History of the British Isles facts for kids
The British Isles are a group of islands in Europe. They include Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, Guernsey, Jersey, and many smaller islands. Throughout history, the people on these islands have sometimes fought and sometimes worked together.
Today, the British Isles have two main countries: the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom. There are also three special areas called Crown dependencies: Guernsey, Jersey, and the Isle of Man. The United Kingdom is made up of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Each of these has its own unique history. All except Northern Ireland were once independent countries. The way the United Kingdom was formed is quite complicated.
From 1603 until 1949, the British monarch was the leader of all countries in the British Isles. After most of Ireland became independent, some historians prefer not to use the term "British Isles." This is because of the complex relationship between the people of these islands.
Contents
Ancient Times: Early Humans and Stone Ages
The earliest periods of human history in the British Isles are called the Stone Ages. People during these times were mostly hunter-gatherers. They used tools made of stone.
Old and Middle Stone Ages (Palaeolithic and Mesolithic)
The Old Stone Age (Palaeolithic) saw the first early humans living in the British Isles. One important site from this time is Boxgrove Quarry in southern England.
By the Middle Stone Age (Mesolithic), only modern humans, Homo sapiens, lived here. Back then, the British Isles were connected to mainland Europe by a land bridge called Doggerland.
New Stone Age and Bronze Age (4500 to 600 BC)
During the New Stone Age (Neolithic) and the Bronze Age, big changes happened. People stopped hunting and gathering. They started farming instead. This changed how society worked and how the land looked.
Iron Age (1200 BC to AD 600)
The Iron Age is named for the new metal, iron, that people started using. Iron was used to make many tools, decorations, and weapons.
Around 1000 BC, people from mainland Europe moved to the islands. They brought Celtic languages with them. These languages eventually became the Insular Celtic languages we know today. We don't know what languages were spoken before this.
Roman Times: Britain and Ireland
From about AD 40 to 410, the southern part of Britain was part of the Roman Empire. This time is known as "Roman Britain."
Around the same time, Gaels were invading and settling in Ireland.
Medieval Period: Kingdoms and Invasions
The Medieval period saw many changes, including invasions and the rise of new kingdoms.
Early Medieval Period (5th to 11th Century)
In the 5th century, Germanic-speaking Saxons invaded Britain. They formed Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. These kingdoms slowly took over the area that is now England. By about 600 AD, seven main kingdoms had formed. During this time, the Anglo-Saxon states became Christian.
In the 9th century, Vikings from Denmark and Norway conquered most of England. Only the Kingdom of Wessex, led by Alfred the Great, survived. Alfred even managed to take back and unite England for much of the 10th century. Later, new Danish raids led to England being ruled by Denmark under Canute the Great. Danish rule ended, and the local House of Wessex returned to power. This lasted until 1066.
Late Medieval Period (11th to 15th Century)
In 1066, William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, claimed he should be King of England. He invaded England and defeated King Harold II at the Battle of Hastings. William became King William I. He made his rule strong by giving important jobs to loyal Normans. He also built many castles and ordered a survey of his new kingdom, called the Domesday Book.
The Late Medieval period also saw many wars between England and France. The most famous was the Hundred Years' War, which France won. The kings and queens during this time belonged to the Plantagenet, Lancaster, and York families.
Early Modern Period: Renaissance and Revolutions
This period saw major changes like the English Renaissance, which was a time of new ideas in art and learning. The English Reformation and Scottish Reformation changed religion in Britain.
Other big events included the English Civil War, where Parliament fought against the King. After the war, Charles II returned to the throne. The Glorious Revolution also changed how the country was governed. The Treaty of Union created the Kingdom of Great Britain. This period also saw the start of the British Empire.
19th Century: Union, Wars, and Reforms
The 19th century was a time of big changes, including the union with Ireland, major wars, and important reforms.
