most developed in the world with some of the leading universities.99 % of literacy rate.

University of Oxford- founded before 1167 (England) University of

Cambridge- founded 1209

(England)

The Open University Founded in 1986

(HISTORY)

UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN

IRELAND

ANCIENT BRITAIN

 3,000 BC Stone Age• First humans arrived.• Connection between

Britain and Europe Mainland because of sea level.

 Scara Brae in Orkney (Scotland)

c. 2900 BCE –c.2200 BCE

• large stone circles called henges appeared, the most famous of which is Stonehenge .

PURPOSE (THEORIES)• Giant concert venue?• Elite Burial Site• Health spa• Team Building

exercise• Ancient calculator• Sex symbol• Alien development• Druid temple

750 BC The Celts

• From Spain but they arrived through France

• Wales, Cornwall, Scotland and Ireland

• Probably Celtics, meaning “white”

• White Cliff of Dover

325 B.C.E.

•  first mention of the island was by the Pytheas

•  exploration to northwestern Europe

55-54 BCE The Romans

JULIUS CAESARMilitary reports, he crossed to the

island from Gaul (France). But they failed.

CLAUDIUS

43 CE, The Romans returned and conquered the British Isles

ROMANS CONQUEST

• Romans settled and built cities.

• Londinium/London (47 CE)

40 AD (Boudicca)

• Celtic Queen• Husband Prasutagus, died. Rome, under

Nero, invaded all land of Prasutagus.• Boudicca, revolt against Rome• Massacre every Roman they can find.• She was defeated at the Batlle of Watling

Street by the Roman Governor Gaius Suetonius Paulinus.

• committed suicide by poisoning herself after her defeat.

4th century CE

•  Roman presence in Britain was threatened by "barbarian" forces. (Scotti and Pics)

•  Anglo and Saxons invading Britain

• Angles and the Saxons emerged as victors and established themselves as rulers

• King Arthur, British Leader leads the Celtic Britons in a fight against the Angles and Saxons, 5th and 6th centuries

•

9th The Vikings

• Danes invade north-east of England.

Alfred the Great, leader of Saxon, fights back and defeats the Vikings.

11th CENTURY

End of Viking AgeStart of the Norman

Conquest

The Norman Conquest

• Rollo- A large Viking Chief who accepted the land offer in Northern France as part of a peace treaty.

• Rollo and his men settled in this area and Rollo became the first Duke of Normandy.

• January 5, 1066- Edward the Confessor (King of England) died.

• The Anglo- Saxon Witan elected Harold Godwin, Earl of Essex (Edward’s brother-in-law) to succeed him.

• In Normandy, Duke William did not agree with the voting of the Witan.

• According to him, Edward had promised the crown of England to him.

• He had tricked Harold into swearing to support his claim to the English throne.

• Little annoyed, William prepared to invade.

Battle of Hastings

King Harold of England

William the Conqueror of

Normandy

• Reasons: Claim for the throne of England

• September 28, 1066- William of Normandy landed his invasion force at Pevensey bay on the coast of Sussex.

• October 5- King Harold return to London to get reinforcement.

• William was determined to see that Harold’s army was not given the opportunity to relax.

• The Duke of Normandy kept up the pressure on the Sussex coast.

• William launch a campaign of terror and destruction.

• October 14- the Battle of Hastings began.

• However, eventually William found his losses were beginning to be heavy.

• By late afternoon, William directed his archers to shoot over that wall.

• After the war, Harold was dead, and the English throne belonged to William the Conqueror.

• After hearings Harold’s death, London accepted William.

• December 25, 1066- William, Duke of Normandy, was crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey

1066 William the Conqueror

• William, Duke of Normandy, and his troops defeated the Anglo-Saxons at Hastings

• Built castle, owned all the land, and share to his barons, Norman French majority

• First Norman King in England

• French official Language

12th Century• Britain was a country of forests,

farms and simple villages during this century.

