Rental Cars UK - History of UK

For the most part of the Christian era, the history of the British Isles has essentially concerned itself with three main, independent, states; England, Scotland and Wales. The latter two eventually succumbed to perpetual English domination to form the United Kingdom which, today, recognises the important individual identities of all three cultures. Even centralized government from London has devolved into autonomy (Scotland has its own parliament), under the guidance of Tony Blair.

Celts, Anglo-Saxons, Romans, Picts, and invading Vikings and Normans have all helped create the modern Briton, though cultural differences between Scots, Englishman and Welshman are unique. The Romans invaded in 43 AD and set up Londinium as their controlling outpost of the empire. Hadrians’ wall is enough evidence to suggest they weren’t as successful in Scotland. They did however bring stability, Christianity, civilization and roads. By 410, the mighty empire and many traces of its influence had disappeared.

Angles, Jutes and Saxon tribes moved into the vacuum, absorbing the Celts and developing local fiefdoms which, by the 7th century, had grown into little kingdoms. Collectively they identified themselves as English. In the north however, the war-like Scots (influenced by their Norse forbearers) came down out of the highlands to overrun the Picts and set a trend of fierce resistance to their sovereignty.

By the mid-9th century, The Isles were under invasion from all quarters, Vikings from the north and west and Danes from the east. All but completely overrun, the English responded by assimilating with their invaders. Just as they were settling down, they were conquered for the last time by William of Normandy who arrived from the South and defeated the locals at the battle of Hastings in 1066. French speaking, he imposed a feudal system, installed a French aristocracy, built impressive castles and began assimilation with the Saxons.

During this period of upheaval, a community calling themselves Cymry and living in the relative backwater that is, today, Wales, came under perpetual invasion and eventually subjugated to the Anglo-Saxon king. Their last king to be recognized was Llywelyn (1267), while a 1400 rebellion was ruthlessly crushed, settling the matter once and for all. The Scots however were no pushover, starting with the heroic William Wallace in 1297. He single-handed mobilized his fellow Scots to defeat the English, before being betrayed. Finally in 1315, Robert the Bruce proved to the English once and for all, at Bannockburn, that they would never control the Highlands. Famous attempts were made to replace the Hanoverian kings of England with Catholic Stuarts, although the Jacobite cause lacked support outside of the Highlands due to the Lowland suspicion of Catholicism. However, squabbling among royals and disagreement over religious reformation was their undoing and in 1707 the Scots were persuaded, under duress, to disband their parliament and report to London. With claims to French royal lineage, Bonny Prince Charlie, a Stuart, landed in 1745 trying to claim the throne for Scotland but was sorely defeated.

In England the Hundred Years War with France followed, with plenty of royalty backstabbing until the emergence of the fearsome Henry VIII in the 16th century. Most famously he split from the Catholic church to establish his own rules as 'Prostetants’, allowing him to divorce and execute his succession of wives, with impunity. The power struggle between monarchy and Parliament degenerated into civil war in the mid-17th century, pitching Charles I's royalists (Catholics, traditionalists, the gentry and members of the Church of England) against Cromwell's Protestant parliamentarians. Victorious Cromwell turned out to be somewhat of a dictator, prompting parliament reinstated the monarchy after all the bloodshed. By now, London had enjoyed status as the seat of the Crown and capital for quite sometime, and the united countries began to be collectively known as Britain.

A period of progressive expansionism followed, as England collected colonies down the American coast, licensed the East India Company to operate from Bombay and eventually saw Canada, South Africa and Australia come within its massive sphere of influence. At home, England exerted increasing control over the British Isles. The burgeoning empire's first setback occurred in 1781 when the American colonies won their war of independence, but they did successfully defeat the overly ambitious Napoleon at Waterloo.

Then came the Industrial Revolution as the invention of steam power, steam trains and water power thrush Britain into the forefront of world development, seeing rapid expansion and industrialisation. Wales, which had been slumbering, was suddenly thrust into the limelight as the mining of coal, copper, slate and tin production led to a phenomenally increased population, rapidly changing the country's make-up from fragmented rural communities to urbanised mining and industrial centres.

