The ENTIRE History of The United Kingdom | History Documentary

the land of Britain was once considered a myth by the mighty Roman Empire to them it was nothing more than an old Legend This would change in the year 55 BC when Julius Caesar set his sights on this fabled island and sailed towards its Shores the historical Discovery would end in defeat [Music] almost a century later the Romans Found Glory when Roman Emperor Claudius stepped foot on British soil they set their eyes on Stonehenge using the sacred site for their worship and rituals londinium was established and the Romans seized control of the land but what

happened next in the history of the United Kingdom to understand this fascinating land we must start from the very beginning [Music] what would become the United Kingdom began way back within the prehistoric Paleolithic period which dates back to 950 000 years ago a time that the earliest evidence of an ancient civilization dates back to the first settlers that arrived in Britain were hunter-gatherers who traveled from Europe around 8000 BC and are now known as the first britons [Music] this group of people showed one of the earliest forms of economy with the hunters trading native elk

wild cattle and pigs while defending themselves from wolves and bears which were Rife in Britain at that time over the years people have discovered a large quantity of tools such as carved Stone edges and hand axes it is incredibly rare to find human remains from this period which has made it difficult for experts to determine which form of hominids were living there at any particular time with that being said the tools that have been found give evidence that they were probably a subgroup of homo erectus like a species known as homo heidelbergensis trying to follow

the movements of the homo erectus is also very difficult with the early sights that have been discovered being divided by many years and spread out around Europe making pattern forming difficult at one time Britain was part of the European Mainland and not the island we know today this made it incredibly easy for groups to spread and relocate to other parts of the land mass as the land moved and water levels Rose groups were cut off and were left to evolve these early inhabitants relied heavily on both hunting and Scavenging which have been proven by the

wooden Spears discovered in Essex which are believed to have been crafted around 450 000 years ago it is often the stone tools that survive so finding wooden remains is an incredibly rare and valuable find in terms of the information they provide the hand axes would often get worn down over the years with Flint flakes chipping off them it is these flakes that give archaeologists a trove of information especially when they can trace the technique of making them the complexity of the tool and the type of stone used in fact hand axes were not used to

chop down wood but were more likely a way of cutting up animal carcasses for eating because of the Simplicity of the tool and the expertise of the hunters after creating several of them they've been discovered in high volume at some ancient sites this proves that groups often return to certain places and that they chose not to carry the tools with them as they traveled instead making new ones on arrival as the techniques in tool making Advanced the Neanderthals of Britain began strategizing with their weapons to hunt larger prey like woolly rhinos or mammoths that once

called Britain their home the next phase in the prehistoric period is known as the upper Paleolithic Era which saw humans physically evolve into what we are today with only a few elements of our ancient ancestors still surviving in one form or another this is why we still have wisdom teeth which were once crucial for eating raw food at this time Europe would have been an incredibly harsh and cold place to live as a result of the last ice age this led to many inhabitants leaving at certain times when the climate dropped to ensure their survival

this was not only to prevent freezing to death but to ensure that they were able to find plenty of vegetation and animal prey all year round Limestone Gorges all also offered shelter to people living in Britain around this time with deep caves and overhangs being invaluable places to set up camp around 11 300 years ago Britain began to warm up which began a substantial phase of growth which saw Birch and pine trees flourish as well as other forms of greenery other forms of Woodland also spread across the land including Oak Hazel lime and Elm which

are still in abundance to this day particular animals that remained after the colder climate changed such as reindeer and horses drawing Hunters that were accustomed to tracking and killing the animals this led to many of them traveling across Europe and settling in Britain as the climate continued to warm up many of the inhabitants had to change their prey to Red Deer and boar as other animal species migrated or died out this change of prey forced humans to evolve their tools and technology in order to survive around 6 300 years ago during the Mesolithic period many

groups began setting up winter and summer camps which allowed them to live in an ideal environment that catered to their needs when the natural climate changed through the seasons sticking to one place would use up all their food and resources such as wood for making fires without these things they would perish spending time in another location meant that the local habitat could repopulate again which humans could hunt once they returned Coastal sites were often chosen for certain times of the year which meant that humans began eating a heavy sea based diet which mostly consisted of

fish and mollusk this also helped develop tools that could be used to help catch water-based prey further expanding their knowledge and curiosity about the ocean the transition from hunting and Gathering came about around 4100 BC which was aided by the arrival of agricultural techniques that came from the East this was propelled by the population boom scene during the late Mesolithic period which meant that the animal resources they previously relied on were depleting fast landscape began to change soon after with the inhabitants making Mass Flint tools which were equipped with wooden handles these were used to

clear the land so that Fields pastures and settlements could be created Varley and Emma were the first main crops grown for a vegetative food source while pigs and cattle were captured in bread so that they could generate their own meat sources rather than kill them straight away for food this shift to building a self-efficient settlement saw the first domestic buildings which included large narrow wooden buildings known as long houses another form of domestic building were structures for the dead to be stored and respected known as long Barrows the Neolithic period introduced several huge changes to

Britain especially when it came to technology landscape and settlements the causeway enclosure became popular at this time which were circular monuments built up Banks and ditches forming a ring around the settlement structure is known as curses were often built within the circular banks with the longest enclosure ever discovered in Britain measuring an incredible 10 kilometers which is around 33 000 feet when it came to hunting the way that settlers created arrowheads evolved with the design appearing more like a leaf shape to Aid its aerodynamics these later changed to Chisel and transverse arrowheads to further improve

their craft this was a result of social changes which were no doubt influenced by different groups mixing that shared their crafting expertise the Chisel Arrowhead was easier to use which could be glued or bound to an arrow shaft which made production far quicker during the middle of the Neolithic period the British settlers began to slow down when it came to wild animal hunting instead depending on their own livestock afterward arrowheads became less sharpened as they were used as a deterrent against other settlements stealing livestock rather than killing the thief the reason for this could have

been down to Rising social pressures that forbid murder as a punishment for any Injustice [Music] between 2600 and 2200 BC monuments known as hinges were erected one of which being the famous Stonehenge found in Wiltshire England while there is no definitive proof it is believed that the hinges were used for rituals and astronomical observation because the ditches are located inside of the banks experts have concluded that it wasn't used as a form of Defense but rather as a symbol of Defense during the later Neolithic period pottery and tools began to change during the early Neolithic

era Pottery was often round bottom bowls with necks that slowed down by the late Neolithic the style changed to flat-based pots that were decorated by etches made during the drying process these early pots were primarily used to brew and store beer although dairy products and stews were also contained in them with groups gathering in technology quickly advancing for the prehistoric people of Britain it was time to move into the next critical era for their advancement the Bronze Age the arrival of metal and Beaker style pots represents the change in Britain ushering in the Bronze Age

of the country that began in 2200 BC [Music] [Music] bronze alloy was actually much rarer than iron ore which meant that the resource was reserved for tools white gold was primarily used to create jewelry the other alloy used by people during the Bronze Age was tin which was also quite scarce in Europe because bronze can be cast at a much lower temperature than copper it meant that bronze casters could use molds to create more elaborate designs such as daggers halberds and axes which were far more durable than the stone tools that came before them bronze

is also much harder than copper as the tin within it reinforces it on an atomic level speaker pots were still used after bronze was utilized with their different designs decorations and refinements improving as time went on in fact intact beakers and pots that were used in the burials give an insight into the craftsmanship which sometimes still has honey residue in them from the beer they drank daggers were made longer during the middle of the Bronze Age which became the first swords made in Britain which were called rapiers as social tensions grew between the different groups

of people more variations of weapons and shields were made there is even evidence that neighboring settlements could have used the weapons heavily by the damage sustained to them although they could have been intentionally damaged before being placed in hordes to prevent anyone else from using the swords against them while there is evidence of human remains being cremated in the Bronze Age it's likely that much of the remains were scattered or placed in moving water this is evident from the lack of bones found within burial sites where more bodies should have been located this shows that