• Escape route to freedom.• A freeman who could not pay his

rent or taxes might sink to the status of a serf, while a serf could rise and become free.

• William II (William Rufus)- son of William the Conqueror and become king at the turn of the century.

• He earned fierce enemies from his robberies and rapes.

• While hunting, he was killed accidentally or purposely.

• His brother, Henry I ascended to the throne.

• He reign for 35 years.

• The Church and the barons distrust Henry, either because he is William Rufus' brother or because he may be his brother’s murderer.

• They tell Henry that if he wants the crown, he has to guarantee he will protect their liberties.

Slavery ended in England (1102)

• Anselm had been in England on business.

• During the reign of William Rufus, he became archbishop of Canterbury.

• 1102- they meet in London on the small island of Thorney, due to Anselm’s call of National Church Council.

• At the Council of Westminster the British clergy condemn slavery as contrary to Christ's teaching.

• Unlike most councils this one has an effect (Council of Westminster), slavery ends

• Slaves become villeins (serfs), owing service to a feudal lord, who owes them the use of his land and his protection.

“The Anarchy” (1135-1148)

• Henry I recognizes the London’s Charter.

• London Charter becomes model for the other towns.

• Henry I wants his daughter Matilda to rule England after he dies.

• His nephew Stephen and the barons promise she will, but Stephen changes his mind.

• Londoners "elect" Stephen as King, and he is crowned.

• Stephen issues a charter promising to all his men of England stating that ‘all the liberties and good laws’ that they had enjoyed under his predecessors.

• 1139- Matilda lands with an army to recover her throne but the Londoners did not support her.

• England is thrown into anarchy as Stephen and Matilda and their allies battle for the throne.

• With the leadership of Theobald, Archbishop of Canterbury, the Church finally manages to arrange a peace that pleases Matilda.

• Stephen will remain King, but when he dies, the crown will go to Matilda's son, Henry.

Reign of Henry II

• Henry II’s reign is in some chaos due to unemployed mercenaries making a living from robbery.

• Henry establishes the Grand Jury.• The Constitutions of Clarendon

also attempt to establish the jurisdiction of the civil courts and "the ancient customs of the realm" and limit the jurisdiction of ecclesiastical courts.

• Thomas Becket threw himself into the role of Archbishop of Canterbury when Henry II forced the monks to elect him.

• Henry II wants to control the church.• Thomas Becket was killed by four

knights from Henry's court force.• They scatter his brains on the

stones.

King Richard I “The Lionheart”

• Third son of Henry II.

• One of the leaders of Third Crusade to Holy Land.

• His experience in warfare came from controlling rebellions in Poitou and against his father.

13th Century• King John I is the ruler

of England in the beginning of 13th century.

• Acing king of England because of the absence of Richard Lionheart who was busy leading the Third Crusade.

• King John I is powerful. • For years some of the barons benefit

from his rule. As long as they can profit, they are willing to support him.

• The Pope and the King struggle because King John I refuse to elect Stephen Langton as new Archbishop of Canterbury.

• Result: King John I is excommunicated.

• 1209- Cambridge University was founded

First Baron’s WarReasons:

• Lost all the territories in France and Normandy.

• Higher taxes• Magna Carta was annulled by Pope

Innocent III.

The Great Charter or Magna Carta

• June 15, 1215- King John agreed to the conditions in the Great Charter (or Magna Carta) and signed the document.

• Pope Innocent III annulled the Magna Carta freeing King John from its limitations.

• The Pope was prepared to support John against the rebel barons because he wanted him to take a key role in a new crusade.

• The barons offered the English crown to Prince Louis of France in exchange that helping them to remove King John from power.

• A civil war broke out in England.• May 18, 1216- John's fleet of ships was

badly damaged by storms as they prepare to defend against an invasion from France.

• May 21, 1216- Invited by the barons opposed to king John, Prince Louis of France landed in England to claim the English Throne.

