A long and illustrious history Flashcards
For approximately how many years did the Romans remain in Britain?
A) 50 years
B) 100 years
C) 400 years
D) 600 years
The Romans remained in Britain for almost 400 years, from AD 43 to AD 410.
C) 400 years
Who was given the title of Lord Protector in the 17th century?
Oliver Cromwell was given the title of Lord Protector and ruled until his death in 1658.
C) Oliver Cromwell
Which of the following statements is correct?
A) In 1588 the English defeated the Spanish Armada.
B) In 1588 the English defeated German bomber planes.
In 1588, the English defeated the Spanish Armada (a large fleet of ships), which had been sent by Spain to conquer England and restore Catholicism.
A) In 1588 the English defeated the Spanish Armada.
Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE? When Queen Anne died in 1714, parliament chose a German to be the next king of England.
A) TRUE
B) FALSE
Queen Anne had no surviving children, so Parliament chose a German, George I, to be the next king, because he was Anne’s nearest Protestant relative.
A) TRUE
Which of the following statements is correct?
A) George and Robert Stephenson were famous pioneers of railway engines.
B) George and Robert Stephenson were famous pioneers of agricultural changes.
George and Robert Stephenson were famous pioneers of railway engines.
A) George and Robert Stephenson were famous pioneers of railway engines.
In the 19th century, the UK produced more than half the world’s supply of one of these products. Which one?
A) Cotton cloth
B) Beer
C) Cigarettes
D) Rubber
In the 19th century the UK produced more than half of the world’s supplies of iron, coal and cotton cloth.
A) Cotton cloth
What was the Beveridge Report of 1942 about?
A) How to end the war in Europe
B) How to treat the Germans and Japanese after the war
C) Establishing a welfare state
D) The coalition government
The Beveridge Report of 1942, called Social Insurance and Allied Services, recommended that the government should find ways of fighting the five ‘Giant Evils’ of Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor and Idleness and provided the basis of the modern welfare state.
C) Establishing a welfare state
Dylan Thomas was a famous writer and poet from which country?
A) England
B) Scotland
C) Wales
D) Northern Ireland
Dylan Thomas, who lived from 1914 until 1953, was a Welsh poet and writer. One of his most well-known works is Under Milk Wood.
C) Wales
What were TWO important aspects of the Reform Act of 1832?
A) It abolished rotten boroughs and gave women the vote
B) It decreased the power of the monarch and it gave women the vote
C) It greatly increased the number of people who could vote and abolished rotten boroughs
D) It increased the power of the monarch and it gave women the vote
The Reform Act of 1832 greatly increased the number of people with the right to vote. The Act also abolished the old pocket and rotten boroughs (parliamentary seats where there were few voters) and more parliamentary seats were given to the towns and cities.
C) It greatly increased the number of people who could vote and abolished rotten boroughs
Which TWO of the following were British inventions?
A) Television and the jet engine
B) The jet engine and radio
C) Television and the diesel engine
D) Radio and the diesel engine
The television and jet engine are two of many important inventions by Britons in the 20th century.
A) Television and the jet engine
Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE? Florence Nightingale is famous for her work on education in the 19th century.
A) TRUE
B) FALSE
Florence Nightingale (1820–1910) worked in military hospitals, treating soldiers who were fighting in the Crimean War. She and her fellow nurses improved the conditions in the hospital and reduced the mortality rate. She is often regarded as the founder of modern nursing.
B) FALSE
After the Bill of Rights was passed in 1689, which TWO main political groups emerged?
A) Labour and Tories
B) Whigs and Tories
C) Whigs and Nationalists
D) Nationalists and Tories
From 1689 onwards there were two main groups in Parliament, known as the Whigs and the Tories.
B) Whigs and Tories
Which TWO points about slavery are correct?
