Britain (1814 – 1914)

1. Britain (1814 – 1914) Flag since 1801 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsyxEYdVpMY By Chris, Camille, & Kaylyn

2. Great Britain means the countries of England, Wales and Scotland considered as a unit. England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are sometimes referred to as the constituent countries of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Alternatively, they are referred to as the countries of the United Kingdom. Great Britain is often used to mean United Kingdom. Usually this is simply sloppy language, but it is sometimes used as an official shortening of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. For example, at the Olympic Games, the team officially called "Great Britain" represents the political entity the United Kingdom, which includes Northern Ireland. The "Ireland" Olympic team represents the whole island of Ireland, a geographical entity. Athletes from Northern Ireland have the choice of participating in either the "Great Britain" team or the "Ireland" team.

3. 1814-1815… The Congress of Vienna THE CONGRESS OF VIENNA was a conference of ambassadors held in Vienna from 1814 to 1815. Its goal was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars, and the termination of the Holy Roman Empire and it wanted to establish balance of east/west power and legitimacy. Although representatives of all the states were invited, principal negotiations were made by “The Big Four” (Britain, Russia, Prussia, and Austria, later to include France.) United Kingdom was represented firstly by its Foreign Secretary, Viscount Castlereagh; then by the Duke of Wellington, after Castlereagh's return to England in February 1815; and in the last weeks, by the Earl of Clancarty, after Wellington left to face Napoleon during the Hundred Days. The Congress’s “Final Act” was signed nine days before the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo on June 18, 1815 by Wellington, hence removing French aspirations to rule the world. The Final Act for Britain… condemned the slave trade, ensured freedom of navigation for many rivers, and confirmed the United Kingdom in control of the Cape Colony in Southern Africa, along with many other colonies in Africa and Asia. Following the defeat of Napoleonic France in 1815, Britain enjoyed a century of effectively unchallenged dominance, and expanded its imperial holdings across the globe. Increasing degrees of autonomy were also granted to its white settler colonies.

4. “The sun never sets on the British Empire” because at the peak of its power, its span across the globe ensured that the sun was always shining on at least one of its numerous territories. The British Empire, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, that had originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. The growth of Germany and the United States eroded Britain's economic lead by the end of the 19th century. Subsequent military and economic tensions between Britain and Germany were major causes of the First World War, for which Britain leaned heavily upon its Empire. The conflict placed enormous financial strain on Britain, and although the Empire achieved its largest territorial extent immediately after the war, it was no longer a peerless industrial or military power.

5. Imperialism - The British Empire reached its height in the late 19th and early 20th c. - The empire held the power to about a quarter of the world’s land and population, including territories on every continent - Some territories included the British Isles, British North America, British West Indies, British Guiana, British West Africa, British East Africa, India, Australia, and New Zealand.

6. The Age of Innovators POETS… KEATS, SHELLY, AND BYRON SCIENTISTS… FARADAY AND DAVY IN ELECTRICITY, AND STEPHENSON (STEAM TRAIN) ARTISTS… CONSTABLE AND TURNER AUTHORS… DICKENS AND THE BRONTE SISTERS

7. Major Political Players… • AUG. 1ST, 1714 – Anne Boleyn dies and George I accedes to the throne • JAN. 11, 1727 – George I dies and is succeeded by the second Hanoverian king, George II • OCT. 25, 1760 – George III succeeds his grandfather, George II • JAN. 29, 1820 – George IV succeeds his father, George III • JUNE 26, 1830 – George IV dies and is succeeded by his brother William IV • JUNE 20, 1837 – Queen Victoria comes to the throne after the death of William IV (becomes Empress of India, 1876) • JAN. 22, 1901 – Queen Victoria dies and is succeeded by Edward VII • MAY 6, 1910 – Edward VII dies and is succeeded by George V • JAN. 20, 1936 – George V dies and is succeeded by Edward VIII • (December 10, 1936, Edward VIII abdicates, relinquishes power, in order to marry Wallace Simpson (Duchess Of Windsor)) • MAY 12, 1937 – George VI is crowned • FEB 2, 1952 – Elizabeth II succeeds her father, George VI