• October 19, 1216- King John died at Newark

• October 28, 1216- King John's eldest son Henry was crowned King Henry III.

• Reign: October 28, 1216- November 16, 1272

• 1217- The French lose the battles of Lincoln and Dover and are driven back to France.

• September 12, 1217- In exchange for a large indemnity, Prince Louis renounced his claim to the crown of England.

Second Baron’s War

Reasons:• King Henry III had run the country

poorly.• King Henry III married a French

woman.• The French replaced Henry's

advisers and began to spend the country's money.

• Series of bad harvests and wet winters.

• Henry approached Parliament for funds to pay for a military mission to Sicily to put he son Prince Edward on the Sicilian throne.

• The group of barons, including Simon de Montfort (Earl of Leicester), close friend of the king, vowed to stand together and oppose the king.

• June, 1258- The barons arranged to meet King Henry at Oxford.

• Provisions of Oxford- set out a system of government in which a council of fifteen members were to advise the king.

• Henry III approached King Louis IX of France to help to oppose the barons.

• Treaty of Paris (1259)- Henry agreed to admit that England had no rights to the lands of Normandy, Maine, Anjou and Poitou.

• Henry also approached the Pope Alexander IV for help.

• May, 1261- Having obtained a papal bull (a formal proclamation issued by the pope) to absolve himself from the Provision of Oxford.

• With an army of French bodyguards he went on the offensive against the barons.

• August 16, 1261- Henry III deposed ministers that had been appointed at the Provisions of Oxford and hire new one.

• 1265- Simon de Montfort laid the foundations for the current English Parliament.

• each county of England was allowed to elect and send two knights to Parliament to represent their areas.

May, 1267- Start of civil war

King Henry III Simon de Montfort

• At the Battle of Lewes King Henry and his eldest son Prince Edward, were captured by the barons and held prisoner.

End of Rebellion• The barons began to quarrel

amongst themselves and a split developed.

• Prince Edward escaped from captivity and joined the group of barons opposing Simon de Montfort.

• August 4, 1265- Simon de Montfort was killed at the Battle of Evesham.

King Edward I• Reign: 1272- 1307• He established

English rule in Wales and secure recognition of overlordship from the Scottish King.

• 1295- “Model Parliament” establishes early rules of representation.

• 1298- Parliament ends King’s control of feudal levy, insist on power of Taxation.

14th Century• Not a peaceful time

for England.• Many churches and

grand houses were built which then still remain today.

• Much of life at this time is found in the book of Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer.

• King Edward II• Reign: 1307- 1327• First Prince of

Wales• Struggled

throughout his reign with discontented barons

• 1307- The long- raging war between England and Scotland was finally quelled.

• 1308- a peace treaty was signed at Northampton.

• King Edward II was deposed by his wife Isabella, daughter of Philip IV of France.

King Edward III• Reigned: 1327- 1377• He was just 14

years old when he ascended the crown.

• He avenge his father by having Mortimer executed and his mother imprisoned for life.

• During his reign, he created the House of Lords.

• 1337- the Hundred Years War broke out between England and France.

• Under Henry II, the lands owned by England in France became even larger.

Black Death• No specific cause where

the Bubonic Plague start.

• 1348- 1350• Flagellants- These

people wanted to show their love of God by whipping themselves, hoping that God would forgive them their sins and that they would be spared the Black Death.

The Black Death had a huge impact on society.

• Harvests would not have been brought in as the manpower did not exist.

• The whole village was faced starvation.

• Inflation

• Those who survive the Black Death believed that there was something special about them, almost as if God had protected them.

• Many lords were short of desperately needed labor for the land that they owned.

• Peasants could demand higher wages

John Wycliffe• Oxford Scholar• Promoter of first

complete translation of Bible into English.

• One of the forerunners of the Protestant Reformation.

• His radical religious ideas fueled the Great Rising in 1381.

Great Rising (1381)

• The revolt began in Essex when locals in Brentwood reacted to an over-zealous poll-tax collector.