1801 to 1837: Union and Napoleonic Wars
Union of Great Britain and Ireland
In 1801, the Kingdom of Ireland officially joined with Great Britain. This created the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Before this, Ireland had some independence, but its government was still linked to London. The British government feared an independent Ireland might side with France during the French Revolutionary Wars. So, they decided to unite the two countries.
Irish people were told that joining the Union would lead to Catholic emancipation. This meant Catholics would have the same rights as Protestants. However, King George III was against this, so it did not happen right away.
Napoleonic Wars
Britain was involved in the Napoleonic Wars against France and its leader, Napoleon. These wars lasted from 1803 to 1815. Napoleon wanted to invade Britain, but his navy was not strong enough. In 1805, the British Royal Navy, led by Lord Nelson, won a huge victory at the Battle of Trafalgar. This ended Napoleon's hopes of controlling the seas.
Napoleon tried to hurt Britain's economy by stopping trade with Europe. But Britain had the world's best industries and a strong navy. This allowed it to trade with its growing empire. The blockade did not work well. Napoleon then invaded Spain and Russia, which weakened his forces. The Duke of Wellington, a British general, led his army to push the French out of Spain. In 1815, Wellington and his allies finally defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo.
At the same time, Britain also fought the War of 1812 with the United States. This war was mainly about trade and British sailors being forced into the British navy. It ended in 1814 with no big changes to land. It was the last war between Britain and the United States.
Kings George IV and William IV
After the Napoleonic Wars, Britain changed a lot. More people lived in cities, and industries grew. There was some social unrest due to economic problems.
George IV (1820–1830) and his brother William IV (1830–1837) were kings during this time. They let their ministers handle most government matters. During William IV's reign, several important reforms happened. Laws were updated to help the poor, and child labour was limited. Slavery was also abolished in most of the British Empire in 1833. Most importantly, the Reform Act 1832 changed how people voted in Britain.
Whig Reforms of the 1830s
The Whig Party pushed for many moral reforms. They supported changing the voting system and ending slavery. Catholic emancipation was finally granted in 1829. This allowed Roman Catholics to be part of the British Parliament.
The Whigs also championed the Reform Act 1832. This law gave more people the right to vote. It also got rid of "rotten boroughs," which were areas with very few voters but a lot of power. Instead, power was shared based on population. This helped the middle class gain more influence in Parliament. However, most working-class people still could not vote.
After investigations showed how bad child labour was, some limited reforms were passed in 1833. The Chartist movement also emerged, demanding more voting rights for working-class people.
Victorian Era (1837–1901)
The Victorian era was the time when Queen Victoria ruled. It lasted from 1837 to 1901. This period was the peak of Britain's Industrial Revolution and the height of the British Empire. New technologies like steamships, railroads, photography, and the telegraph were introduced. Britain became very powerful economically and politically.
Foreign Policy and Empire Growth
Britain showed its industrial strength at the Great London Exhibition of 1851. It used trade and money to influence many countries outside Europe, especially in Latin America and Asia. So, Britain had a formal empire (where it ruled directly) and an informal one (where it had strong economic influence).
One concern was the possible collapse of the Ottoman Empire. Britain wanted to stop Russia from taking over important areas like Constantinople. In 1853, Britain and France fought against Russia in the Crimean War. They captured the Russian port of Sevastopol, forcing Russia to seek peace.
During the American Civil War (1861–1865), British leaders were interested in the Southern states (Confederacy) because they supplied cotton. However, when Abraham Lincoln announced the Emancipation Proclamation (freeing slaves), European countries could not support the Confederacy without supporting slavery.
In 1867, Britain united most of its North American colonies to form the Dominion of Canada. Canada gained self-government. The second half of the 19th century saw a huge expansion of Britain's colonial empire, especially in Africa. Britain had colonies on six continents.
The rise of the German Empire after 1871 created a new challenge. Germany and the United States began to compete with Britain as the world's top industrial powers. Germany also started building a navy to rival Britain's.
Britain also fought the Second Boer War (1899–1902) in South Africa against Dutch settlers called "Boers." The Boers fought a guerrilla war, making it difficult for the British. But Britain's larger army and better equipment eventually led to victory. The Boer republics later joined to form the Union of South Africa in 1910.