8. Politics and Prime Ministers POLITICAL PARTIES: THE LABOUR PARTY: founded in 1900, UK political party based on socialist principles, originally formed to represent workers, current leader: Gordon Brown MP. ‘THE WHIGS’: 1678 – 1868, are often described as one of the two original political parties (the other being the Tories) in England, The Whigs were originally also known as the "Country Party" (as opposed to the Tories, the "Court Party"), they were succeeded by the Liberal Party. THE LIBERAL PARTY: 1859 – 1988, one of the two major British political parties from the mid 19th century until the rise of the Labour Party in the 1920s, and a third party of varying strength and importance up to 1988, when it merged with the Social Democratic Party (the SDP) to form a new party which would become known as the Liberal Democrats. THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY: FOUNDED 1678/1912, descended from the old Tory Party, founded in 1678, and is still often referred to as the Tory Party and its politicians, members and supporters as Tories. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/interactive/timelines/primeministers_pol/index_embed.shtml

9. Political Reforms • - 1832 REFORM ACT… gave the right to vote to the middle class. • 1867 REFORM ACT… gave the right to vote to every male adult house holder in the towns. Male lodgers who paid £10 were also given the right to vote. Over 1.5 million men were given the right to vote because of this act. It also gave the right to the working class in the towns to vote, as well as several industrialized towns an MP. • 1872 SECRET BALLOT ACT… reduced the power of the Landlords in determining the outcome of elections by making voting secret. • 1884 REFORM ACT… gave poor farmers and laborers the right to vote. The principle came in to effect “one man, one vote” for males over 25. In 1903, Emmeline Pankhurst and her two daughters (the Suffragettes) demanded the right for women to vote. The campaigned energetically and violently until the start of World War I. They were put in prison, where they went on hunger strikes, but the government force fed them. With all the men fighting in the war, many female workers were employed and because of this, at the end of the war, a bill was passed for women over 30 years old to vote.

10. Some ‘Acts’ of the Time… • 1870- Education Act (set up school districts; local ratepayers were asked to build a primary school in an area where one did not already exist.) • 1872- the Public Health Act (set up Health Authorities throughout England but was seriously hampered by a lack of money.) • 1875- Artisans’ Dwelling Act (allowed for a large clearance of slums in England.) • 1875- Conspiracy and Protection of Property Act (skilled workers had grown in strength throughout the 19th century and were made legal in 1871 and given the right to strike. In 1875 they were permitted to peacefully picket their place of work when on strike.) • 1906- Trade Disputes Act (The Liberal government (1906) brought in the Trade Disputes Act which declared that unions could not be sued for damages incurred during a strike.)

11. Militarism The British have a very strong history with their military. They had and continue to have the best naval army in the world. They also had a strong land force that has been successful in both of the World Wars, as well as fighting in wars over in North America against the French for territory. Between 1815 and 1914, the Navy saw little action because most countries were afraid to attack England due to it’s advanced militarism. This was also the time when England was undergoing an Industrial Revolution, leading them to build a continuous amount of new ships. With all of the new ships, they had a bigger fleet than their two biggest competitors combined, known as a two power standard. By the end of the 19th century, the HMS Dreadnought was developed and was the first all-big-gun ship of its time. It also later proved to be one of the most influential ships in naval history. It rendered all previous ships obsolete. By the end of the 19th century, the industrial and economic development in Germany overtook Britain and was able to compete in warship building, resulting in a race to build the best fleet. England was triumphant because of the sheer number of ships they had already acquired, but for the first time since the beginning of the 1800’s, England was finally challenged in their Navy force.

12. Industrialization Reasons for the spark of Industrialization in Britain: 1. England had experienced all of the forerunners of industrialization in the previous century: an agricultural revolution, cottage industry, and an expanded commercial revolution.  These developments had built surplus capital and an infrastructure (shipping, banking, insurance, joint stock companies). 2. England already had a handcraft textile industry using wool, but with the availability of cotton from overseas markets as an alternative raw material. 3. The scientific revolution in England prepared the way for new inventions to be applied to industry. 4. A spreading shortage of wood (used for energy, for shipbuilding and construction) stimulated a search for alternatives. 5. England was rich in supplies of coal for energy and iron for construction. 6. England had a long, irregular coastline with many rivers and natural harbours which provided easy transportation by water to many areas. 7. England's population grew rapidly in the 18th century, providing a labour force for industry. Who Wants to Be a Cotton Millionaire? http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/launch_gms_cotton_millionaire.shtml

13. - In the beginning of the nineteenth century London was the largest city in Europe - London continued to grow at a phenomenal rate: in geographical size, in the numbers of souls it contained, and in its economic prosperity. - Through all its wealth and brightly lit palaces, there remained districts of extreme poverty and squalor. - This was all happening while its economic institutions and trading infrastructure grew ever more sophisticated. - Europe's "great men" plotted grand schemes to pursue their political and intellectual ambitions during the crisis of the Old Regime, French Revolution, and Napoleonic wars, while British inventors designed machines whose impact would dwarf their efforts. - This started one of the first forms of industrialization; the textile industry - They developed new forms of energy to power machinery They began what has been called by some the Industrial Revolution.