• Resistance to tax collectors spread to neighboring villages.

• The citizens marched on London to protest the poll tax, end serfdom and demand equality and justice.

• The rebels burnt John Gaunt’s Palace, and beheaded the Lord Treasurer and the Archbishop of Canterbury.

King Richard II• Reign: 1377- 1399• Son of Edward the

Black Prince.• One of the

forgotten King of England.

• He was deposed in favor of Henry IV.

15th Century• This century brought many changes in

England, particularly under the rule of Tudors.

• England, Scotland, and Wales are well established countries, each with their own kingdoms and rulers.

• The life was harsh and physical.• Some cities like London are developed.

King Henry IV• Reign: 1399- 1413• Cousin of King

Richard II.• First rulers of the

House of Lancaster.

• From this reign began the Battle of Roses.

Battle of Roses

House of Lancaster House of York

King Henry V• Reign: 1413- 1422• He is best known

for being the part of in Battle of Agincourt during the Hundred Years War.

• He died at the age of 35.

King Henry VI• Reign: 1422- 1461• Youngest to

become King of England (9 months old).

• His uncle ruled until he was older.

• Also King of France when his maternal grandfather (King Charles VI) died.

• During his reign, he founded Eton College.

• During his first term, Joan of Arc led the French armies before she was executed.

• King Henry VI was deposed due to War of Roses. Edward IV replaced him.

• Henry VI was restored as king. He ruled again from 1470- 1471.

• His reign ended when he was murdered in the Tower of London.

King Edward IV• Reign: 1461- 1470; 1471-

1483.• One of the King of

England who ruled twice.• Loses his throne due to

War of Roses but restored in 1471.

• His reign is remarkable for the defeat of Lancastrian at Towton and capturing Henry VI.

King Edward V• Reign: 3 months.

(1483)• He was deposed in

favor of his uncle Richard III.

• Traditionally believe to have been murdered in the Tower of London on Richard’s order.

King Richard III• Reign: 1483- 1485• Last king to die in

battle• He became King of

England after the declaration of all sons of Edward IV is illegitimate.

• After his death, he was replaced by Henry VII, first king of the Tudor dynasty.

BIRTH OF THE UNION (1707)

• May 1, union of Kingdom of England (including Wales) and Kingdom of Scotland. (KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN)

• Treaty of Union

• The parliaments of Scotland and of England then each ratified the treaty via respective Acts of Union.

• The Acts of Union were two Acts of Parliament.

UNION OF CROWN (1603)

• Two countries had the monarch since 1603, King James VI.

• Attempts 1606, 1667, 1689.

May 7, 1707• Scottish Parliament

and the English Parliament united to form the Parliament of Great Britain, based in the Palace of Westminster in London

• Queen Anne had favoured deeper political integration between two kingdoms and became the first Monarch of Great Britain

former independent kingdoms remained

separate

• Law• ChurchSystem of education Anglican

Church of England

Presbyterian Church of Scotland

HANOVERIAN KINGS

•  George Louis, became king as George I (1714–1727).

•  George's reign, the powers of the monarchy diminished and Britain began a transition to the modern system of cabinet government led by a prime minister.

GEORGE II (1727-1760)

• Son of George I• enhanced the stability of

the constitutional system• He built up the first

British Empire, strengthening the colonies in the Caribbean and North America. 

• coalition with the rising power Prussia, defeated France in the Seven Years' War (1755-1764) (CANADA)

• Prime Minister:  Sir Robert Walpole

SEVEN YEARS OF WAR

• fought between 1755 and 1764

• Greatest European war of 17th century

• One centered on the maritime and colonial conflict between Britain and its Bourbon enemies.

• the second, on the conflict between Frederick II (the Great) of Prussia and his opponents: Austria, France, Russia, and Sweden.

• maritime and colonial war proved a triumph for Britain, a reflection of the strength of the British navy–itself the product of the wealth of Britain’s expanding colonial economy and the strength of British public finances.

