Languages identity and belonging Flashcards
What are the 3 major territories of the British isles?
Ireland, Scotland and England
What are the three main institutions of the period?
Monarchy, Parliament and the church
When does the union of crowns happen?
1603
Why were the Scottish wary of union?
They didn’t want to become a simple vassal state of England, didn’t want to become a colony, be the weaker party in the relationship.
When does parliamentary union happen in Scotland and Ireland?
1707 in Scotland and 1801 in Ireland
What groups were seen as barbarians within English territory?
Highland Scots, Gaelic Irish
What is a confessional identity?
An identity linked with religion rather than nationality
What did the declaration of Arbroath state?
That the Scottish would never accept an English King as their own
Armitage Quote: the referrence to a British empire in the 18th century
By the second quarter of the eighteenth century, the anglophone inhabitants of the Atlantic world began for the first time habitually to describe their community as collectively British and structurally an empire
Where do the origins of empire lay?
The three Kingdoms, the claims that England held over Scotland and Ireland
Armitage’s view on what an empire is. Implication
A monarchy with diverse communities subordinated to a single ruler is an empire. Would imply that England has always been an empire, different type
When was the term British empire first used and by who?
1573, Thomas Twyne
When did the regal union of England and Scotland take place?
1603
What settlements made in the new world had British names?
Nova Britania, New Britaniola, Nova Scotia, New Jersey
When was the act of union between Scotland and England?
1707
Historiography Armitage, what is was that made an empire emerge
Crucial step in conceptualising the British Empire was taken after the Glorious Revolution, it was only when the idea of an empire of trade was grouped with religion and civil liberties that Empire emerged.
Historiography, Lenman, what the people’s concerns were over the British empire?
The colonial peripheries were of little contemporary interest to the English population
Historiography, Ian K.Steele, govt ties to empire
He finds them less than robust, suggests it is private enterprise and commerce gave more structure than politics
Why did James have an enthusiastic reception from the English?
He was a confirmed Protestant and had two male heirs
Quote, David L. Smith, the size of James’ kingdoms and their diversity
The Kingdoms over which James ruled were far more diverse and contrasted than their geographical size may suggest
What was the biggest divider of England, Scotland and Wales
religion
The status of Scotland when compared to England
Was seen as a much more primitive country. Had smaller settlements, less technology, more people worked the land
How was Scotland becoming more like England under James
It was becoming more centralised and James was working more with the chieftains
What were the main points of national pride for the Scottish, separating them from the English?
The distinctive polity and national church
When was Wales annexed by England?
When the acts of union passed in 1536 and 1543
What was the relationship between England and Wales during the 16th century
There was a stable relationship between the two with the Tudors Welsh origins and the keeping of power with the gentry
Quote, How the Welsh looked at England, David L. Smith
During the course of the 16th century the Welsh increasingly looked at Westminster as the ultimate seat of legal and political authority
After what event was a serious attempt to settle Ireland created?
After the Kildare rebellion of 1534
When was poynings law established and what did it do?
1494, no Irish parliament could meet without approval from the English monarch
What was the policy of surrender and regrant?
Policy that made Gaelic lords surrender their lands and swear allegiance to the monarch to be granted with an English title. Only really ran from 1541-1543
The Irish landscape
Most lived off the land, no industry, towns sparse and small, limited communications and trade, housing primitive and clothing basic, animals valued for dairy and material
What 2 common characteristics did England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland display?
They can only be fully understood within the context of the larger entity which they formed. The stuarts didn’t merely reign these kingdoms but they ruled them
What was James’ hope with Scotland and England?
To lead the two kingdoms to form a United Kingdom with the same laws
What symbolic reforms took place at the beginning of the 17th century?
A common coinage and a shared flag
What did James eventually have to settle for?
The idea that union between the Kingdoms would be achieved in a piece by piece way
Recent historiography’s view on the chances of union
It was far from inevitable
What economic setbacks was Scotland facing in the 1690s and what were down to England?
Scotland had poor harvests causing inflation. England closed trade with France due to war and undermined Scotland’s trade. They also started an international trade post in Panama which England shut down due to an alliance with Spain
What laws did Scotland pass in 1703 asserting their independence?
The Wine act, The act Anent peace and war which required Scotland’s parliament to control her foreign policy, the Act of Security whcih threateened to dissolve the union of crowns unless Scotland’s sovereignty was guaranteed
How did the English retaliate to these independence measures by the Scottish?
The alien act in 1705 which stipulated the Scottish would be regarded as a foreign nation with no English rights or trade opportunities if the regal union was broken
What did the Alien act make Scotland realise and what was their ultimate reason for unifying with England?
They relied on the English for economic stability and they would be plunged even further into poverty without them
How many representatives were the Scots given in the lords and the commons?
16 in the lords and 45 in the commons
Robert Burns’ view on why the Scottish accepted union?
They were bribed by the English
What did the Irish house of commons request in 1703?
Union of the Kingdoms, they saw the benefits Scotland had gained and wanted in.
What status did Ireland end up having?
The assertion that it was a subordinate but dependent kingdom
What discriminatory laws were passed against Catholics in Ireland?
Preventuion of Catholic’s teaching or running schools, couldn’t keep weapons or horses worth more than £5, Protestants who married Catholics would be considered Catholic
The woolen act of 1699
Forced Ireland to only be able to export its cloth to England. This was due to Ireland having an impressive cloth industry and England wanting to capitalise on this.
The status of the Welsh language and the Gaelic languages and why
Welsh remained an everyday method of communication for 90% of the population of Wales. 60% spoke Gaelic in Ireland and less than 50% in Scotland. This is due to the more harmonious relationship with Wales meaning there wasn’t as much of a conflict with Welsh culture and the Welsh language
Who were the most common others that the English would encounter?
Other English people
What was the main divider of people?
Religion rather than nationality
When did the Welsh, Irish and Scottish gain the same legal rights as the English?
Welsh in 1536 and 43, the Irish and Scottish in 1607
Where did most British immigrants arrive?
London
How many people migrated England for the Americas in the 17th century?
300,000
Example of colony which was British?
Pennsylvania, had a mix of English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh and Scots-Irish