the people of this time mastered fire and ways of increasing its heat to successfully burn human remains and cast metal it was during the Bronze Age that boundaries around land started appearing which were traded and claimed by dominant families livestock pens and agricultural Fields became an important part of everyday life as well as the copper mines that provided jobs for inhabitants and allowed metalwork to advance at a very Swift Pace a historically important site was discovered at Great orm Inland didn't know whales that provided 90 percent of the ore used to create axes all around

the northwest of Europe from 1000 BC another change in climate resulted in many areas of Britain becoming uninhabitable mostly due to the lack of crop growth in the cold conditions also areas that were once ideal for growing vegetation became wet and boggy with the eruption of the hekla volcano in Iceland blocking out much of the sunlight with the land becoming inhospitable many settlers moved on from the land While others repurposed the fields or strictly raising livestock those who refused to leave were forced to build walkways and raised settlements over the Wetland beneath which inadvertently improved

their structure building skills the most preserved examples of cloth food contained in pots tools furniture and wooden objects were discovered within the fins below these settlements as they would have dropped down or fell in after a structure was attacked and broken down because of the lack of oxygen and muddy conditions of the bogs these items were preserved for Millennia near the end of the Bronze Age the long pointed Rapier blades evolved into long flat blades with a Full Tang going into a cast handle now weapons were not only becoming an art form for the people

of the Bronze Age but a necessity for their survival hordes of weapons became rarer in the Bronze Age which is believed to have been a result of its value dropping this led to Crafters known as Founders to hold back their Wares in order to raise its value this is the first example of Market strategy in British history which later became an incredibly important factor in its economic growth [Music] yeah the Iron Age began around 1200 BC in the Middle East and southeast of Europe which is best known for the extensive Iron and Steel crafting that

took place while it was rare there were some settlers who were dabbling with the smelting of iron during the end of the Bronze Age although it wasn't until the Iron Age that the craft skyrocketed around Europe the Iron Age was vital to the advancement of the human race as it helped speed up civilization growth provide more resilient and permanent settlements and opened up more possibilities when it came to crafting tools and creating Weaponry that kept up with the advancement of other groups spread around Europe who could pose a threat because steel is much stronger than

bronze and lasted longer it improved the creation of tools tools were also developed for agricultural use which further established long-lasting settlements around Britain it wasn't just tools and weaponry that saw an evolution as art farming techniques religious beliefs and alphabetic writings started to rise in Britain the European Iron Age started in the Mediterranean region and moved towards the center of Europe as the years went by in 600 BC the skills in Iron crafting spread to the northern part of the continent the early Iron Age was dominated by a group called the halstadt Chiefs who were

the elite and most powerful of the age it was within this culture that saw the first fortified Hill forts with domesticated animals and livestock raised on their land these would later become castles and palaces which were not only a form of Defense but a way to boost the wealth of their family in 450 BC however the hallstad culture crumbled and the Chiefs lost their power this led to other groups rising to power in Europe including the Mycenaeans Greeks Etruscans Romans and Celts who use their Iron and steel manufacturing to craft durable weapons and advanced armor

out of all of these groups it was the Celts that became the most powerful the Celts were broken up into different tribes that were spread throughout Britain despite being Advanced enough to share a common language they were named after keltoy which was the Greek word for barbarians the Celtic culture began to rise as early as 1200 BC with the group spreading throughout Britain Ireland France and Spain as their population grew and moved around although they stayed mostly in Britain and Ireland with some of their vocabularies still existing in modern day language while they were around

for a considerable amount of time during the Iron Age it wasn't until around 700 BC that they were documented in history by the Romans who called them guyly another word meaning barbarians despite their name the Celts were among the most successful people in British history with them controlling many parts of the continent which include current day Ireland while the cow thrived for centuries when the Roman empire grew and spread across Europe Julius Caesar launched an all-out attack on the Celts slaying thousands and crushing their settlements and culture to claim their territories Caesar's Roman army later

tried to invade Britain but they failed allowing the Celts to populate the land but when it comes to the Romans involvement in the history of Britain their story was only just beginning [Music] [Applause] as the Roman Empire continued to grow they eventually took control of most of Britain before then the Empire had dominated the Mediterranean Sea they successfully stormed the ancient cities of Carthage and Macedon before taking control of Egypt and Syria after traveling through the Alps they eventually reached Albion which was the original name for Britain by the time the Romans arrived the Iron

Age settlements had Advanced further having thriving agriculture wooden structures and large communities treating routes had also been established between the britons and the people of gong who lived in what we now know today as France and Belgium here wine in the first forms of currency were trading while Julius Caesar failed to take full control over the island he returned in the Years 55 and 54 BC out of stubbornness and his interest in taking control of the trading that was going on Caesar planned on disrupting the belgae trade routes in the English Channel and believed that

the britons were going to help their friends across the sea as a response to the hospitality this made the people of Britain enemies of the Roman Empire Caesar managed to persuade the Roman senate to support his invasion of Britain telling them the land was rich in silver a claimed that he had no proof for its Discovery Britain was hidden away and had gone undetected by the Romans in fact many people in the Empire thought that the island of Albion was a myth a legend that told of barbaric groups who were involved in a practice that

disgusted the Romans to their core they drank milk from animals Caesar's plan to invade and take control of Britain didn't go down well with the Romans having to retreat to avoid being defeated undeterred he returned with five Legions which allowed him to storm across the Thames river and he managed to speak with the chieftain of the britons castle of honest this meeting resulted in a peace treaty with Caesar returning to the mainland of Europe to deal with a rebellion breaking out and a failed Harvest that threatened starvation Caesar never returned to Britain and after a

Civil War the Republic crumbled under the rulership of The Emperor's Augustus and Caligula who continue to grow their empire in Gaul their eyes once again set upon the barbarians across the channel while the interest was there the time wasn't right and Beyond a symbolic throwing of javelins in the ocean The Invasion never came in the year 43 A.D however Emperor Claudius sailed across the sea with four Legions with aloo's plushes leading the charge reaching Richboro located on the east coast of Kent the invasion of Britain began despite only spending 16 days on the island the

glory seeking Emperor returned to Rome in the year 44 and was hailed a hero despite the emperor leaving the Empire continued its invasion they swiftly took the territory of catavilani a Celtic tribe State before spreading north and west by the year 60 much of Wales was under Roman control Roman kingdoms were created in modern-day Norfolk in other places with the Vespasian who would later become emperor sending his Legion to the Southwest to capture tribal settlements it was around this time that cities like londinium which would later be known as London was built while the Romans

seemed like an Unstoppable Force the britons continue to resist them a member of a Celtic Tribe Called keraticus managed to persuade groups in Wales to help fight the Romans but he was captured he managed to escape captivity and fled to a region ruled by the ancient britons known as the brigantes but the queen chose to hand him back over to the Romans as a sign of Newfound loyalty keraticus was sent back to Rome with his family as prisoners and surprisingly was spared death by Claudius bodica the Roman Ally and wife of prasudagus who was the

client King of the asinai tribe headed a revolt against the empire after the death of her husband half of his kingdom was to be given to the Romans while bodaka would be left to rule the other half Rome wasn't happy with sharing the kingdom with somebody they classed as a traitor and decided to plunder the whole thing if they couldn't have all of it then nobody could bodaka retaliated by sending her Army to londinium where towns were plundered and burnt down according to the Romans 70 000 Romans were killed as a result of the Revolt

although bodaka and her forces were eventually defeated thanks to the expertise of Roman Governor Gaia swetonius paulinus bodaka was believed to have ended her own life with poison rather than surrender to the Romans the Romans went on to defeat the Druid stronghold at Anglesey who were targeted for their religion that was opposed to the Empire this decision led to the emperor being replaced with terpolianus who saw a great change in the way the Romans ruled Britain eventually britons gave into the Roman culture and the previously plundered towns and settlements were rebuilt including London which became