A) William Wilberforce was a leading abolitiionist and the Royal Navy refused to stop ships carrying slaves
B) Quakers set up the first anti-slavery groups and the Royal Navy refused to stop ships carrying slaves
C) Slavery survived in the British Empire until the early 20th century and the Royal Navy refused to stop ships carrying slaves
D) William Wilberforce was a leading abolitionist and Quakers set up the first anti-slavery groups
The first formal anti-slavery groups were set up by the Quakers in the late 1700s, and they petitioned Parliament to ban the practice. William Wilberforce, an evangelical Christian and a member of Parliament, also played an important part in changing the law, and in 1833 the Emancipation Act abolished slavery throughout the British Empire.
D) William Wilberforce was a leading abolitionist and Quakers set up the first anti-slavery groups
In which part of the British Empire did the Boer War of 1899–1902 take place?
A) India
B) Canada
C) Australia
D) South Africa
The Boer War took place in South Africa between the British army and the Boer settlers, who originally came from the Netherlands.
D) South Africa
Which TWO of the following is William Shakespeare famous for writing?
A) Plays and TV dramas
B) Poems and radio scripts
C) Plays and poems
D) TV dramas and radio scripts
William Shakespeare (1564–1616) was a playwright and actor. His plays and poems are still performed and studied in Britain and other countries today.
C) Plays and poems
In 1776, 13 British colonies declared their independence. In which part of the world were these colonies?
A) Australia
B) Canada
C) America
D) South Africa
In 1776, 13 American colonies declared their independence, stating that people had a right to establish their own governments. The colonists eventually defeated the British army and Britain recognised the colonies’ independence in 1783.
C) America
Which of the following statements is correct?
A) The Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in England united under King Alfred the Great.
B) The Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in England united under King Kenneth MacAlpin.
The Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in England united under King Alfred the Great, who defeated the Vikings.
A) The Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in England united under King Alfred the Great.
Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE? The jet engine and radar were developed in Britain in the 1830s.
A) TRUE
B) FALSE
The jet engine and the radar were both developed in Britain in the 1930s.
B) FALSE
Which of the following statements is correct?
A) Charles, king of Scotland, was crowned King Charles II of England in 1660.
B) Bonnie Prince Charlie became King Charles II of England in 1660.
The Scots declared Charles II to be king. He was crowned king of Scotland and led a Scottish army into England. After defeat at the Battles of Dunbar and Worcester, he fled to Europe. In May 1660, Parliament invited him to come back from exile in the Netherlands. He was crowned King Charles II of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland.
A) Charles, king of Scotland, was crowned King Charles II of England in 1660.
Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE? In 1707 the kingdoms of England and Scotland were united.
A) TRUE
B) FALSE
The Act of Union, known as the Treaty of Union in Scotland, was agreed in 1707 and created the Kingdom of Great Britain.
A) TRUE
Which TWO of the following were famous Victorians?
A) Isambard Kingdom Brunel and Margaret Thatcher
B) Isambard Kingdom Brunel and Florence Nightingale
C) Margaret Thatcher and Dylan Thomas
D) Margaret Thatcher and Florence Nightingale
Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806–59) was a famous engineer, and Florence Nightingale (1820–1910) established a training school for nurses, the first of its kind.
B) Isambard Kingdom Brunel and Florence Nightingale
Which of the following statements is correct?
A) In 1776, 13 American colonies declared their independence from Britain.
B) The American colonists were eventually defeated by the British.
In 1776, 13 American colonies declared their independence from Britain, stating that people had a right to establish their own governments.
A) In 1776, 13 American colonies declared their independence from Britain.
Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE? During the 18th century, new ideas about politics, philosophy and science were developed. This period is often called ‘the Enlightenment’.
A) TRUE
B) FALSE
During the 18th century, new ideas about politics, philosophy and science were developed. This period is often called ‘the Enlightenment’. One of the most important principles of the Enlightenment was that everyone should have the right to their own political and religious beliefs and that the state should not try to dictate to them.
A) TRUE
Which of the following statements is correct?
A) The Battle of Britain in 1940 was fought at sea.