• The French planned an invasion of Britain but failed.

• naval victories enabled Britain to make colonial conquests

George III (1760-1820)

• he was born in Britain, never visited Hanover, and spoke English as his first language.

• Mental illness

AMERICAN WAR OF INDEPENDENCE

• conflict arose from growing tensions between residents of Great Britain’s 13 North American colonies and the colonial government, which represented the British crown

• France entered the American Revolution

• Great Britain formally recognized the independence of the United States in the Treaty of Paris (September 3, 1783)

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

• Began in Britain, 1700’s.

• World’s richest country

• Was one part of a general economic revolution that swept over Britain.

FRENCH REVOLUTION WAR

•  King Louis XVI (1754-1793) and his predecessor had left the country on the brink of bankruptcy.

• Charles Alexandre de Calonne (1734-1802), proposed a financial reform package

•  French citizens razed and redesigned their country’s political landscape, uprooting centuries-old institutions such as absolute monarchy and the feudal system.

• Ended because of Napoleon Bonaparte

NAPOLEONIC WARS

• A man of endless ambitions

• Napoleon controlled most of Europe.

• He planned to invade Britain, 1803, but he failed.

TROUBLES WITH IRELAND

• During the Napoleonic war.• The English rules the Irish• British leaders decided to

make Ireland as part of Great Britain

UNION OF IRELAND

CONFLICT WITH IRELAND

• The act became effective in 1801• But the Roman Catholic men and

women could not serve in British Parliament

• Men won, 1829• Women did not gain political rights

until 1929.

THE ERA OF REFORM

• Social, economic, and political reform had been needed for many years.

• Britain’s criminal laws badly needed reform.

• 1833, FACTORY ACT• But the most issue was the

Parliament to reform itself.

WHIG PARTY 1830

• The Whigs promised the parliamentary reforms.

• They introduced a reform bill in Parliament

• The parliament finally passed the bill, ACT OF 1832

• They made Lord Grey prime minister 1830–1834

“It broadened the franchise and ended the system of "rotten borough" and "pocket boroughs" (where elections were controlled by powerful families), and instead redistributed power on the basis of population. It added 217,000 voters to an electorate of 435,000 in England and Wales. The main effect of the act was to weaken the power of the landed gentry, and enlarge the power of the professional and business middle-class, which now for the first time had a significant voice in Parliament.”

1812-1870

• One of the most popular writers of all times.

• he wrote about the gap between rich and poor people as well as child labor

THE VICTORIAN AGE

• Victoria became queen in 1837 at age 18.

• Her long reign until 1901 saw Britain reach the zenith of its economic and political power.

• She reigned for 63 years until 1901• There was peace and prosperity,

as the national income per person grew by half.

• mid-Victorian era, (1850–1870) as “Britain's 'Golden Years.”

- Bernard Porter

THE VICTORIAN AGE

ESTABLISHMENTS OF FREE TRADE

• The Victorian age began during hard times.

• Farmers had poor harvests and a depression swept across Britain.

• “CORN LAW”, This law stated that no foreign corn would be allowed into Britain until domestic corn reached a price of 80 shillings per quarter. 

1841• Sir Robert Peel,

became the Prime Minister.

• He believed that restrictions on trade hurt the economy.

• The English had a bad wheat harvest

• Peel believed that he had to let foreign wheat come into Britain

POLITICAL CONFUSION

• Pell’s free trade policy were called Peelites.

• Whigs party split into two. (LIBERAL AND CONSERVATIVE)

• Viscount Palmerston (FOREIGN MINISTER), cared mostly Britain’s colonies and stopping Russian expansion and restoring good relation with France

• After Palmerston death in 1865, a strong two party system was born with battle between political giants.

• WILLIAM GLADSTONE (L) and Benjamin Disraeli (C)

GLADSTONE AND DISRAELI

• Their rivalry began over the Reform Act of 1867.