the capital of the Romans living in Britain taxes were introduced mining techniques were improved livestock and grain production was increased tenfold and the trade industry flourished including that of slaves it was during this time that roads were established throughout the country that connected key locations such as London York and the Welsh border this this Innovation built valuable trade networks and increased the affluence of the capital the Romans were not yet done when it came to controlling however as they later moved into Northern Wales as well as sailing over to invade Ireland the Romans further implemented

their culture in Britain building amphitheaters Roman baths and teaching Latin to its inhabitants by the year 130 formidable military garrisons were built throughout the continent and other territories ruled by groups the Romans considered barbarians such as the Balkans were encouraged to Aid in the Roman expansion Britain was eventually split in half which was called Britannia Superior and Britannia inferior in order to rule more efficiently the problem for the Romans was that the more they spread out the more attention they got from other enemies the island saw a barrage of attacks from the pits of Scotland

the Scots of Ireland and the Saxons who traveled from Germany for a period a successful rebellion led to the kingdom separating from Rome although it was recaptured in the Year 296. by the end of the 4th century and with the emergence of Christianity on the continent the Romans slowly lost control of Europe the lack of food resources such as grains spelled the end of the Roman Empire as the last Emperor's withdrew British cities were given the message that the citizens now had to fend for themselves as the Empire finally fell this is where local governments

were created overthrowing the Roman magistrates that had governed in more centuries despite Britain no longer being a part of Rome their culture continued and shaped the country we see around us today in the decades that followed Heretics battled Christians Saxons from Ireland and Scotland raided English coastal cities and Europe began to fall in what was known as the Dark Ages Britain broke into smaller kingdoms and a phase of regression began while Britain saw some truly formidable enemies their most challenging foe was one they didn't see coming from across the crashing waves of the North Sea

in the year 793 a group of Norse people from Scandinavia reached the shores of Britain the first major violent incident committed by these Invaders was the plundering of a Christian Monastery ushering in the 300 year old age of the Vikings as more longboats arrived the barbaric Invaders began raiding Coastal settlements around England Scotland and Ireland eventually the son of the legendary Ragnar Lothbrok Evar the Boneless decided that it was time to take up roots on the island instead of Simply pillaging them this group of Invaders would become known as the great Heathen Army in the

year age 65 the Army arrived at one of the four kingdoms of Britain East Anglia fearful of the Warriors the king of East Anglia Edmund the Martyr offered the Warriors Provisions horses and shelter in order to be spared the violence pillaging and being taken over following defeat edemon the Martyr was captured possibly tortured and killed it only took a couple of years for the Vikings to capture York the capital of one of the other four kingdoms northumbria by the year 870 all of the kingdoms had been successfully taken over by the Vikings except for Wessex

at this point it was the Danish Warlord guthrum the old who was leading the Norse Army while Alfred the Great remained king of Wessex the two forces met in a bloody battle in 878 known as the Battle of Eddington where Alfred the Great claimed Victory this led to the two factions making a deal which became known as the Treaty of wedmore in a strange turn of events one of the requirements of the treaty was to have guthrum baptized with King Alfred becoming his Godfather the Vikings were also ordered to leave Wessex and never return soon

after the two rulers made another deal that defined boundaries and opened up trade routes between in the two factions over many years Viking Customs had taken full effect in the territories they owned including London this land would become known as Dean law with Derby Lester Lincoln Nottingham and Stanford becoming the most important towns under their control these five boroughs were ruled by five Danish armies all under the control of yarl a Viking Elite for almost a century the Vikings and Anglo-Saxons lived in harmony trading working and even mating with the opposite factions many words we

use today also came from the old Viking language such as words beginning with SK such as Sky other words derived from Old Norse include the word ugly which stemmed from the Viking word ugly girl husband which came from hussbandi gift which came from gift AEG that became egg and Thursday which came from the Viking word for mid-week which was known as Thor's dagger or Thor's day it was the Viking strong belief in a law system that not only developed the word law in the English language but also the word wrong which expresses their belief in

differentiating from what was deemed unacceptable when it came to their beliefs while Alfred the Great used the time of peace to build forts and other forms of Defense within his kingdom his daughter a tho flat used the strongholds to wage war against the Vikings after her husband died in the year 911 she took control over the kingdom of Mercia which gave her the name Lady of the mercians thereafter the five burrows under Viking rule were eventually defeated and in 954 the last Nord King the legendary Eric blood ax was forced out of the region of

northumbria this ended the era of Dane law which was now known as England although the Viking rain was squashed those that retreated were not finished with the land they called Home in the year 1013 Swain forkbeard and his band of Viking warriors returned with the leader becoming the first Danish King of England after the death of the king his son Knute the great took over until he passed away in 1035 the rule of the Vikings ended when King Harold successfully thwarted King Harold hardrata of Norway in 1066 in a conflict known as the Battle of

Stamford Bridge this time the Viking Invaders had been expelled from England forever although their legacy lives on to this day within the DNA of their descendants foreign [Music] the Middle Ages in the Viking age overlap with this period starting around the year 400 and lasting over a thousand years ending in 1485. this period is broken down into three sections the early high and late Middle Ages we have already covered the Early Middle Ages with the rule of the Vikings and the Anglo-Saxons after the fall of both of these groups in 1066 after the defeat of

Nord ruler King Harold hardrata and Edward the Confessor the latter who saw defeat by the Normans during the Battle of Hastings while the Anglo-Saxon time came to an end during their time they made great strides and advancements to their settlements [Music] families began building a single house for all their generations to live in from the youngest child to their grandparents these homes were made from wood and had thatched roofs to keep them dry and warm all the houses were built close together with a grand hall being the focal point of their community the heart of

the home was known as The Hearth which was a fire that would be used to cook food provide a light source and keep the family warm it wasn't just homes that the Anglo-Saxons improved but the agriculture of the land in fact the main form of work during this period was farming this involved cultivating crops breeding raising preparing and treating animals as well as chopping down trees to create more farmland and to construct new buildings even the children were put to work during this time who would herd cows and sheep with the help of the dogs

they trained and took care of there were also incredibly skilled professions within Anglo-Saxon communities including blacksmiths who made everything from weapons to tools Carpenters who built furniture carts and bowls cobblers who used leather to make shoes and Jewelers who used precious metals to craft beautiful items that could be traded with the wealthy in fact it was the Anglo-Saxons who invented the plow which completely changed the way farming was done they also discovered that when tamed a horse could do a much better job of pulling plows through the soil than oxen speeding up the farming process

exponentially regardless their time had to come to an end with the anglo-normans taking root the Normandy Dynasty began with William the first also known as William the Conqueror who ruled England until his death on September 9 1087. the invasion of England was no easy feat with even the mighty Roman Empire struggling to take over completely this heralded William as a hero which brought him much attention throughout the rest of Europe it was during his Reign that the landscape of the continent changed dramatically once more the first stone-built Norman Castle was built in Wales with others

joining them throughout the island in fact the Normans invaded much of whales and built their castles to establish strongholds against anyone who opposed them the Normans brought beautiful stone architecture to England including the breathtaking Canterbury cathedral which was finished in 1077 the Tower of London finished in 1078 the Oxford University which was founded in 1096 and the commission of the Doomsday Book which recorded land valuation throughout England and parts of Wales while William was considered a great ruler by the Normans the feudal system implemented in the country meant that Anglo-Saxon landowners and farmers were now

isn't Farmers working for whatever governing power was above them they were stripped of their Heritage hard work and wealth the feudal system saw a quarter of the previous owner's land given to William the Conqueror while another quarter of the land was donated to the Church of Rome the remains of the land were given to the people who were loyal to William who held high status in return these people were tasked with the duty of creating an army from those living in the area if William ever needed it for these Noble folk however the job was

beneath them which led to them putting knights in charge of Recruitment and training The Peasant farmers who the crown stole from were not spared this Duty with them being forced to swear allegiance to the knights with their advance in agriculture came more variety in the food they grew and ate the Normans grew a liking despised food often cooking with caraway seeds Ginger cardamom pepper and Nutmeg because the Normans celebrated Christmas these ingredients were added to their traditional winter meals with the affluent of society having Grand feasts that included pheasants peacocks wild boar jellies and custards

common foods eaten by peasants were salted or pickled foods such as pickled herrings bacon and vegetable broths because they took longer to expire while the noble members of the land washed their feasts down with wine The Peasants drank strong Ales the high in late periods of the Middle Ages which spanned the 11th to the 13th centuries saw a great deal of change that negatively impacted the country the feudal system encouraged huge social changes in class systems while Rebellion saw Mass upheaval while the introduction of the Renaissance saw introduced artistic expression and storytelling that would eventually

give famous playwrights such as William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe the tools to tell the Common People political or romantic stories that were often inspired by real life events from the past this period of time has been romanticized by literature and modern media portraying the period as one with blushing maidens eye-watering Feats Majestic castles watching over the people of the land and knights bravely Galloping into battle mounted on a steed in truth it was a difficult and dangerous life for most of the populace eventually after several sons of William the Conqueror spent time on the throne