B) The Battle of Britain in 1940 was fought in the air.
The Battle of Britain was fought in the air above Britain in 1940. The British resisted with their fighter planes and eventually won the crucial aerial battle against the Germans, in the summer of 1940.
B) The Battle of Britain in 1940 was fought in the air.
Which TWO of the following were English Civil War battles?
A) Marston Moor and Hastings
B) Waterloo and Marston Moor
C) Hastings and Naseby
D) Marston Moor and Naseby
The Battles of Marston Moor and Naseby were English Civil War battles.
D) Marston Moor and Naseby
Which TWO families contested the Wars of the Roses in the 15th century?
A) The House of York and the House of Windsor
B) The House of Windsor and the House of Lancaster
C) The House of Tudor and the House of Windsor
D) The House of York and the House of Lancaster
A civil war known as the Wars of the Roses broke out in 1455 between supporters of the House of Lancaster and the House of York. It ended in 1485 at the Battle of Bosworth Field, when King Richard III of the House of York was killed.
D) The House of York and the House of Lancaster
Which TWO of these figures were great Scottish thinkers of the Enlightenment?
A) Robert Louis Stevenson and David Hume
B) Adam Smith and David Hume
C) Robert Burns and Robert Louis Stevenson
D) Robert Burns and David Hume
Many of the great thinkers of the Enlightenment were Scottish. Adam Smith developed ideas about economics. David Hume wrote about human nature.
B) Adam Smith and David Hume
Which cross on the Union Flag represents the patron saint of Ireland?
A) The diagonal white cross
B) The diagonal red cross
C) The upright red cross
D) None of these
The cross of St Patrick, patron saint of Ireland, is a diagonal red cross on a white background.
B) The diagonal red cross
Which of the following statements is correct?
A) Sake Dean Mahomet is famous for introducing tea-drinking and bungalows to Britain from India.
B) Sake Dean Mahomet is famous for introducing curry houses to Britain from India.
Sake Dean Mahomet (1759–1851) opened the first curry house in Britain in 1810.
B) Sake Dean Mahomet is famous for introducing curry houses to Britain from India.
Which of the following statements is correct?
A) Florence Nightingale is associated with policing.
B) Florence Nightingale is associated with nursing.
Florence Nightingale treated soldiers who were fighting in the Crimean War. She later established the Nightingale Training School for nurses at St Thomas’ Hospital in London. She is often regarded as the founder of modern nursing.
B) Florence Nightingale is associated with nursing.
The Union Flag consists of three crosses. One is the cross of St George. Who do the other TWO crosses represent?
A) St David and St Piran
B) St David and St Andrew
C) St Patrick and St Andrew
D) St Patrick and St Piran
The Union Flag consists of the crosses of Saints George, Andrew and Patrick.
C) St Patrick and St Andrew
Henry VII established the House of Tudor. What colour rose became the Tudor emblem?
A) White
B) Red and white
C) Red
D) Pink
The Tudor rose was a red rose with a white rose inside it, showing the alliance between the Houses of York and Lancaster, which had previously fought against each other.
B) Red and white
Who invaded England in 1066?
A) Richard the Lionheart
B) King Canute
C) William, the Duke of Normandy
D) Harold of Wessex
In 1066, William, the Duke of Normandy, invaded England and defeated King Harold at the Battle of Hastings.
C) William, the Duke of Normandy
Which of these was Isambard Kingdom Brunel famous for building?
A) Motor cars
B) Aeroplanes
C) Bridges
D) Skyscrapers
Isambard Kingdom Brunel was a famous Victorian engineer who built railway lines, bridges, tunnels and ships.
C) Bridges
Which TWO groups were associated with King Charles I and Parliament during the English Civil War?
A) Tories and Roundheads
B) Cavaliers and Luddites
C) Roundheads and Cavaliers
D) Roundheads and Luddites
Supporters of the king were known as Cavaliers and supporters of Parliament were known as Roundheads.