By the time Queen Victoria took the throne in 1837, Britain had become the world's greatest power. Its fleet dominated the seas, knitting together the British empire, while its factories dominated world trade. Under prime ministers such as Gladstone and Disraeli, the worst excesses of the Industrial Revolution were addressed; education became universal, trade unions were legalised and most men were enfranchised - women had to wait until after WWI.

Despite heavy losses in the first great war, industrial prosperity continued to ensure Britain remained the world’s strongest super-power well into the twentieth century. Then came WWII. With the help of the Allies, and under ‘never say die’ Winston Churchill, they saw off the advancing Nazis at Dunkirk and the Battle of Britain (RAF), and played an important role in setting up the United Nations and carving up the emerging Europe. Abroad however it’s territorial claims declined significantly, first losing the jewel in its crowd, India (1947), followed by the ‘winds of change’ that swept through its African colonies and few Asian interests throughout the 50s and 60s.

Britain has been suffering an identity crisis ever since, coming to terms with its diminished empire, yet retaining a very important status in world politics and influence. The swinging sixties were followed by the sorry seventies as London went from hip to has-been. In 1979 its first woman prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, emerged to become one of the great statespersons of the 80’s, seeing off Argentina in the Falklands war, breaking the strangle-hold of the unions at home, privatising national industries and dominating Britain’s domestic policies even after being forced from office in 1991 by her own conservative party. Northern Ireland however continued to remain a thorn in the side of her government.

Thatcher left behind unemployment and stuffiness which has been swept away by the economic upswing of the 90`s and the emergence of a labour government under Tony Blair. Modern Britain still sets trends in music, art, fashion and business, with London being one of the financial centres of the world. The depressed midlands are being revived, the country wins less often on the sports field, despite initiating many of the games and remain at the forefront of R&D in many fields. Not surprisingly, the British are reluctant to dissolve their perennially strong pound into the euro.

Sometimes referred to as the 51st state of America, Britain has been an unswerving ally of it’s, now bigger , brother America since WWII, and the current government is no exception, leaving the US to dictate its foreign policy towards rogue nations. Asylum seekers, farming, education, health, Northern Ireland and the European Union still polarize opinion, but cautious optimism prevails.

P>For the most part of the Christian era, the history of the British Isles has essentially concerned itself with three main, independent, states; England, Scotland and Wales. The latter two eventually succumbed to perpetual English domination to form the United Kingdom which, today, recognises the important individual identities of all three cultures. Even centralized government from London has devolved into autonomy (Scotland has its own parliament), under the guidance of Tony Blair.

Celts, Anglo-Saxons, Romans, Picts, and invading Vikings and Normans have all helped create the modern Briton, though cultural differences between Scots, Englishman and Welshman are unique. The Romans invaded in 43 AD and set up Londinium as their controlling outpost of the empire. Hadrians’ wall is enough evidence to suggest they weren’t as successful in Scotland. They did however bring stability, Christianity, civilization and roads. By 410, the mighty empire and many traces of its influence had disappeared.

Angles, Jutes and Saxon tribes moved into the vacuum, absorbing the Celts and developing local fiefdoms which, by the 7th century, had grown into little kingdoms. Collectively they identified themselves as English. In the north however, the war-like Scots (influenced by their Norse forbearers) came down out of the highlands to overrun the Picts and set a trend of fierce resistance to their sovereignty.

By the mid-9th century, The Isles were under invasion from all quarters, Vikings from the north and west and Danes from the east. All but completely overrun, the English responded by assimilating with their invaders. Just as they were settling down, they were conquered for the last time by William of Normandy who arrived from the South and defeated the locals at the battle of Hastings in 1066. French speaking, he imposed a feudal system, installed a French aristocracy, built impressive castles and began assimilation with the Saxons.

