V4: Historical Time Periods Flashcards
How did the Tudor Dynasty come to power, and what intellectual movement shaped the 16th century?
16th
The Tudors rose to power after the War of the Roses (1455-1487), which ended with the Battle of Bosworth Field and the deposition of Richard III.
- Henry VII established the Tudor Age.
The Renaissance brought both continuity and transformation of medieval thought.
Humanism emerged, emphasizing intellectual thinking (key figures: Erasmus of Rotterdam, Thomas More).
- The Renaissance began in Italy and spread across Europe.
What was the Great Chain of Being, and why did the Renaissance create anxieties?
16th
The Great Chain of Being structured the world hierarchically, with God at the top, followed by kings and humanity.
Thinkers like Robert Fludd and Charles de Bovelles reinforced this idea but also noted rising instability.
Sources of insecurity:
- The Reformation (Act of Supremacy 1534) divided Christianity (Anglican Church vs. Catholicism).
- The printing press (William Caxton, c. 1470) spread new ideas widely.
- The Renaissance revived pre-Christian classical literature, challenging medieval norms.
- European expansion (Portugal, Spain, Netherlands) broadened worldviews.
- The rise of proto-capitalism changed economic structures.
- Victory over the Spanish Armada (1588) secured England’s naval dominance.
How did Elizabeth I contribute to England’s cultural Golden Age?
16th
Elizabeth I (1533-1603) ruled from 1558-1603 and was a major patron of the arts.
Literature and drama flourished, with key figures such as:
- William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
- Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson, Philip Sidney, Thomas Kyd, Edmund Spenser
What were the key conflicts during the Stuart Age leading to the English Civil War?
17th
Stuart kings: James I (1603-1625) and Charles I (1625-1649) ruled over England and Scotland but without full political union.
Major conflicts:
- Religious divisions: Anglican Church vs. Dissenters (England), Presbyterian Church (Scotland), Catholicism (Ireland).
- Parliament vs. the King: Parliament gained confidence, controlled taxation, and challenged the monarchy’s power.
- No separation of politics and religion.
Civil War (1642-1649):
- Royalists (‘Cavaliers’) vs. Parliamentarians (‘Roundheads’) → led by Oliver Cromwell’s New Model Army.
- Charles I executed in 1649, monarchy abolished.
What happened during the Interregnum, and how was the monarchy restored?
17th
Interregnum (1649-1660):
- Commonwealth (1649-1653): Republic led by Rump Parliament. (single chamber parliament)
- Protectorate (1653-1658): Oliver Cromwell (Puritan) ruled as Lord Protector under the ‘Instrument of Government’.
- Strict Puritan rule: Theaters closed, cultural activities banned.
- Cromwell unified England, Scotland, and Ireland but ruled like a monarch.
Restoration of the Monarchy (1660):
- Charles II (1660-1685) returned from exile.
- Restored separate parliaments in England, Scotland, and Ireland.
- Theatres reopened, leading to Restoration Comedies.
- Political parties emerged: Tories (royalist conservatives) vs. Whigs (pro-parliament).
What was the Glorious Revolution, and how did it lead to a constitutional monarchy?
17th
1688-1689: Catholic King James II was overthrown by Protestant William of Orange.
William and Mary became joint sovereigns (1689-1702).
1689 Bill of Rights:
- Established constitutional monarchy → monarchs ruled with parliamentary consent.
- Parliament had to meet frequently, elections were to be free, and freedom of speech was protected.
- Monarchs couldn’t levy taxes or maintain a standing army without Parliament’s approval.
Ensured Parliament’s supremacy over the monarchy, shaping modern British governance.
What was the significance of the Act of Settlement (1701) and the Union of 1707?
18th
Act of Settlement (1701):
- Parliament controlled royal succession, reinforcing constitutional monarchy.
- Mary II & William III had no children → succession given to Anne (Mary’s sister).
- If Anne had no heirs → throne passed to Sophia of Hanover (granddaughter of James I).
- Overruled the hereditary rights of the Stuarts, limiting monarchic power.
Union of 1707:
- Scotland resisted the Act of Settlement but was pressured into negotiating due to economic threats from England.
Treaty of Union (1707):
- Scotland kept its legal system & Presbyterian Church.
- Gained trade access to England’s colonies.
- Received financial compensation (“The Equivalent”).
Creation of “Great Britain” (England + Scotland) with a unified British Parliament in Westminster.
How did the Hanoverian dynasty begin, and what was Britain’s role in the War of the Spanish Succession?
18th
Hanoverian Era (1714-1901):
- Queen Anne (1702-1714) had no surviving children → George I (1714-1727) (Sophia of Hanover’s son) became king.
- George I & successors (George II, III, IV) were unpopular due to their German heritage.