C) Roundheads and Cavaliers
Which TWO fought in wars against Napoleon?
A) Winston Churchill and the Duke of Wellington
B) Margaret Thatcher and the Duke of Wellington
C) Margaret Thatcher and Admiral Nelson
D) Admiral Nelson and the Duke of Wellington
Admiral Nelson commanded the British fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. He died during the battle. The Duke of Wellington defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
D) Admiral Nelson and the Duke of Wellington
Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE? The Civil War between Charles I and Parliament in the mid-17th century led to Oliver Cromwell becoming king of England.
At the end of the Civil War, England became a republic and Oliver Cromwell was given the title of Lord Protector.
B) FALSE
Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE? There is a dragon on the official flag of Wales.
A) TRUE
B) FALSE
Wales has its own flag, which shows a dragon. The Welsh dragon does not appear on the Union Flag because, when the first Union Flag was created in 1606 from the flags of Scotland and England, the Principality of Wales was already united with England.
A) TRUE
What important event happened in England in 1066?
A) The Romans left England
B) The building of the Offa Dyke
C) The Norman Conquest
D) The Battle of Bannockburn
In 1066, William, the Duke of Normandy (in what is now northern France), defeated Harold, the Saxon king of England, at the Battle of Hastings. The Norman Conquest was the last successful foreign invasion of England and led to many changes in government and social structures in England.
C) The Norman Conquest
Where did the Vikings come from?
A) Germany and Austria
B) Belgium and Holland
C) Denmark, Norway and Sweden
D) France and Luxembourg
The Vikings first raided Britain in AD 789. They came from Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
C) Denmark, Norway and Sweden
For which TWO reasons is Henry VIII remembered?
A) Married six times and fought in the Battle of Agincourt
B) Married six times and broke away from the Church of Rome
C) Introduced the game of croquet and married six times
D) Introduced the game of croquet and fought in the Battle of Agincourt
Henry VIII is remembered for breaking away from the Catholic Church of Rome and marrying six times.
B) Married six times and broke away from the Church of Rome
Which of the following is a Stone Age monument in the UK?
A) Globe Theatre
B) Nelson’s Column
C) Stonehenge
D) Windsor Castle
Stonehenge is a Stone Age monument in the English county of Wiltshire. It was probably a special gathering place for seasonal ceremonies.
C) Stonehenge
What type of government was formed after the General Election of 2010?
A) National
B) All-party
C) One-party
D) Coalition
The 2010 coalition was formed by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties.
D) Coalition
Which of the following statements is correct?
A) The first person to use the title Prime Minister was Sir Robert Walpole.
B) The first person to use the title Prime Minister was Sir Christopher Wren.
Sir Robert Walpole was the first person to be called Prime Minister. He was Prime Minister from 1721 until 1742.
A) The first person to use the title Prime Minister was Sir Robert Walpole.
After slavery was abolished in the British Empire, more than 2 million migrants came from which TWO countries to replace the freed slaves?
A) India and China
B) Russia and China
C) India and Australia
D) Russia and Australia
After 1833, 2 million Indian and Chinese workers were employed to replace the freed slaves.
A) India and China
Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE? ‘We shall fight on the beaches’ is a famous quote from a speech by Queen Elizabeth I about the Spanish Armada.
A) TRUE
B) FALSE
‘We shall fight on the beaches’ is a quote from a speech by Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister, after the evacuation of Dunkirk in 1940.
B) FALSE
Which TWO of the following were important 20th-century inventors?
A) Tim Berners-Lee and Isambard Kingdom Brunel
B) Alan Turing and Tim Berners-Lee
C) George Stephenson and Isambard Kingdom Brunel
D) Alan Turing and George Stephenson
Alan Turing (1912–54) invented a theoretical mathematical device called a Turing Machine that led to the development of the modern-day computer. Tim Berners-Lee (1955–) invented the World Wide Web.
