3.2 Great Britain's history

Text 1. Ancient Britain

«Deep are the roots». Indeed, Great Britain’s history dates back to 250,000 BC when first evidence of human life might occur. Britain has history like the Sahara has sand, and its history may be divided to some periods: Ancient Britain; Middle Ages Britain; the 18^th century – the century of wealth, technological revolution and power; the 19^th century – the Victorian age of the British Empire; the 20^th century – the contemporary world; the 21^st century – the century of globalization.

Ancient Britaindeals with preceltic and celtic people (old stone men, new stone men, bronze men, iron men, the Picts, the Scots, the Britons); the Romans and the Roman occupation (55 BC – AD 410); the Anglo-Saxons and the Vikings (410 – 1066); the Normans and the Battle of Hastings (1066-1154).

The greatest material monument of the ancient population of the British Isles is Stonehenge. Their priests the Druids, were skillful in teaching and administration. The material monument of the Roman times is Hadrian’s Wall, which was built is the second century to protect the Romans from attacks by the Scots and Picts. The Anglo-Saxon period is connected with the beginning of the United Kingdom of England. The Norman Conquest of England (1066) was the fifth and the last invasion of England. The Norman duke became king of England – William I or William the Conqueror. It was he who built the Tower of London, introduced Great Council and the Domesday Book (a complete inventory of Britain).

The Normans mixed with the Anglo-Saxons and the Danes and from this mixture the English nation emerged.

Text 2. Middle Ages Britain

Middle Ages Britaintells us about feudalism as a politico-economic system of that period; chevaliers (knights), king Arthur and their round table; the growth of towns (Oxford, Cambridge, Bedford etc); medieval guilds and occupations; commodity production and a system of payment by money; markets and fairs; wool trade as a very profitable business; main sea routes which established commercial contacts with trading towns of the world. This period named legal documents of constructional importance, which affected modern legal systems. These are the Magna Carta or the Great Charter (1215) which limited the power of the monarch; Habeas Corpus Act (1621), which guaranteed and guarantees that nobody can be held in prison without trial; the Bill of Rights (1689), one of the basic instruments of the British constitution, which limited some of the powers of the monarch.

In terms of culture in feudal England we say that: 1) the standard written language was formed; 2) William Caxton, the first printer, set up printing and printed the first book in England «The History of Troye»; 3) Latin was still the language of learning; 4) a development of folklore was connected with the Robin Hood Cycle; 5) it was the period of English Gothic architecture (King’s College Chapel in Cambridge, Westminster Abbey, etc). That period and namely the 15^th century was an age of violent contrasts, the anarchy and the lack of powerful central government. The war of Roses was a vivid example of that time (1455-1485).

The Tudor agestarted with Henry VII, the established centralized national state and absolute monarchy. Then came Henry VIII, one of the most well-known monarchs in English history. It was during his reign that the reformation took place. Then Edward VI sat upon the throne and he became the founding father of the English-Russian relations. Henry VIII's daughter Mary was known to be Bloody Mary. In 1553 Elisabeth, daughter of Henry VIII, became Queen. She was the first of three long-reigning queens in the British history (the other two are Queen Victoria and Elizabeth II). During her reign England became very important in European politics, commerce and the arts (English Renaissance).

The 17^th century was the century of the Stuart dynasty and it was in that period Parliament established its supremacy over the monarchy in Britain (Oliver Cromwell). Two political parties were formed in the 17^th century: Tory and Whig. In 1688 there was the «glorious (bloodless) revolution» and the Bill of Rights was signed.

Text 3. The 18, 19, 20 centuries

The 18^th century was politically stable. Economically it was marked by the development of capitalism. The 18^th century was the century of wealth, technological revolution and power. England, Scotland (1707) and Wales (1536) were united and became Great Britain.

In 1714 a new dynasty of Hanoverians was established. It was the time of the cabinet system of government. The first prime – minister was Robert Walpole. In the 18^th century colonial expansion and the formation of the colonial empire occurred. The American colonies waged the war of Independence (1775-1783) and on the 4^th of July 1776 the Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.

In the 19^th century Britannia Ruled the Waves. In 1805 Nelson defeated the French and Spanish Fleet at Cape Trafalgar. In 1813 the Duke of Wellington defeated the French army in Spain and 1815 at Waterloo. Britain became the “Workshop of the World”. The 19^th century was the period of Napoleonic Wars.

Queen Victoria reigned from 1837 to 1901 and was regarded as the personification of contemporary morals.

The 20^th century is associated with the British Empire, the British Commonwealth and the Commonwealth of Nations. It was the time of the new dynasty Windsor. Elisabeth II became queen in 1952. In 1973 the Conservatives came to power led by Margaret Thatcher, Britain’s first woman prime minister. In 1990 John Major was elected. In 1997 the Labour Party won by a landslide. Tony Blair became Prime Minister.

Here are the main milestones.

1971 – decimal currency is introduced;

1973 – Britain joins the European Economic Community;

1981 – marriage of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer;

1994 – Channel tunnel opens.

Text 4. Britain in the 21^st century

As a relatively small trading nation without much in the way of natural resources Great Britain must compete and innovate to make a living. It retains a post-imperial habit of thinking and investing globally, and it is home to the world's most important international financial center. All this makes it a testing ground for globalization.