During this period of upheaval, a community calling themselves Cymry and living in the relative backwater that is, today, Wales, came under perpetual invasion and eventually subjugated to the Anglo-Saxon king. Their last king to be recognized was Llywelyn (1267), while a 1400 rebellion was ruthlessly crushed, settling the matter once and for all. The Scots however were no pushover, starting with the heroic William Wallace in 1297. He single-handed mobilized his fellow Scots to defeat the English, before being betrayed. Finally in 1315, Robert the Bruce proved to the English once and for all, at Bannockburn, that they would never control the Highlands. Famous attempts were made to replace the Hanoverian kings of England with Catholic Stuarts, although the Jacobite cause lacked support outside of the Highlands due to the Lowland suspicion of Catholicism. However, squabbling among royals and disagreement over religious reformation was their undoing and in 1707 the Scots were persuaded, under duress, to disband their parliament and report to London. With claims to French royal lineage, Bonny Prince Charlie, a Stuart, landed in 1745 trying to claim the throne for Scotland but was sorely defeated.

In England the Hundred Years War with France followed, with plenty of royalty backstabbing until the emergence of the fearsome Henry VIII in the 16th century. Most famously he split from the Catholic church to establish his own rules as 'Prostetants’, allowing him to divorce and execute his succession of wives, with impunity. The power struggle between monarchy and Parliament degenerated into civil war in the mid-17th century, pitching Charles I's royalists (Catholics, traditionalists, the gentry and members of the Church of England) against Cromwell's Protestant parliamentarians. Victorious Cromwell turned out to be somewhat of a dictator, prompting parliament reinstated the monarchy after all the bloodshed. By now, London had enjoyed status as the seat of the Crown and capital for quite sometime, and the united countries began to be collectively known as Britain.

A period of progressive expansionism followed, as England collected colonies down the American coast, licensed the East India Company to operate from Bombay and eventually saw Canada, South Africa and Australia come within its massive sphere of influence. At home, England exerted increasing control over the British Isles. The burgeoning empire's first setback occurred in 1781 when the American colonies won their war of independence, but they did successfully defeat the overly ambitious Napoleon at Waterloo.

Then came the Industrial Revolution as the invention of steam power, steam trains and water power thrush Britain into the forefront of world development, seeing rapid expansion and industrialisation. Wales, which had been slumbering, was suddenly thrust into the limelight as the mining of coal, copper, slate and tin production led to a phenomenally increased population, rapidly changing the country's make-up from fragmented rural communities to urbanised mining and industrial centres.

By the time Queen Victoria took the throne in 1837, Britain had become the world's greatest power. Its fleet dominated the seas, knitting together the British empire, while its factories dominated world trade. Under prime ministers such as Gladstone and Disraeli, the worst excesses of the Industrial Revolution were addressed; education became universal, trade unions were legalised and most men were enfranchised - women had to wait until after WWI.

Despite heavy losses in the first great war, industrial prosperity continued to ensure Britain remained the world’s strongest super-power well into the twentieth century. Then came WWII. With the help of the Allies, and under ‘never say die’ Winston Churchill, they saw off the advancing Nazis at Dunkirk and the Battle of Britain (RAF), and played an important role in setting up the United Nations and carving up the emerging Europe. Abroad however it’s territorial claims declined significantly, first losing the jewel in its crowd, India (1947), followed by the ‘winds of change’ that swept through its African colonies and few Asian interests throughout the 50s and 60s.

Britain has been suffering an identity crisis ever since, coming to terms with its diminished empire, yet retaining a very important status in world politics and influence. The swinging sixties were followed by the sorry seventies as London went from hip to has-been. In 1979 its first woman prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, emerged to become one of the great statespersons of the 80’s, seeing off Argentina in the Falklands war, breaking the strangle-hold of the unions at home, privatising national industries and dominating Britain’s domestic policies even after being forced from office in 1991 by her own conservative party. Northern Ireland however continued to remain a thorn in the side of her government.

Thatcher left behind unemployment and stuffiness which has been swept away by the economic upswing of the 90`s and the emergence of a labour government under Tony Blair. Modern Britain still sets trends in music, art, fashion and business, with London being one of the financial centres of the world. The depressed midlands are being revived, the country wins less often on the sports field, despite initiating many of the games and remain at the forefront of R&D in many fields. Not surprisingly, the British are reluctant to dissolve their perennially strong pound into the euro.

Sometimes referred to as the 51st state of America, Britain has been an unswerving ally of it’s, now bigger , brother America since WWII, and the current government is no exception, leaving the US to dictate its foreign policy towards rogue nations. Asylum seekers, farming, education, health, Northern Ireland and the European Union still polarize opinion, but cautious optimism prevails.