William the conqueror's grandson Stephen of blowah became king in the year 1135. this started a huge Civil War in Britain known as the Anarchy which lasted from 1138 to 1154. this conflict was led by Stephen of blowah's cousin the empress Matilda who believed that the crown was her rightful inheritance this time was incredibly difficult for everyone living in Britain from the wealthy Nobles to the lowly peasants people began to get suspicious and desperate which led to oppression and mistreatment many innocent people were tortured and interrogated for valuable information While others stole goods and gold in

order to make money for their families most people were left with nothing which led to families starving to death the Civil War ended when Stephen of blowah died in 11 754 when Empress Matilda's son Henry II took the throne the rule of Henry II was a fairly peaceful one which was bolstered by his friendship with Thomas Beckett the Archbishop of Canterbury together the two men had a power over the people of England and their religion unfortunately the Friendship wasn't long-lived with Henry ordering the murder of Thomas Beckett inside of the Canterbury Cathedral the freedom of

a man was complicated during the 12th century with some men being connected to land ownership but forced to pay the Lord others only paid rent but owed no land while some found themselves in the middle owing a service to a Master while having to pay rent for the land they lived on if at any point someone couldn't pay their taxes they would then have to answer to a Master overlooking the area while the non-free people known as serfs could be freed of their obligation another way of escaping control was to escape to another burrow and

live there for a whole year if the fugitive was caught before then however the Lord of The Manor had the right to beat and imprison the man king John who came to throne in 1199 was one of the cruelest rulers in English History he was greedy violent and a tyrant he struck fear in the hearts of his subjects increasing taxes so that he could use the profit to hire mercenaries to keep everyone in check no one was spared the wrath of King John with even the pope finding himself on the wrong end of the king

in the year 1208 John refused to accept a man named Stephen Langton as the Archbishop of Canterbury after Pope Innocent III decided to ignore the king's suggested candidates regardless the church bells of Britain were not wrong and the church stopped burying people but King John still refused to allow Stephen Lang to take up the role this resulted in the pope excommunicating King John which absolved all English subjects of their oath of allegiance to him which caused him to lose all power over them this below to King John resulted in a Revolt breaking out in the

country and the King of France used the chaos to challenge the rulership of England with the upheaval King John was forced to sign a very important Charter called the Magna Carta agreeing that the country would abide by many laws and justices four of which are still present to this day these are the four clauses with no other choice the French invasion in full swing King John eventually accepted Stephen Langton as the Archbishop of Canterbury this decision led to the forces of the country abiding the King again which allowed them to defeat the French armies on

the coast of Flanders located in Belgium in 1265 King Henry III was incredibly against the citizens of the country having any say in the Kingdom's rulership the Euro of Leicester Simone De Montfort thought differently and opposed the king while the Magna Carta lay the groundwork for the prominent laws of the country Simone De Montfort created the first parliament of England electing people to speak on behalf of the average person just like today the representatives of parliament had their expenses paid in 1298 taxation control was given to Parliament bolstering the institution one of the most devastating

pandemics in British history was the Black Plague which devastated the population in 1347. in fact over 200 million people died from the viral disease throughout Europe in total with one and a half million of those coming from Britain the initial English plague lasted three years ending in 1350 with a disease popping back up multiple times in the 50 years that followed for many years it was believed that the plague was passed on by rats but it's now believed to be an airborne disease that would kill those infected in just a few days peasants were affected

the worst as there were so many poor people living in close contact with each other due to the unprecedented volume of people dying rotting corpses were left piled up in the street with the Primitive science of the day offering no cure or prevention for the plague with peasant workers dropping from the disease it became in increasingly difficult to find people to tend to the fields and grow crops this led to starvation and the decimation of entire Villages as they were desperately in demand many peasant workers took advantage of the situation moving around the country to

find higher paid positions the government didn't like the fact that peasants were now able to better themselves and chose to side with those willing to pay more after trying to put a stop to them traveling to find higher paid jobs the Government tried to put a stop to it this resulted in The Peasant Revolt of 1381 in which the poor folk of England violently banded together in order to get poll tax and the wage cap removed as well as the abolishment of the control Lords had over them and their property another huge event that happened

in the Middle Ages was the War of the Roses which saw the House of Lancaster and the house of York fight each other between 1450 55 and 1485 the reason for the war was that both sides were the descendants of a previous King Edward III and wanted to take their rightful place on the throne the last significant Battle of the wars of the Roses the Battle of Bosworth field saw one of the most famous Kings in English History Richard III fall in battle after this Henry VII took the throne who married Elizabeth of York and

joined the two opposing houses of Lancaster and York together with the birth of the infamous Henry VII the Tudor period was ushered in foreign [Music] foreign period had a huge focus on the reshaping and rethinking of religion politics and the monarchy in Britain after defeating Richard III's army during the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 Henry VII's rule saw the beginning of a 118-year Reign for the Tudors which saw a total of five monarchs sit upon the throne in fact the rulers of this period have become some of the most recognizable in English History it was

this rulership that played a huge part in shaping England and later the United Kingdom through the economic changes the role change for women and Countrywide religious reform the marriage between the two cousins brought the feud between the lancasters and the Yorks together bringing two of the most influential families of England together Henry and Elizabeth went on to have eight children together in order to cement the longevity of the the family rule although only Arthur Henry Margaret and Mary Tudor made it to their adult years Arthur went on to marry Princess Catherine of Aragon but soon

died after Princess Margaret married James IV which earned her the title of Queen consort of Scotland Princess Mary went on to marry the French King Louis XII and Henry VII became the king of England as Henry was the Second Son of the monarchy he was prepared for a career in the church but after his two other brothers died he was made King in 1509 in fact he lost his two brothers and father in a seven year period which is a testament to the short lifespan people had back in those days regardless of status Henry was

Keen to find a wife and turned to his own brother's widow Princess Catherine of Aragon to take up this role Henry's 36-year rule saw many impactful changes to the country and caused some of the biggest controversies in English History up until that point the first of which was his change and attitude towards his wife who failed to give him a male heir to the throne after 23 years of marriage he became so desperate for a male Heir in fact that he eventually turned his back on the Catholic church and began his own the Church of

England with the King now able to establish his own marriage and annul rules Henry allowed himself to remarry so that he could have a son to ensure his legacy remained on the throne this Freedom allowed Henry to have six marriages in total which allowed him to have many children while only one would be a boy his son Edward VI was crowned King in 1547 after Henry passed away of tuberculosis in a Twist of irony after all the effort his father put into ensuring the bloodline continues Edward died just a few years later in 1553 leaving

no male heirs to take up the mantle this death left the Tudor government in chaos with only his two sisters Mary and Elizabeth being the only candidates for succession this wasn't ideal as they were both female and had religious views that were not in line with that of the Protestants the religion that Henry VIII was converting the Catholics to in fact it was Edward's devout Catholic half-sister Mary that was the rightful heir to the throne due to her religion however Edward named Lady Jane gray as Queen who was his cousin once removed because she was

a Protestant Mary however wasn't going to let her Birthright go to another relation this resulted in Lady Jane only reigning for nine days before being executed for high treason along with her husband two of his brothers and the former Archbishop of Ken Canterbury Thomas cranmer now with Mary on the throne the tutors were once again thrown into chaos as she said about reversing all the work her father and brother did reverting the primary religion of England back to Catholicism this change was done aggressively with the Protestant people now persecuted for being Heretics this led to