14. Infrastructure - The rate of growth was so rapid that city services could not keep pace. - Cities were places where lack of sanitation, accumulation of sewage, high rates of disease, high rates of crime, and desperate poverty all existed. Heavy use of coal led to accumulations of dirt and grime. - In the decade of the 1840's, city reformers like Chadwick saw the connection between the lack of sanitation and the prevalence of disease. - It was the beginning of a public health movement which involved installation of sewage lines to wash out the worst of the pollution. - The increased production of iron made it possible to manufacture the iron piping that was needed. - Urban planning, after mid-century became common - One of the forms it took was the provision for parks within and around cities to provide relief from the congested urban environment. - It also involved razing old sections of the city and replacing them with public buildings, broad avenues, monuments, and impressive railroad stations. Muck and Brass http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/launch_gms_muck_brass.shtml

15. British Foreign Policy (1870 – 1914) Main Goals of British Foreign Policy: 1. To maintain the balance of power in Europe and to prevent one country or group of countries becoming too powerful. Traditionally France was seen as the main threat in this regard e.g. Napoleon. 2. To protect its naval superiority over any other European country. The British army was small and her power rested on the strength of her navy that was the largest in the world. It was this determination that led to a serious breakdown of relations with Germany as she built up her navy to rival the British one. 3. To protect and expand her colonial Empire. France was traditionally her rival. 4. To defend the sea routes to India (Suez canal and South Africa) and to prevent landward encroachment towards the subcontinent by Russia. 3. To prevent Turkey from collapsing and Russia expanding her influence in the Balkans at Turkey’s expense. During the 1880s and 1890s Britain had pursued a policy of avoiding alliances that involved any sort of military commitments. This policy was known as “Splendid Isolation” and it was most associated with the figure of Lord Salisbury, prime-minister for most of this period. In 1902 she formed an alliance with Japan mainly directed against Russia. In 1904 she settled her colonial differences with France and the Entente Cordiale was formed. Partly as a result of French encouragement she did the same with Russia in 1907. This alliance between the three nations became known as the Triple Entente.

16. Great Websites to Check out… INTERACTIVE TIMELINE: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/interactive/timelines/british/index_embed.shtml GAMES, RESOURCES, AND ARTICLES: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/

17. BIBLIOGRAPHY • "British Empire: Definition from Answers.com." Answers.com: Wiki Q&A combined with free online dictionary, thesaurus, and encyclopedias. Web. 16 Feb. 2010. http://www.answers.com/topic/british-empire. • Industrialization. Web. 12 Feb. 2010. http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/westn/industry.html. • Industrialization. Web. 26 Jan. 2010. http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/westn/urban.html. • "London History - London, 1800-1913 - Central Criminal Court." Old Bailey Online - The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, 1674-1913 - Central Criminal Court. Web. 16 Feb. 2010. http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/static/London-life19th.jsp#builtenvironment. • Urbanization. Web. 26 Jan. 2010. http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/westn/urban.html • "19th Century". Wikipedia. February 10, 2010 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/19th_century. • "England". The British Museum. February 10, 2010 http://www.worldtimelines.org.uk/world/british_isles/england/AD1750-1900. • "Power, Peace and Prosperity - 1815 to 1914". Google. February 12, 2010 http://www.great-britain.co.uk/history/victoria.htm. • "British History In-Depth". BBC. February 14, 2010 http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/. • "Evolution of the British Empire". Wikipedia. February 11, 2010 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution_of_the_British_Empire. • Mandy, Barrow. "History of Britain- Timeline and Facts". Woodlands Junior School. February 11, 2010 http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/CUSTOMS/questions/history.html#Tudor. • "Great Britain". World Atlas Travel. February 10, 2010 http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/europe/ukbnewzz.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/europe/ukgb.htm&usg=__Zy7uaUgEZbH8iEtwRPF1CVpLt4U=&h=350&w=320&sz=38&hl=en&start=18&itbs=1&tbnid=71ujUOYfd37caM:&tbnh=120&tbnw=110&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbritain%2Bmaps%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den. • Bloy, Marjorie. "The Web of English History". February 10, 2010 http://www.historyhome.co.uk/peel/politics/reform.htm.