13.2 A Great Events in English History

1. 13.2 A Great Events in English History • At one time, Britain was the northwestern frontier of the Roman Empire • The ancient Britons who lived there were called Celts • After the Romans left, Germanic tribes called the Angles and Saxons defeated the Celts and founded the English nation • They named the country “Angleland” or England • The language of the Anglo-Saxons eventually developed into the English language

2. Middle Ages • Britain experience many changes during the Middle Ages • Viking invaders called the Danes tried to conquer Britain • Alfred the Great defeated the Danes and ruled the kingdom for a short time • However, the Danes returned and Viking rulers took control of Britain

3. Middle Ages • In 1066, William the Conqueror invaded Britain • He travelled from Normandy, France to conquer the English people • William the Conqueror defeated the Britons at the Battle of Hastings • His victory was known as the Norman Conquest • The French controlled Britain for almost a hundred years

4. Map of Europe, including France and England

5. The Magna Carta • One of the most important events of the Middle Ages was the signing of the Magna Carta • The Magna Carta was a document which limited the power of the king and gave more power to the commonpeople of the land • It also started England on its way to representative government • By 1295, England had its first representative assembly- the Parliament • The Magna Carta was later used as an example to create constitutions in other countries, such as the United States

6. The Bible in English • The Roman church had much control over the people of England during the Middle Ages • John Wycliffproduced the first English translation of the Bible in 1382 • His followers, called the Lollards, spread the gospel despite harsh persecution • In 1525, Willliam Tyndale produced the first printed version of the English New Testament • Miles Coverdale published the first printed version of the entire English Bible in 1535