300 people who refused to be conformed to Catholicism being burned at the stake this dark patch in English History is now known as the Marian persecution not only were Queen Mary's forceful religious views a problem for people of nobility but so was her gender being the first queen which was earned in her own right several of the most influential Nobles insisted that she should marry a Protestant man in order to heal the relationship with her people Mary who would not be pushed around chose to Mary the Spanish Prince Philip II in 1554 instead unfortunately the

pair didn't have any children despite many attempts eventually Mary named her Protestant half-sister Elizabeth the next heir to the throne as she Lay Dying Elizabeth the first had a long Reign that spanned 1558 to 1603 in which he did a lot for the country as the daughter of Anne Boylan Elizabeth had to work hard to persuade her people to support her due to her intelligence and likable character she had a glorious reign with that being said there were several issues throughout that time including her Catholic enemies attempting to murder her an attack from Rome and

her decision to stay single regardless she faced adversity and earned the nickname Gloriana Good Queen Bess and the Virgin Queen when she passed away in 1603 the Tudor period came to an end before the Tudor era agriculture played a huge part in the lifestyle of the country with a 90 percent of the population working on Farmland this was an incredibly hard life that came with a low life expectancy as the Age of Exploration began the focus shifted to trade coal tin iron and Lead mining began to grow exponentially which made the country incredibly rich with

that being said famine and poverty was still Rife in Tudor England in 1530 however the cruel laws against Beggars were abolished and vagrants were allowed to beg as long as they had a license this led to an influx of Beggars which resulted in a new law being passed in 1547 which meant that anyone caught begging would be imprisoned for two years in 1550 this law was changed again with the punishment for the vagrant being a flogging which meant that they were struck on the back with a whip or rod the rule of Elizabeth the first

introduced the poor law in 1601 which gave the poor a tax relief as well as other forms of support it was during this time that the criminal system took a preference to physical punishments rather than being thrown into prison this included flogging and putting into stocks which would add humiliation to the punishment those who committed the more serious crimes such as murder still resulted in execution the noble and affluent criminals would still be beheaded like previous centuries while the poor and common population would be hung at The Gallows often with crowds Gathering to watch the

spectacle a focus on education came with a tutor period with Richard mulcaster the educationalist insisting that a boy's education was the most important as they were more worthy this led to boys from wealthy families being sent to grammar school and universities before the girls despite a female monarchy ruling over the country the future of girls was predetermined to be that of wives and mothers well-versed in needlework cooking and cleaning eventually girls were given the right to get an education although it was limited to only reading and writing eventually Local Schools were established where boys and

girls would study together it was during the Tudor period that a leisurely activities began to rise many people began playing tennis and football as well as watching jousting events and gambling the more affluent a society played chess and gambled by playing card games such as premiro and Nadi which which was the precursor to cribbage [Music] [Applause] after Elizabeth the first passed away in 1603 and the reign of the Tudors came to an end James VI became King James was the son of Mary Queen of Scots who had been executed for treason and had become a

martyr for the Catholic faith while many hope that James would support the Catholic religion he refused to repeat the same mistakes as Queen Mary by trying to roll back the Reformation when the Catholics living in England didn't get the support they wanted a group of people began to plot and assassination this plan involved blowing up the houses of Parliament on a day that they knew the king would be present in 1605 guy Fox and his group of conspirators stored a large volume of gunpowder in a storeroom that was directly below the House of Lords unfortunately

for the conspirators the plan was foiled on November 5th which led to all of the men being hung drawn and Court ordered this day became known as bonfire night celebrated with fireworks every year on November 5th despite the assassination attempt on the whole James brought peace to the country joining England and Scotland together who had previously been locked in Conflict after James died it was his son Charles that took the throne in 1625. Charles was devoted to the Anglican church and loved the Arts which was reflected in his rule without a parliament in place eventually

he was forced to recall Parliament so he could raise money but he refused to give them any power and control over the land and church this led to a civil war breaking out in August 1642 this conflict snowballed with the number of people killed estimated to be in the millions through the nine years it raged on the Civil Wars forced castles to go into service some of which hadn't been used for their military purpose since the Middle Ages many of them were sieged by opposing factions in order to gain strongholds that would provide a strategic

advantage in 1647 King Charles was defeated by the parliament's Army led by Sir Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell Charles was held prisoner at Caris Brook castle where peace negotiations were to take place unbeknown to Fairfax and Cromwell however Charles was secretly planning a second Civil War which broke out a year after he was imprisoned this led to the king being executed in 1649. the news that a king had been beheaded shocked Britain and Europe which led to the Future Charles II trying to invade the country with the help of the Scots this attempt failed with

Charles only avoiding death by hiding inside an oak tree at Boscobel in Shropshire government and church Powers weekend after the beheading which saw the rise of new and radical ideas often spread through pamphlets growing religious sects began to preach about the second coming of Christ a belief that spread throughout the country at this time Oliver Cromwell ruled the Commonwealth of England Scotland and Ireland daunting the title of Lord protector although Cromwell had his own radical religious views he allowed all religions to be practiced throughout the country Cromwell used his army to keep control of the

country right up until his death when his forces weakened and Charles II was free to return in 1660 to rule the country the reign of Charles II which spanned 25 years saw changes to Art architecture daily life and Leisure in fact it was this period that saw the Revival of theaters this period also brought some incredible scientific discoveries such as the manufacturing lecture of phosphorus which was dipped into wooden splints to create matches with that being said there were several disasters that happened during this time including the Great Plague of 1665 and the Great Fire

of London that broke out in 1666 after a fire broke out in a small bakery the Catholic brother of the King James went under heavy criticism about whether he should be the next king regardless he succeeded his brother becoming King James II while the king defended the throne against the Duke of Monmouth his illegitimate Protestant brother he became disliked by many for the violent Trials of the rebels and policies put forward by the king eventually William of Orange and the daughter of James invaded England which led to James fleeing and the pair being crowned king

and queen the rule of William III and Mary II marked a peaceful period for the country Mary's sister ran took the throne afterward in 1702 while her Reign was known for the victory over Louis XIV the most Monumental event was the act of Union which saw the beginning of a United Great Britain now we've spoken a lot about the monarchy and Rule as it was the rich and Powerful that could learn to read and write to document their lives and historical achievements but what were the lives of everyday britons like in the Stuart era most

of the common people during this era were poor with some forced to live in terrible conditions this was only made worse by the influx in population which saw entire areas impoverished and starving this led to poor laws being implemented which were first introduced a century before by Elizabeth the first which helped the poorest people of the country most of those working have a master above them who would provide them with a room and wages to live on vagrancy became a huge issue during this period as the most impoverished of people were forced to beg or