• 1866, Gladstone introduces a reform bill to give more people the right to vote. But he was defeated.

• 1867, Disraeli introduced his own bill. REFORM ACT OF 1867

• Gladstone’s first term, lasted until 1874 both some liberal reforms

Irish Church Act of 1869

Education Act of 1870

Civil Service test

GLADSTONE AND DISRAELI

• Disraeli served as Prime Minister until 1880.

• He tried to extend Britain’s control over its colonies and over other countries.

• Controlling in Suez Canal from Egypt’s ruler, 1875.

• Britain expanded its influence to China, the Middle East and Africa

GLADSTONE AND DISRAELI

• 1880, Gladstone attacked Disraeli’s imperialistic policies.

• Gladstone’s second term as Prime Minister lasted until 1885.

• ACT OF 1884• Extended position• He shattered his party and went

down to defeat during his third and fourth terms.

GLADSTONE AND DISRAELI

• The Irish question split the Liberal Party into Gladstonian Liberal and Liberal Unionists later combined with Conservatives.

BOER WAR (1899-1902)

• Britain fought in South Africa• The nation had followed a foreign

policy of splendid isolation.• Germany became popular• 1902. alliance with Japan• 1902, friendship treaty with France• 1907, Triple Entente, Russia joined.

WORLD WAR I (1914-1918)

• The Allies fought the central Powers

• Causes:Political and economic

rivalry among the various nations.

Part of this rivalry between Germany and UK.• The Allies finally

defeated Germany

David Lloyd George

• Prime Minister during world war I.

• Treaty of Versailles, gave Britain control over German colonies in Africa

• Treaty of Sevres, signed with Ottoman empire, gave Britain control over some Ottoman’s possessions in Middle East.

POSTWAR PROBLEMS

• British industry developed briefly after World War I.

• Decline in foreign trade, a depression swept Britain.

• 1919, Irish leaders declared independent.• 1921, Southern Ireland become British

dominion.• Northern Ireland remained in United

Kingdom.

• Britain faced an unusual problem at home.

• King George V died in 1936 and his oldest son became King Edward VIII but he followed his personal interest.

• His brother King George VI became the King.

“PEACE IN OUR TIME”

• Neville Chamberlain, a Conservative, became Prime Minister in 1937.

• 1938, Hitler seized Austria and Czechoslovakia

• “I believe it is a peace in our time”

“PEACE IN OUR TIME”

THE RISE OF THE LABOUR PARTY

• January 1924, new party came

• Under James Ramsay MacDonald

• It began 1800’s and gathered trade strength through the years.

• Liberal Party declined• 1929 elections, the Labour

Party became the largest party.

• 1931, MacDonald became a Prime Minister.

• Formed a government of Labour, Conservative and Liberal leaders to deal with emergency.

• experienced a Great Depression

THE RISE OF THE LABOUR PARTY

WORLD WAR II

WORLD WAR II• March 1939, Germany

invaded Czechoslovakia• September 1, invaded Poland

and• Britain and France declared

war against Germany.• 1940, Germany invade

Denmark and Norway. • Churchill became the Prime

Minister, May 10.

• May 11, Germany attacked Netherlands and Belgium and France.

• Churchill said “British people had nothing to offer but BLOOD, TOIL, TEARS and SWEAT.”

• June, conquered France.

WORLD WAR II

• Hundreds of German planes bombed Britain nightly but Hitler gave up his invasion plans.

• June 1941, Union Soviet invaded.• United States, Britain, Soviet Union

and other Allies finally defeated Germany.

• United Nations.

WORLD WAR II

THE WELFARE STATE

• 1945, the Labour Party won the landslide victory in 1945 until 1951

• Clement Attlee became the Prime Minister

• United Kingdom a welfare state

DECLINE OF THE EMPIRE

• 1931, UK granted independence within the empire to Australia, Canada, Irish Free State, New Zealand, and South Africa. (overseas territories)

• 1947, Asia and Africa increased their demand for independence.

EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

• Other Europeans nations united in economic and political organizations

• UK had preferred to stay out from European affairs

• 1950’s, refused to join Euratom and EEC

• Britain joined NATO

LONG-STANDING CONFLICTS

• Conflicts between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland, 1960’s-1970’s

• Britain established direct rule over the region, while attempts were made to form a stable government in which Catholics and Protestant shared power

• Scotland and some Wales demand a complete independence from Britain.

• 1979, British government allowed the people of Scotland and Wales to vote for their independence.

LONG-STANDING CONFLICTS

THATCHER• 1979 election

returned Conservatives to power.

• Margaret Thatcher won as a Prime Minister

• First woman Prime Minister

• 11 ½ years of service

• Reduce government involvement in economic

• Sold thousands of public-housing units to tenants

• April 1982, invaded the Falkland Islands

THATCHER

• 1985, Thatcher and Prime Minister Garret FitzGerald of Ireland signed the Anglo-Irish Agreement

• 1980’s the productivity had improved but employment, inflation, began to rise.

• Thatcher resigned, 1990

THATCHER

JOHN MAJOR• Succeeded Thatcher as a party

leader• Abandoned household tax• Sent British troops to UNITED

STATES against Iraq in the Persian Gulf War

• 1993, UK and the other EC countries formed the European Union.

• Divisions of Conservative party and weakening Major government

• 1997, ELECTIONS the Labour Party defeated Conservatives by landslide.

• Tony Blair won as Prime Minister

•  he promised economic and social reform and brought Labour closer to the center of the political spectrum.

• April 1998, agreement committed all parties to using peaceful means to resolve political differences

• First election to Scotland and Wales

First Minister Welsh: Alex SalmondFirst Minister Scott: Alun Michael

Britain Supports Post-Sept. 11 America,

Enters the Iraq War• Blair again proved himself to be the

strongest international supporter of the U.S. in Sept. 2002, becoming President Bush's major ally in calling for a war against Iraq.

•  Blair came under fire from government officials for allegedly exaggerating Iraq's possession of weapons of mass destruction.

• On May 5, 2005, Blair won a historic third term as the country's prime minister. 

• On July 7, 2005, London suffered a terrorist bombing, Britain's worst attack since World War II. 

• killing 52 and wounding more than 700.

•  On July 21, terrorists attempted another attack on the transit system, but the bombs failed to explode. 

GORDON BROWN• Tony Blair tendered his

resignation as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to the Queen on 27 June 2007

• two days into Brown's term, police defused two bombs found in cars parked in the West End section of London.

• Gordon Brown and Iraqi prime minister Nuri al-Maliki made a joint announcement in December 2008,

ROYAL WEDDING

On April 29, 2011, Kate Middleton married Prince William in a $20 million ceremony watched by more than 3 billion people

Same-Sex Marriage Bill

Passes• On July 17, 2013, Queen

Elizabeth II approved a same-sex marriage bill.

• The bill allowed same-sex couples to marry in both religious and civil ceremonies in England and Wales. It also allowed couples currently in a civil partnership to convert it into a marriage.

The Duchess of Cambridge Gives Birth to a Baby Boy—and Later a

Girl• On July 22, 2013,

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, gave birth to a baby boy named George Alexander Louis. 

• Catherine gave birth to her second child, a girl Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, on May 2, 2015. 

• In August 2013, Syria was accused of launching a chemical attack in suburbs east of Damascus, killing about 1,400 people, many of them women and children.

•  Aug. 29, the British parliament rejected Cameron's request for authorization to attack Syria—a stunning rebuke to Cameron.

Parliament Rejects Cameron's Plan to

Strike Syria

CAMERON FOR THE SECOND

TIME• Cameron's Conservative

Party breezed to victory over Labour in the May 2015 general election.

• Cameron earned a second five-year term as prime minister.