Survey of Britain by Zhang Haiyan 1

An outline of British history （ 1500 onward ）

(Session 5)

Objectives:

To help students get a clear outline of the British history

dating from the 16th century to the present day.

To get students to be familiar with some renowned figures

that have once changed the course of the British history.

To enable students to summarize the British history by

following the example displayed on the slides.

Survey of Britain by Zhang Haiyan 2

An outline of British history （ 1500 onward ）

(Session 5)

Questions for Discussion:

Which dynasties was England in before and after 1455? When did the English Reformation take place? Who carried out the Refo

rmation and for what reason? What was the result? When did the English Renaissance begin? Who were the sovereigns the

n? How much do you know about Victorian Age? What made Elizabeth become Queen of Britain? What contributions did Margaret Thatcher make to British economy? Who is the present Prime Minister? What event(s) caused significant changes of the British society since 17th

century? Can you name some?

Survey of Britain by Zhang Haiyan 3

An outline of British history （ 1500 onward ） （ Session 5 ）

Events Date Details

Wars of the Roses 1455-1485 *Death blow on Feudalism *Weakened and discredited. the great medieval nobility

*Highlighted the King’s power *Henry Tudor united the two Houses

The English Reformation 16th century *A move from Catholicism to Protestantism

Edward VI’ reign 1547-1553 *Real religious change was fulfilled

Mary Tudor’s reign 1553-58 *Persecuted the Protestants to restore (Bloody Mary) Catholicism

Survey of Britain by Zhang Haiyan 4

An outline of British history （ 1500 onward ） （ Session 5 ）

Events Date Details

Elizabeth I’s reign 1558-1603 *Smashed the Catholic conspiracy against

Protestantism by executing Mary Stuart (1587) and defeating Spanish Armada

(1588) *English Renaissance

James I’s reign 1603-1625 *Gunpowder Plot, 1605 *Mayflower, 1620

Charles I’s reign 1625-49 *The Civil Wars, 1642-49 *Execution of Charles I by Cromwell and the Rumps (tyrant, traitor, murderer and public enemy)

Survey of Britain by Zhang Haiyan 5

An outline of British history （ 1500 onward ） （ Session 5 ）

Events Date Details

The Commonwealth 1649-1660 *Cromwell, Lord Protector

The Restoration 1658-1660 *Return of Charles II

The Glorious Revolution 1688 *Drove away James II (Charles II’ brother) *Emerge of the earliest 2 parties: Whigs & Tories

Reform of the monarchy 1689 *William of Orange and Mary co-ruled under the Bill of Right

*Emerge of the Constitutional Monarchy

Survey of Britain by Zhang Haiyan 6

An outline of British history （ 1500 onward ） （ Session 5 ）

Events Date Details

Agricultural Change late 18th C *Open-field system VS Enclosure Act (Thomas Coke ， 1754-1842 ） *Introduction of the crop rotation *Invention of artificial fertilizer and new agricultural machinery (seed-drill: Jethro Tull, 1674-1741) *Emerge of the new class hostility in the rural relationships

Industrial Revolution 1780-1830 *Mechanization of industry Changes in social and economic organization

(Read Cowper, W.1785. Town and Country in The Task (Book 1) [M] in Gu Yueguo (chief ed.) 1998. English Through Literature [M]. Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press. P356.)

Survey of Britain by Zhang Haiyan 7

An outline of British history （ 1500 onward ） （ Session 5 ）

Industrial Revolution 1780-1830 （ Inventors and their inventions ）

Inventors Inventions Years Importance

John Kay Flying shuttle

飞梭 1733 Speeded up hand weaving

James Hargreave Spinning jenny

詹妮纺纱机 1766 Enabled one had labourer to spin many threads at a

time.

Richard Arkwright Waterframe

水力纺纱机 1769 Required power to drive.

Samuel Cromton Mule 绽纺机 1779

Thomas Newcomer

Steam engine

At the end of the 17th century

Devised

James Watt (Scottish)

（ 1736-1819 ）

1765 Modified and improved the design with rotary motion that could be applied to textile and other machinery.

Abraham Darby Replaced charcoal 木炭 with coke 焦碳 to melt iron.

1709 Hugely increased the production of iron.

Henry Court Puddding and rolling processes

搅炼法、滚压法 1784

Enabled vastly increased quantities of high-quality iron to replace wood and stone in may sectors of economy.