Acclaim charity from family and Neighbors in fact many poor people chose to travel to the new world in order to change their lives and make money while times were most difficult at the start of the steward period things got better near the end of it for the poor the focus was on finding the next meal when food stocks were down people concentrated on the Harvest industry when soldiers during the Civil War were waiting for payment many of them resorted to stealing crops in livestock which heavily affected the industry and led to more starvation while the

working class A legume-based diets such as beans soybeans and lentils the affluent ate Rich meat diets and very sweet desserts this led to many illnesses as a result including diabetes and hemorrhoids while there was a lot of poverty in England many people held jobs to provide for their families merchants and store owners flourished during the steward era which gave them the money to leave London when the plague broke out in the country many people were employed as shoemakers blacksmiths Tailors saddlecrafters and Glovers just to name a few on the streets and cities of towns many

people sold a variety of Wares from oysters to Furniture as well as offering services that ranged from shoe shining to prostitution those working on farms would be in charge of milking cows collecting eggs tilling the fields and taking care of the livestock during this period like those that came before it roles were defined by the Sexes with girls expected to follow the orders of their father Brothers husbands and then their sons the wife and mother of the family were put in charge of running and cleaning the house preparing food and raising the children if a

woman came from a wealthy family she could avoid marriage and the duties that came with it while poorer women chose to work as servants wet nurses or midwives the sad truth is that many women only found Freedom after being made a widow some could argue that when it came to relationships aristocratic families added more difficult than Common People the reason for this was because the influential and Wealthy were forced to marry due to political or financial reasons rather than genuine love marriage was so imp important during Steward Britain that an Act was passed in 1604

that stated that a man who left his family or committed bigamy would be deemed a rogue which would Merit a punishment for example a case went to trial over a man named Thomas Middleton who had to provide evidence to prove he was only married to one woman in the later part of the steward era a document called the political arithmetic was published which talked about all of the people working in England including those working in agriculture and Manufacturing in it William Petty the writer expressed his concern about how gold and silver were now in scarcity

and that the country was growing poorer by the day he also claimed that the focus on Ireland Scotland and America was a burden to the country and provided no advantage while this opinion may sound harsh many share the opinion that England had overstretched its assets which now meant population was suffering as a result by the early 17th century Scotland Wales and Ireland were unified with England and in 1707 Queen Anne officially packed the acts of Union sadly life expectancy was much shorter than that of today with the likelihood of children dying being incredibly high in

fact childbirth was dangerous for both the mother and the child without the medicines and treatments we have today if the trauma and pain didn't kill the mother infections would soon after experts believe that 25 women out of a thousand died giving birth during the steward period other things that killed young people during this era were worms plague and dysentery as well as an illness known as griping in the guts which killed people through diarrhea and crippling stomach pain a major factor in these kinds of illnesses came down to personal hygiene which the stewards did not

hold in high regard yard this also led to parasites like fleas and lice infesting every level of social class intestinal worms were also common with eggs being laid or passed into Foods when being prepared in their spare time people living in the steward period would enjoy dancing singing and listening to live music and music halls and other venues while higher classes went to the theater common folk would enjoy betting on and dog fighting another Blood Sport that brought many people together were public executions which would be held in town squares during the steward era food

and drinks from other countries began to become popular in England the reason for this was down to the global trade routes established via Road and ocean which also introduced Wares never seen before on British soil this included Furs from North America tea from China and spices from India this is where the palette of the British people changed with exotic Wares and ingredients being welcomed into the culture by 1633 strange yellow fruit known as bananas were found on Market stalls while the first coffee houses and tea rooms opened their doors it was here that and many

people would visit to discuss politics and other business during its early days coffee was considered to be a man's drink which led to women being banned from visiting the coffee houses women looking for a warm drink could visit tea rooms however while hot chocolate was available to hire class members of both sexes [Music] thank you [Music] the 18th century known as the Georgian era saw the rise of the Industrial Revolution where England was dominated by the age of steam network of canals and factories manufacturing on a larger scale with that being said the workshops were

still small such as textile workers who would spin weave dye cloth and repair clothing this industry was made up of thousands of small-scale operations areas of Britain specialized in a specific area of Industry such as metal production in the Midlands mining in the Northeast and glass work in the West Midlands state-of-the-art Technologies led to breakthroughs in agriculture and Industry which changed the country exponentially food production was increased which ensured that there were plenty of it to go around affording it on the other hand was a different matter for the poor foreign workers in vagabonds offered

cheap labor which created mass unemployment across the country especially in rural Villages this led to many people living in the country relocating to larger towns and cities to find work these people were welcomed into the growing factories which in turn increased manufacture and the development of Technology the only thing that slowed down production however was The Limited power sources with many businesses relying on water wheels windmills and horses to work large tools and machines with the advancement of steam introduced by Thomas newcomen and His steam driven piston engine Industries now had a way of increasing

their workflow as well as pumping water from flooded mines transporting goods across the country VIA trains and powering large textile mills by the late 19th century around 2 000 steam engines were in use in Britain the Darby family of Shropshire re-imaged the iron manufacturing process which offered stronger metals that were ideal for making machines and larger tools with the help of steam engines coal mining was made more efficient in turn the spoils were used to power steam engines across the company this means that coal was one of the most valuable Industries in the entire country

in 1769 Richard Ark right created the water frame which allowed large-scale textile spinning to take place a short time later James hargreaves's spinning jenny was made available which made cotton spinning much easier in 17 80. Edmond card Wright's Power Loom continued this string of advancements which made cheap clothing available to the entire population as Steam Industries continue to evolve so do the types of businesses using them factories began sprouting up all over the country which provided goods and materials to many parts of the world these companies provided jobs on a scale that had not been

seen before for example Richard Ark rides cotton factories in Nottingham saw almost 600 employees at their Peak while some factories in Birmingham had almost a thousand employees at any one time during the 1770s even children were employed as their small hands were ideal for intricate work such as making buckles buttons and locks men any of these businesses were incredibly dangerous work environments not to mention that the workers were treated poorly in fact many compared some factories to prisons with those who made mistakes or not working hard enough facing physical discipline workhouses and orphanages would send

children to work in factories and mines which put them in danger some would pass out through heat While others got caught in fast-moving Machinery as they were sent through them to maintain them the canal systems created to transport the coal Supply around the country also provided jobs for many people the early systems were limited but incredibly important for example the canal commissioned by the Duke of Bridgewater connected worsely to Manchester which halved the price of coal within just a couple of weeks with the success of the already existing Canal networks more and more were commissioned

by the government in 1815 over 2 1000 miles of canal were available in Britain transporting thousands of tons of precise Metals coal and Wares on barges towed by horses with the focus being on the canals the roads were left in a very poor State many of which were flooded or overgrown with vegetation this caused trades that traveled via wagon and cart to suffer with food unable to be delivered by using the roads Britain was facing a problem to rectify it the government passed the turnpike acts which allowed New Roads to be built and used a

toll system to pay for their construction and upkeep headed by Engineers like John McAdam and Thomas Telford Rhodes began to spread throughout the country in the 1780s the improved roads not only allowed trades to operate again but they actually made it more efficient this meant that a stagecoach could travel from Edinburgh to London in just two days which almost took two weeks 50 years years previously this was groundbreaking at the time and further revolutionized industry in Britain the people of Britain adopted a strange Fascination for criminals and law Breakers during the late 1700s with those

committing crimes being depicted as heroes in newspapers and printed pamphlets that were circulated throughout the streets Tales of Daring thefts and crimes led to Highwaymen people who preyed on traveling carriages becoming celebrities these characters became Legends and inspired many others to do the same when a thief called Jack Shepherd was publicly hung in 1724 200 000 people turned up to celebrate his career another the flamboyant John ran was met with his adoring fans in the street of London after he was found not guilty of a theft for others the rise in growing popularity of crime

was worrying thefts were at an all-time high and those committing the Deeds were not being caught or punished there was an outcry for criminal investigations and punishments to be improved which eventually led to the police force we know today although it was very different in the early days back then the punishment of criminals was left down to the victims who were in charge of the investigations while there were two constables in each Parish these were people elected in the community who worked on a voluntary basis this means that most of the police work was done

after the men had done their day job with some of them paying others to do the duty for them later a group of fade Watchmen were hired in London known as Charlie's who were close to what we know of modern policing today these men would Patrol the street perform investigations and arrest criminals part of their duties was to bring drunk people home and yelling out the time for people many accused The Watchmen of being ineffective and cried out for changes to be implemented in the system this opinion was listened to in the 1750s with professional

forces being established in 1751 Henry Fielding started the Bow Street Runners which saw the first armed men carrying out investigations and arrests on behalf of the public the suspects of these crimes were judged by local magistrates without a jury having any say in determining guilt this of course led to many innocent people being imprisoned or executed for crimes they didn't commit whether it was done through wrongful conviction or political motives once again these officials were volunteers who were elected from influential members of society this meant that many of them were not well-versed in the law