Ireland and Home Rule
The Act of Union 1800 was supposed to grant Catholic emancipation in Ireland. But King George III blocked it. After his death, Catholic emancipation was finally granted in 1829. This allowed Roman Catholics to sit in the UK Parliament.
However, a terrible event known as the "Great Hunger" hit Ireland in 1846. A potato disease destroyed the main food source for many people. Many died or were forced to leave Ireland. British politicians at the time believed the government should not interfere much with the economy. This lack of action made the problem much worse.
Later, a movement for "Home Rule" grew in Ireland. This meant Ireland would govern itself as a region within the United Kingdom. Two Home Rule Bills were proposed, but they did not become law. Many Unionists, especially in Ulster, opposed Home Rule. They feared a Catholic-led Parliament in Dublin would discriminate against them.
20th Century to Present: Wars, Independence, and Modern Times
The 20th century brought major wars, the independence of Ireland, and many social changes.
1900–1945: World Wars and Irish Independence
At the start of the century, Britain was fighting the Second Boer War. Queen Victoria died in 1901, and her son Edward VII became king. He was followed by George V in 1910.
In 1914, Britain entered the First World War against Germany. Nearly a million Britons died. The war ended in 1918.
The issue of Home Rule in Ireland was put on hold during the war. After the Irish War of Independence, the British government agreed to negotiations. This led to the creation of the Irish Free State in 1922. However, to keep Unionists happy, six counties in north-eastern Ireland remained part of the UK. This area became Northern Ireland.
The Liberal Party declined after 1922. The new Labour Party became the main opposition to the Conservatives.
In 1936, Edward VIII became king but soon gave up the throne to marry an American woman. His brother George VI became king.
To avoid another war, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain tried to make peace with German Chancellor Adolf Hitler. But after Hitler invaded Poland, Britain declared war on Germany on 3 September 1939. This began World War II. London suffered nightly bombings during the Blitz. The UK joined the Allied forces and was one of the victorious nations in 1945.
1945–1997: Welfare State and Cold War
After World War II, Winston Churchill's government was replaced by Clement Attlee's Labour party. Attlee created the Welfare State, which included free healthcare under the National Health Service. The Cold War began in the late 1940s, shaping British foreign policy for decades.
In 1951, the Conservatives returned to power. King George VI died in 1952, and his daughter Elizabeth II became Queen.
Later, Prime Minister Anthony Eden faced the Suez Crisis in 1956. Britain, France, and Israel planned to attack Egypt after its president, Nasser, took control of the Suez Canal.
In 1973, Conservative Prime Minister Edward Heath led the UK into the European Economic Community (EEC), which later became the European Union.
Margaret Thatcher became Britain's first female Prime Minister in 1979. Her economic reforms were unpopular at first. But her decision to retake the Falkland Islands from Argentina in the Falklands War (1982) made her very popular. She won two more elections.
Tensions between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland led to a period called The Troubles in the late 1960s. The Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) began a bombing campaign. This conflict lasted until the late 1990s.
The UK was a key supporter of the United States during the Cold War against the Soviet Union. It joined the military alliance NATO in 1949. The UK was involved in conflicts like the Korean War. The Republic of Ireland remained neutral during this time.
1997–Present: New Labour and Modern Challenges
In 1997, Tony Blair became Prime Minister, leading the 'New Labour' party to a big victory. He won re-election in 2001 and 2005. After a period of economic growth, both the UK and Ireland were affected by the global recession that started in 2008. In 2010, the Conservative party formed a government with the Liberal Democrats, with David Cameron as Prime Minister.
After the 9/11 attacks, the UK supported the US in the "War on Terror." It joined the War in Afghanistan and the invasion of Iraq. London was attacked in July 2005. In 2016, the UK voted in a referendum to leave the European Union.
Images for kids
-
End of Roman rule in Britain, 383–410