EdmundCartwright Power loom 力织机 Enabled weaving to catch up with spinning

Survey of Britain by Zhang Haiyan 8

(Cowper, W.1785. Town and Country in The Task (Book 1) [M] in Gu Yueguo (chief ed.) 1998. English Through Literature [M]. Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press. P356.)

Town and Country

God made the country and man made the town1

What wonder then that health and virtue, gifts

That can alone make sweet the bitter draught2

That life holds out to all, should most abound

And least is threaten’d in the fields and groves?

Possess ye3, therefore, ye who borne about

In chariots and sedans4, know no fatigue

But that of idleness, and taste no scenes

But such as art contrives5, possess ye still

Your element; there only can ye shine,

There only minds like yours’ can do no harm

Our groves were planted to console at noon

The pensive wand’rer in their shades. At eve

1The countryside of the 18th century England was

largely the result of centuries of agriculture.

2Cowper thinks life as fundamentally an unhappy

experience—the beauty of the countryside at least

makes it easier to bear.

3An old form of plural you.

4Cowper puts traffic as the first of the unpleasant

features of town life.

5All these things are available to city dwellers, but

are no match for the real scenes of the countryside.

Survey of Britain by Zhang Haiyan 9

(Cowper, W.1785. Town and Country in The Task (Book 1) [M] in Gu Yueguo (chief ed.) 1998. English Through Literature [M]. Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press. P356.)

Town and Country

The moonbeam sliding softly in between

The sleeping leaves, is all the light they wish,

Birds’ warbling all their music. We can spare

The splendour of your lamps6; they but eclipse

Our softer satellite7 your songs confound

Our more harmonious notes; the thrush departs

Scar’d and th’ offended nightingale is mute

There is public mischief in your mirth

It plagues your country8 Folly such as yours

Grac’d with a sward, and worthier of a fan9

Has made, what enemies never could have done,

Our arch of empire, steadfast but for you,

A mutilated structure, soon to fall.

6Cowper contrasts the well-lit streets of the city

with the country, which has only the light of the

moon.

7the moon

8The city enjoyments such as shopping,

theatres, concerts, drama, are morally damaging

to society.

9City entertainments are trivial. They are fit

only for women, but are enjoyed by men. They

will destroy the power and greatness of Britain,

as her political enemies have never succeeded

in doing.

Survey of Britain by Zhang Haiyan 10

An outline of British history （ 1500 onward ） （ Session 5 ）

Events Date Details

Colonial Expansion late 18th C. *Newfoundland (1583), India (1600), early 19th C. Jamestown, Virginia (1607),

Australia (1788), Canada (1763), etc. The Chartist Movement 1836-1848 *Emergence of the working class (proletarian), the Trade Unions (TUC, 1868), the LP (1906)

Parliamentary reform 1911 *the Parliament Act reallocating the power

WWI 1914 *Great loss of manpower (>1 million) *Considerable disruption of the economy and society *Establishment of League of Nations 国际联 盟 (Paris Conference, 1919)

Roaring Twenties 1920s *American import---music and Jazz.

Great Depression 1931 

Survey of Britain by Zhang Haiyan 11

    An outline of British history （ 1500 onward ） （ Session 5 ）

Events Date Details

Edward VIII after George V 1936

George VI 1937 Abdication of Edward VIII

WWII 1939

Elizabeth II was crowned.      1952

Invasion of Egypt with France 1956

Swinging Sixties 1960s *pop music and Beatles (Liverpool)

Survey of Britain by Zhang Haiyan 12

   An outline of British history （ 1500 onwar

d ） （ Session 5 ）

I am John

Major 

I am Tony

Blair

I am Gordon

Brown

Survey of Britain by Zhang Haiyan 13

   An outline of British history （ 1500 onwar

d ） （ Session 5 ）

Events Date Details

Member of the EC 1973 *Common Market (Treaty of Rome, 1957)

Margaret Thatcher 1979 *Conservative Party

Thatcherism---the theory put forward by the British Prime Minister Margaret

Thatcher, a belief in self-reliance and privatization.

Rapid growth in economy Late 1980s

John Major 1990-1997

Tony Blair 1997-2007

Gordon Brown 2007-

Survey of Britain by Zhang Haiyan 14

An outline of British history （ 1500 onward ） （ Session 5 ）

Assignment

1) Watch the document Elizabeth II and depict the separate roles of the royal family and the government. How would you react to Diana’s death if you were Elizabeth II or Tony Blair? Why?

2) Do research work on the British Prime Ministers and make a namelist of them.