and took the position as a statement of power rather than Justice Horus Walpole an English writer once said that the greatest criminals of society were the officers of Justice referencing the corruption within British law this in many cases was true with several taking bribes are being reluctant to perform their duties out of laziness the most serious crimes like rape and murder were dealt with by the Crown Court which were located in large towns or the famous old bayley the experience for common people standing trial was scary with the stench of unwashed criminals being covered with

scented flowers and herbs which were also believed to stop the disease from spreading much of the trial was done in Latin as was tradition which meant many suspects were confused as to what was being said or the details being put forward to make things worse criminal defenses were not introduced until the later part of the Georgian period which meant that Witnesses were examined by the judge and jury members if these officials took a disliking to the character of the suspect they would be found guilty without all the facts being known in fact these cases were

over in a matter of minutes with several cases being conducted in a day to speed the process along in the early 1800s courts abided by the bloody code which was a list of 200 crimes that justified an execution these included crimes such as treason rape and murder as well as less serious crimes like stealing the poaching of animals and even vandalism fortunately for many most of these crimes that could mirror at death ended up with imprisonment regardless this struck fear in the hearts of many with the idea of visiting The Gallows for a crime they

didn't commit being a very real possibility those who were unfortunate enough to face the Gallows were done so in a public spectacle with hundreds of people turning up to watch the life of a criminal snuffed out while many saw it as Twisted entertainment it was done as a deterrent for others up until 1783 the hangings took place at tyburn Middlesex eight times a year with up to 20 Criminal hung at the same time those sentenced to death would endure a three mile cart ride to the Gallows which would be mobbed by hundreds of people screaming

and throwing things once they were all lined up on the wooden scaffolding The Noose would be tied around their necks and trap doors would open after the executions white doves were released as a symbol of respect after which a moment's silence was insisted many criminals were often sent to American colonies as well as Australian colonies to serve their sentences through hard and unpaid labor other punishments included Hefty fines being flogged and whipped and literally branded a criminal with a burning hot rod these punishments were often done under the watchful eye of the public who were

allowed to Pelt them with a rotten fruit and vegetables lifelong imprisonment was also implemented at the end of the Georgian period which were known as houses of correction with the advancements of Industry seen in the Georgian era the 19th century saw a period of exponential growth that carried on through to the Victorian era at this point industry trees of Rural and agriculture were dwarfed by factories in urbanization this Sudden Change was a culture shock to many communities and it took a while for the government and the people of Britain to get used to this new

way of life the Victorian era started in 1837 and ended around the outbreak of the first world war despite Queen Victoria passing away in 1901. it was during this era that Britain saw another boom in the population with figures doubling between 1801 and 1871. this was down to people being able to afford the upkeep of larger families as a result of the work opportunities the Industrial Revolution provided migration in the country increased population although many left the country also in fact a large number voluntarily left for the American colonies in search of a better life

in the New World large groups of Irish workers made up a majority of the migrants especially in 1845 during the Irish Potato Famine that caused starvation in many parts of the country people from Ireland Scotland and the English Countryside flocked to industrial cities for work as well as Jews from Europe and Russia while conditions for working children were awful a legislation for protecting child and adult workers was passed by parliament which was campaigned by Michael Sadler and the Earl of Shaftsbury this forced safer procedures to be implemented within mines and factories and also put an

end to slavery within the British Empire education for children younger than 10 was also made compulsory which nurtured the prospect of common people taking up more skilled jobs the police force which had evolved a lot since the 19th century was more organized and efficient they also began a prison reform program that saw conditions within prisons greatly improved while there still were a clear social class divides social freedom and the ability to keep more of their money had improved many lives entrepreneurs taking advantage of the opportunities within the Victorian era used their wealth to rise in

society building huge houses and emptying domestic servants to take care of the household in fact in the 1880s 1.25 million people in Britain were working as domestics which was more than any other industry this was the first time that the hierarchy wasn't governed by royalty or lordship which ushered in a new era of social change the working class was eventually allowed to vote in 1918 with the suffrage of women ending in 1930. in 1776 Britain lost the American Empire after America declared independence during the American Revolutionary War which resulted in the Empire turning its sights

to India instead throughout the Victorian era the expansion into other countries continued which opened up more trade routes and prompted more conflicts in 1851 the great exhibition presented industrial and technological wonders to the world at this point the British Empire was the leader of trading and military strength making it a force to be reckoned with in fact the British Empire held so many territories that the Sun never set upon the empire referencing how far their control reached it was during the Victorian period that a Leisure really boomed with religious holidays Seaside vacations museums theater Sports

and music Halls hitting Peak popularity with better education and opportunities middle class members of society could now become skilled laborers for the poor however circumstances were just as bad as those seen centuries before the houses of the middle class evolved during this period with iron cooking ranges appearing in most homes the ovens not only cooked food more efficiently than before but also heated tanks that provided hot water gas-powered geysers also sent hot water from the tanks to the bathroom which eliminated the need for a maid to carry buckets of heated water up the stairs the

coffee shops that were once a hub for the affluent and politically minded had been replaced with offices that communicated with others through the Revolutionary Telegraph system this allowed Britain to trade with the entire world which was only improved further in 1877 with the invention of the telephone the English scientist and inventor Henry Fox Talbot invented the first photographs in 1834 which were known as Sun Pictures these became wildly popular and were sold as cartes to visit very small photographs that were often given to people as visiting cards among the most popular subjects distributed was Queen

Victoria and her children which was the first time most people had seen their Queen outside of officially painted portraits at the great exhibition George Jennings presented his state-of-the-art lavatories which he called halting stations this invention proved to be more sanitary Than People relieving themselves in secluded corners of the street which led to public lavatories being erected in 1852 a men's room was built in Fleet Street with a woman's lavatory being built in the Strand it was Thomas Crapper who developed the flush aspect of the lavatory and also invented the u-bend many believe that the word

for bodily waste came from Thomas crapper's name although the word crap actually came from the Dutch word crapen which means to separate and the old French word crap which means waste or rejected matter because cotton needs to be produced in a humid environment many manufacturers established their factories in Manchester because of the volume of rain the city gets unfortunately the factories were still full of dust and cotton fibers in the air which resulted in many workers suffering from breathing illnesses the large machines in these factories also posed a risk with many of them not having

any form of safety protocols or guards this led to several cases of women being scalped after their hair got caught as well as hands fingers and arms being caught and crushed in the moving Parts children were often sent into or beneath the machines to clear blockages or replace Integra at Parts which also ended in terrible accidents elsewhere in the country the Gentry owning large portions of land was becoming incredibly Rich from coal mining with the industries utilizing steam power keeping the demand High while mining kept the country thriving the conditions deep down in the earth

were terrible children were hired to drag the wagons from the coal face to the shaft foot which would then be lifted to the surface because they were much cheaper and more obedient than horse-drawn carts this was incredibly hard work and run the risk of being caught in a collapse mines got incredibly hot which meant that workers wore very little clothing and had to drink beer to keep hydrated the reason they drank alcohol was down to the poor quality of water which caused diarrhea dysentery cholera and typhoid which would prove deadly to its drinkers in 1815

