A.D. 449-1485 Historical Background
The Conquest of Britain
- Brithons and Gaels (European Celts) invaded the British Isles
- The Celts were farmers and hunters and organized themselves into clans
- Priests known as Druids settled clan disputes
- The next conquerors of Britain were the Romans (Julius Caesar) and legions set up towns
- European tribes invaded Italy and put pressure on Rome so the Romans left Britain to defend Rome
- Anglo-Saxons (German fishermen and farmers) invaded Britain/England
The Coming of Christianity
- Romans introduced Christianity to Britain
- Columba established monasteries in the north
- Saint Augustine converted King Ethelbert of Kent and set up a monastery at Canterbury in Kent
Danish Invasion
- Norse of Norway and Danes of Denmark were pressured by own people (Vikings) & took the seas
- The Norse set for Northumbria, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland & Danes targeted England
- The Vikings destroyed monasteries and burned communities, taking over England
- Alfred the Great took the Wessex throne
- Danish controlled east and north while Saxons controlled the south
- Danish forced the Saxons to select Danish kings
- When Edward the Confessor died, the Anglo-Saxon period ended
The Norman Conquest
- Descendants of Vikings that invaded France
- William, Duke of Normandy, killed Harold II at the Battle of Hastings
- William suppressed Anglo-Saxon nobility. Normans controlled the government
- Feudalism: the exchange of property for personal service
- Called supporters Barons, had to pay fees and supply the king with knights. The knights received manors and peasants (serfs) worked in them
The Reign of the Plantagenets
- Norman rule ended when Harry Plantagenet came to the throne as Henry II (founded house of Plantagenet and established a record as one of England's ablest king)
- He had direct conflict with the Church
- Appointed Thomas Becker as archbishop, after conflict, Becker sided with the Pope
- The king's knights misunderstood and killed Becker
- Pilgrimage to Becker's shrine at Canterbury became a symbol of religious devotion
The Magna Carta
- King Richard I signed document promising to not tax land without talking to the Barons; marked the beginning of a constitutional government in England
Lancasters, Yorks, and Tudors
- House of Lancaster replaced the Plantagenets on the throne
- War of Roses: Yorks vs. Lancasters; united under Tudor's marital ties to Richard's niece (Yorkist)
Decline of the Feudal System
- After the Black Death, massive labor shortage demanded peasant's work
- Serfs revolted against discriminatory laws and taxes, resulting in the system being replaced with free peasantry
Literature of the Period
Anglo- Saxon Literature
- Spoken verse and incantations
- Heroic poetry (recounting the achievements of warriors) and elegiac poetry (lamenting the deaths of loved ones and the loss of the past; most famous- Beowulf)
- Written in Latin until the monks began to transcribe them into the language of the common people
Literature of the English Middle Ages
- Romances portrayed the deeds of knights and anonymous balladeers sang of love and deeds of outlaws
- Medieval Drama: miracle plays, mysteries, retold Bible stories, morality plays
- William Caxton set up first movable type press
- Geoffrey Chaucer wrote in Middle English, The Canterbury Tales, compassionate humor and lively realism
- Medieval romances were adventures of knights, lyric poetry was developed by the lyre (harplike instrument), ballads (folk songs that told stories) were popular
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