Britain's economy is one of the most open among the big rich countries. Britons have long been avid investors overseas, and now foreign investors are returning the favour. Britain is a little ahead on restructuring its economy: it freed the labour market and strengthened competition, its workforce is much more flexible than France's and Germany's. High-tech or research-based fields (aerospace engines pharmaceuticals) are dominated in the industry. Most importantly, Britain's financial market and business services are doing a roaring trade as other countries become more internationally minded.

Globalisation is undermining the old certainties in lots of ways:

1) employment is less secure; 2) communities are less rooted; 3) the gaps between rich and poor, skilled and unskilled, young and old, are wider, and immigration has risen sharply in recent years.

All these has created vibrancy and buzz, but also dislocation and often sense of grievance.

Britain is in some ways a halfway house between America and the rest of Europe. It resembles America in its open and flexible markets. It resembles Europe in social safety.

At every turn the choice lies between openness and protectionism; between multiculturalism and nativism; between engagement and isolationism.

Which way will it go in the 21 ^st century?

Task 1. Read the texts. Translate them into Russian, and render them.

Task 2. Memorize the key terms, concepts, expressions and their meaning.

enigmatic	загадочный
blessing	благословение, благословенный
insular	островной
drainage system	дренажная система
shires (counties)	графства
a reeve (sheriff)	судья
moot (meeting)	собрание
a knight = a chevalier = a horseman	рыцарь
to summon	созывать
to abdicate	отрекаться от престола
a manufacturer of cloth	производитель сукна
sheep rearing	выращивание овец
Enclosures	огораживание
circumnavigate the globe	совершать кругосветное плавание
constitutional monarchy	конституционная монархия
landslide	резкое изменение голосов между партиями

Task 3. Answer the questions. Solve the problems. Do the tasks.

1. Britain is unusually among European countries in that, for more than 300 years now, there has not been a single revolution or civil war. What reasons can you find which might help to explain this stability?

2. Name the conquerors who took part in creating a truly mongrel breed.

3. Which of the famous names in popular British history could be described as “resistance fighters”?

4. What are the well-recognized contributions of Roman civilization to British culture?

5. Which of the Anglo-Saxon kings rightly deserved the title of Great?

6. What is the name of the battle which is a historic turning point for England?

7. What were the peculiar traits of the Norman Rule in England?

8. What was the first attempt to limit the power of the king? When was it? Why?

9. When did the first British Parliament appear?

10. What was the reason of the Wars of the Roses and was it a romantic event?

11. Give a short general outline of the main political, economic and cultural events in the middle ages in Britain?

12. Name well-known women of the Tudor dynasty and comment on their role in the British history.

13. What was the peculiarity of the Reformation in England?

14. Why was the reign of Elizabeth I called “the Golden Age”?

15. What were the reasons for the conflict of the first Stuarts with the English Parliament?

16. What branches of industry were progressing immensely in the technological revolution?

17. What was the Victorian Age famous for?

18. It is estimated that at least 600 million people use English regularly in everyday life – at least ten times the present population of Britain. Why has the use of English expanded so much in the last 500 years?

19. Icons are symbolic, they represent something in English culture, history or the English way of life. Please, name icons of England.

20. What does «Britannia redux» mean?

21. What must Britain do to maintain its momentum in the period of globalisation?

22. What party rules in Britain in the 21 ^st century.

23. Who is Britain's Prime Minister?

Task 4. Speak about the most significant points in Great Britain’s history. Give a short survey of ancient and medieval Britain.

Task 5. Do the test.

1. refute

a) start a fight. b) prove to be false

c) plan an escape d) join together

2. tyrant

a) angry speech b) bushy beard c) unjust ruler d) rebel leader

2. barbarous

a) thorny b) rugged c) cruel d) well cooked

2. sufference

a) unfair law b) patient endurance c) right to vote d) objection

2. candid

a) open and sincere b) holding high honour

c) showing optimism d) hopeless

2. plunder

a) to rob b) plot against c) make noise d) deceive

2. compliance

a) act of conforming b) show of protest

c) efficiency d) lack of concern

2. formidable

a) self-centered b) well-planned out

c) powerful or impressive d) overly complicated

2. impel

a) to stab with a knife b) keep under control

c) make safe d) drive or urge forward

2. rudence – quality of being

a) modest b) indecisive c) sad d) wise or cautious

11 render

a) to impose a fine b) make or provide c) hold a rally d) cast a ballot

12. annihilation

a) partnership b )bothersome detail c) deep breath d) destructoion

13. evince

a to persuade effectively b bring forth c back away d) display clearly

14. usurpation

a) excess material b) quick result

c) wrongful seizure d) disrespect for authority

15. abdicate

a) to cast off b) take by force c) wait patiently d) point out

16. consanguinity

a) logical conclusion b) close connection

c) cheerful atmosphere d) self-confidence

Answer key:

1 b; 2 c; 3 c; 4 b; 5 a; 6 a; 7 a; 8 c; 9 d; 10 d; 11 b; 12 d; 13 d; 14 c; 15 a; 16 b.