Sir Humphrey Davey invented the safety lamp which allowed deeper excavations into the Earth later ventilation techniques were implemented although it wasn't until 1848 that compressed air systems were invented employing children under the age of 12 was banned in 1860 although the number of employees Grew From 200 000 to 500 000 in Britain this allowed 30 million tons of coal to be excavated in 1836 which rose to an incredible 44 million tons by 1880. by 1850 a person could only work for 10 hours a day with night work abolished this meant that the average working day

lasted from six in the morning to six in the afternoon also in 1850 lighting and ventilation regulations came into effect for mining further improving the well-being of the workers with that being said mining was still an incredibly dangerous job which wouldn't have been properly improved until the 1900s it had become common practice to pay workers with tokens that could only be used at selected shops instead of paying them money this led to shops inflating prices and providing poor quality items as workers had no other choice the truck Act established in 1831 set to end this

practice but it took a long time for it to end completely the British Empire proved itself to be the most Innovative and captive Market in the entire world due to its industrial breakthroughs unfortunately it was this achievement that became its own downfall when it came to keeping all of its territories as the prosperity inspired parts of the Empire to become separate entities to seek their own success at the time the United States was growing at an incredible rate forging its own legacy and technology and innovation after the death of Franz Ferdinand and his Morgan attic

wife Sophie Duchess of hohenberg Austria-Hungary blamed Serbia which led to the July crisis eventually on July 28 1914 Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia along with other countries Britain offered up its services in what is now known as the first World War [Music] thank you foreign ushered in the Modern Age where the focus shifted from the monarchy and Industrial Revolution to the development of weaponry and strategic Warfare that took the lives of millions due to trench warfare the country saw unprecedented levels of death by the time the fighting came to an end 16 million lives both

soldiers and civilians were lost at this point Britain was dependent on its industry and agriculture sectors Industries shifted their production to supplying Munitions for the war effort with many forced to by the government agriculture supplied food to the country as stocks being imported to the country became limited due to the threat of the enemy while young men were enlisted in the Army women had to go work in factories making bullets in uniforms as well as working on farms women also worked in nursing and caring roles as the casualty peace took their toll on resources while

it was those on the front line that fought for victory it would not have been possible without the efforts of those back home in Britain at the start of the war miners were told not to join the Army as they needed to provide coal for the war effort as the conflict raged on however miners were drafted as tunnelers who were tasked with the dangerous job of digging tunnels to set explosives beneath enemy trenches as well as placing land mines on the battlefield the Germans were far more prepared for the war which gave them a massive

advantage in trench warfare while there was a focus on drafting experienced miners there was not enough to fill the quota which led to civilians being trained as Miners and sent to war eventually the British were more skilled at tunneling than the Germans with many miners enlisted in the Army there was a shortage of coal in October 1916 which led to the supply being rationed per household those who refused to enlist in the Army were forced to become miners instead to help maximize the coal Supply many people working in agricultural culture were enlisted in the Army

which greatly affected the industry because U-boats were blocking Imports coming into the country farm work was crucial this work was only made more difficult as blacksmiths and Plowman were taken from farms to fight making it incredibly difficult to replace them in order to replace the male Farm Workers the women's land Army was established which sent 260 thousand women to Farms to help agriculture work continue while the war ended on November 11 1918 sadly this wasn't the last time Britain saw war and mass death thank you with World War II breaking out in 1945 when Germany

invaded Poland between 1945 and 1951 Britain was healing from the effects of World War II with the labor party leading the charge after replacing Winston Churchill the Prime Minister who was hailed a hero for the part he played in the war five years ago I promised you blood toil tears and sweat and your untiring response brought us in the end victory over Germany the labor party had been established in 1900 to oppose the conservative party which had been the country's oldest political party the conservative party won the election in 1945 by a landslide and was

favored as people believed that the government didn't understand the needs of Ordinary People despite Churchill's impressive leadership during the war many believe that he wouldn't be a good leader during a time of Peace during this period the labor party established National Insurance in 1946 as well as the NHS the National Health Service which has been providing free health care for the British Nation since 1948. industrial sectors such as mining banking gas and Aviation were nationalized which allowed environments to be made much safer for workers eventually the economy recovered and industry's return to the efficiency and

profitability they had experienced before shortly after World War II to the cold war between the United States and the Soviet Union began in order to bolster the forces of their allies the foreign secretary Ernest Bevin offered Britain support to the United States Britain also participated in the Korean War in 1950 on the side of South Korea alongside America Britain later became an original member of NATO the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 1949. this treaty was established with the United States and other European nations in order to protect them from the Soviet Union who were developing

nuclear warfare in 1947 India successfully achieved Independence taking the Jewel of the British crown away this was the start of the British Empire's dismantlement after centuries of taking territories for their own between 1950 and 2000 Britain changed in many ways immigration increased class division had completely ended and the welfare state was established with with the loss of many colonies and territories Britain joined a union with Europe the manufacturing industries that made the country Thrive shifted to providing services and relying on Imports rather than producing them within the country although Britain saw inflation and recessions the

standard of living was at an all-time high on a February 6 1952 Queen Elizabeth II was named the Queen of England following the death of King George VI her father King George had to have one of his lungs removed after it became cancerous from years of smoking although he did recover from the surgery he suddenly passed away in his sleep from a coronary thrombosis a type of blood clot in the heart although Britain was in peace time after 1945 the threat of the cold war led to the country spending heavily on defense military supplies and

training the threat of nuclear attack was terrifying which led the funds being channeled into developing defenses the leader of Egypt Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal in 1956 which was a huge blow to Britain's trade economy in response Britain France and Israel decided to invade Egypt in order to govern the Suez Canal Network this was met with a lot of criticism from the United States and other countries including the Soviet Union this opposition led to the United Kingdom withdrawing from The Invasion as the United States and the United Nations put a lot of pressure

on them this resulted in the value of the pound dropping as International investors withdrew their interest and assets this led to a financial crisis that proved that Britain needed to rely on allies when it came to military strategy following the two World Wars the 1960s brought a new age of Liberation and expression with the culture shifting to new art experimental music in Creative fashion this period of anti-conservatism moved away from traditional institutions and practices further diminishing the class divide the country also went through a period of Reform which tackled issues such as abortion divorce sexual

orientation and racial discrimination subjects that were taboo up until this point unfortunately this period also saw one of the worst economic States the country has ever seen Britain was spending too much money on their defenses and imports and wasn't investing enough in Industry causing jobs to be lost and profits to fall in the 1960s the relationship between the unionists and Republicans in Northern Ireland broke down with conflicts breaking out between the two factions the unionists wanted to remain within the United Kingdom while the Republicans fought for independence as they wanted a United Ireland in 1969

Britain sent its Army into Northern Ireland to quell the conflict which was met with retaliation from the Irish Republican Army who violently attacked soldiers in 1972 14 Irish Catholics were killed during a March which became known as Bloody Sunday this only heightened tensions which led to Britain taking over the control of the Northern Ireland government while this was only meant to be for a short period of time it lasted 35 years Britain tried to share power between the two Irish factions but the plan failed and violence broke out once again in 1974. the price of

oil Rose exponentially in the 1970s due to other countries taking control of their own Industries which severely affected the British economy this crisis led to union strikes and the labor party coming into Power led by Margaret Thatcher Britain's economy saw massive changes made is Mr President the Tory philosophy works when we have the courage to put it into practice and the perseverance to see it through not all of which were met with a positive response following the monetarism theory the government made many cuts to spending which caused many jobs to be lost this caused the

1981 riots that saw youth slash out about poor job prospects and the feeling of discrimination among the black community in 1982 Argentina took over the Falklands which was a British territory at the time Margaret Thatcher managed to defeat Argentina over control which boosted her popularity in the country for a short period of time by the middle of the 1980s privatization was in full swing this allowed more British people to invest in shares which increased profits for the government every 50 Swiss consolation around this time in 1985 the Irish Republic accepted Ireland as part of the

United Kingdom although conflicts within the country continued with a new millennium being ushered in and the digital age-taking route the British Empire came to an end with many of its territories now given Independence Britain entered into a union with Europe to bolster its economy and trade industry but this split opinions eventually it led to the 2016 brexit where the majority of the British people chose to leave the union Elizabeth Lee Westminster the queen is crowned symbol of Hope Elizabeth another extraordinary chapter has been written with the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8 2022

after reigning for an incredible 70 years and 214 days the United Kingdom moved into a brand new era [Music] in 2023 the country now faces an energy crisis while continuing its efforts to deter conflict between Russia and Ukraine throughout its incredible history the United Kingdom has made many integral contributions to the world from industry to culture since World War II Britain has made a huge impact on culture literature film television music and Theater which continues to act as an inspiration for Many Nations the most significant contribution however would be the English language itself which has

become a universal language around the globe which has brought many cultures economies and Nations together [Music]