War of the Spanish Succession (1702-1713):
- Cause: The Spanish king (Carlos II) died in 1700, and Philip V (a Bourbon) was crowned, threatening the balance of power.
- Britain allied with Habsburg Austria against France and Spain.
Treaty of Utrecht (1713):
- Britain gained monopoly rights to sell slaves to Spanish colonies (Asiento).
- Britain became a dominant colonial power.
What were the key intellectual, literary, and revolutionary developments in the 18th century?
18th
The Age of Reason:
- Philosophy: Focus on rational thinking and natural sciences (Isaac Newton).
- Adam Smith’s “The Wealth of Nations” (1776) → Foundation of market economy.
- Growth of bourgeois culture (coffee houses, newspapers, political debates).
Rise of the Novel:
- Literature shifted focus to ordinary people and everyday struggles.
- Example: “Robinson Crusoe” (Daniel Defoe).
Revolutions:
- American Revolution (1776-1783) → Independence from Britain.
- French Revolution (1789) → Overthrew monarchy, inspired democratic ideas.
-
Industrial Revolution (c. 1780-1820):
* Key inventions: James Watt’s steam engine, Spinning Jenny (1764). * First factories → emergence of the working class.
What was the Union of 1801?
19th
Ireland’s parliament abolished, ruled by Westminster.
Penal Laws discriminated against Irish Catholics.
Wolfe Tone & United Irishmen (failed 1798 rebellion) sought Irish unity beyond religion.
Acts of Union (1800) created the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Ireland (1801).
What were key social and political reforms?
19th
Poor Laws → regulated aid to the poor, criticized as harsh.
Factory Laws → regulated working hours for women & children.
Catholic Relief Act (1829) → Catholics could enter Parliament.
Abolition of Slavery:
- 1807: Slave trade banned.
- 1833: Slavery abolished, but former slave owners compensated.
Electoral Reforms:
- 1832: Expanded voting rights, ended “rotten boroughs.”
- 1867, 1884: Further voting extensions to working-class men.
- Matrimonial Causes Act 1857 (be able to use civil courts to divorce)
What characterized the Victorian Age?
19th
Industrial expansion → coal, steel, textiles.
Great Exhibition (a fair) (1851) → showcased British economic & technological dominance.
Empire expansion → Victoria = Empress of India (1876).
Middle-class rise → growing political influence & push for reforms.
What tensions shaped the late 19th century?
19th
Gender hypocrisy → ideal of “angel in the house”, but rise in prostitution.
Scientific challenges to religion → Darwin’s “Origin of Species” (1859).
Criticism of imperialism → Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” (1899) attacked colonial brutality.
Who were the British monarchs from 1901 to today?
20th
Edward VII (1901-1910) → House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
George V (1910-1936) → Renamed house to Windsor (anti-German sentiment).
Edward VIII (1936) → Abdicated for love.
George VI (1936-1952) → Father of Elizabeth II.
Elizabeth II (1952-2022) → Longest reigning monarch.
Charles III (2022-) → Current king.
How did the world wars affect Britain?
20th
WWI (1914-1918) → First fully technologized war.
- Nobility lost many young men.
- Ended Britain’s heroic optimism.
WWII (1939-1945) → Britain won but declined as a world power.
Empire started breaking apart (Ireland Free State 1922, India 1947).
What major ideas reshaped Britain in the early 20th century?
20th
Freud → Unconscious mind (id/ego/super-ego).
Einstein → Theory of relativity → changed views on time & space.
Nietzsche → “God is dead” → questioning religion.
Marxist ideas → Critique of capitalism → Russian Revolution (1917).
1928 → Universal suffrage for women (all adults 21+ could vote).
What were key post-war changes?
20th
Labour government (Clement Attlee) → Created the Welfare State (NHS).
Suez Crisis (1956) → Showed Britain’s global power was over.
Rise of multicultural Britain → Windrush generation (1948).
1973 → UK joins the EU
What were Margaret Thatcher’s policies?
20th
Neoliberalism → Less state intervention, free trade.
Weakened trade unions → Miners’ Strike (1984-85).
Euroscepticism → Suspicious of European integration.
Falklands War (1982) → Conflict with Argentina.
What were key political changes under Tony Blair (New Labour)?
20th
1997 → Labour wins landslide victory (Blair’s “Third Way” politics).
Devolution → More power to Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
What happened after the Brexit referendum (2016)?
21st
2016 → Brexit vote (Leave: 51.9%, Remain: 48.1%).
2019 → “Get Brexit Done” → Boris Johnson wins election.
2020 → UK officially leaves EU.
Post-Brexit struggles → Immigration issues, economic decline.
Political instability → four PMs in quick succession (May, Johnson, Truss, Sunak).