B) Alan Turing and Tim Berners-Lee
Which TWO were 20th-century British discoveries or inventions?
A) Radium and the printing press
B) The hovercraft and radium
C) Penicillin and the printing press
D) The hovercraft and penicillin
The hovercraft was invented by Sir Christopher Cockerell and penicillin was discovered by Sir Alexander Fleming.
D) The hovercraft and penicillin
Which significant change was introduced by the Education Act of 1944?
A) New public examinations
B) Free secondary education in England and Wales
C) Primary education for all
D) The requirement to wear school uniform
The Education Act of 1944 (also called ‘The Butler Act’ after the Minister of Education at the time, R A Butler) introduced free secondary education in England and Wales.
B) Free secondary education in England and Wales
Dunkirk is associated with which TWO events?
A) The fall of Singapore and small boats coming to the rescue
B) The D-Day landings and the fall of Singapore
C) The rescue of 300,000 men and small boats coming to the rescue
D) The fall of Singapore and the rescue of 300,000 men
In 1940, many civilian volunteers in small pleasure and fishing boats from Britain helped the Navy to rescue 300,000 men from the beaches around Dunkirk. The evacuation gave rise to the phrase ‘the Dunkirk spirit’.
C) The rescue of 300,000 men and small boats coming to the rescue
Which language was spoken by people during the Iron Age?
A) Latin
B) A language that was part of the Celtic family
C) English
D) Anglo-Saxon
The language Iron Age people spoke was part of the Celtic language family.
B) A language that was part of the Celtic family
Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE? Britain has never been at war with France.
A) TRUE
B) FALSE
Britain fought a number of wars with France during the Middle Ages and later.
B) FALSE
Which collection of poems was written by Geoffrey Chaucer?
A) The Westbury Tales
B) The Ambridge Tales
C) The London Tales
D) The Canterbury Tales
Geoffrey Chaucer wrote a series of poems about a group of people going to Canterbury on a pilgrimage. This collection of poems is called The Canterbury Tales.
D) The Canterbury Tales
Which of the following statements is correct?
A) Winston Churchill was the British Prime Minister during the First World War.
B) Winston Churchill was the British Prime Minister during the Second World War.
Winston Churchill was the British Prime Minister from 1940 to 1945, during the Second World War.
B) Winston Churchill was the British Prime Minister during the Second World War.
When did the Battle of Hastings take place?
A) 1066
B) 1415
C) 1642
D) 1940
The Battle of Hastings took place in 1066.
A) 1066
What did St Augustine and St Columba do during the Anglo-Saxon period?
A) They invented new farming techniques.
B) They led an uprising in Wales.
C) They helped to spread Christianity across Britain.
D) They fought courageously against the Romans.
St Augustine and St Columba were early Christian missionaries who came to Britain to preach about Christianity. St Columba founded a monastery on the Isle of Iona. St Augustine spread Christianity in the south and became the first Archbishop of Canterbury.
C) They helped to spread Christianity across Britain.
Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE? The First World War ended at 11.00 am on 11 November 1918.
A) TRUE
B) FALSE
The First World War ended at 11.00 am on 11th November 1918 with victory for Britain and its allies.
A) TRUE
Which TWO of the following wars were English kings involved in during the Middle Ages?
A) The Crusades and the First World War
B) The Crimean War and the Crusades
C) The Crimean War and the Hundred Years War
D) The Crusades and the Hundred Years War
During the Middle Ages, the English kings fought a number of wars abroad. Many knights took part in the Crusades, in which European Christians fought for control of the Holy Land. English kings also fought a long war with France, called the Hundred Years War (even though it actually lasted 116 years).
D) The Crusades and the Hundred Years War
Is the statement below TRUE or FALSE? Sir Isaac Newton was a famous musician from the 18th century.
A) TRUE
B) FALSE
Sir Isaac Newton was a famous scientist who showed how gravity applied to the whole universe.
B) FALSE
