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Sep 28, 1066
Invasion of England by William the Conquerer
The French tradition of ruling and culture, as well as language and custom, is brought to England -
Sep 26, 1215
The Magna Carta is Chartered
The principle of limiting arbitrary monarchal power is established -
Period: Sep 26, 1532 to Sep 26, 1536
Formation of the Anglican Church
The separation from the Catholic Church isolates Britain further from the continent by undoing religious connections/ Time of chaos and persecution of Catholics begins. -
Sep 28, 1532
Reformation and Establishment of the Church of England
There is a Protestant/Catholic chasm after the Reformation. King Henry VIII established the Anglican Church because he wanted a divorce and remarry. -
Period: to
The English Civil War
The dispute between the Roundheads and Parliamentarians causes Charles I's execution and the establishment of Parliamentarian power over that of the monarchy. The Commonwealth is formed. -
Civil War-Overthrow of Monarchy
Oliver Cromwell led members of Parliament, busnessmen, Puritans, and soldiers to behead Charles I, overthrowing the monarchy. -
Period: to
The Commonwealth
Cromwell rules as Lord Protector in a period of republican-style rule. -
Restoration of Monarchy
Charles II restored to throne given that he expand Parliament's role in government. -
Glorious Revolution
James II is removed from power and William and Mary become monarchs of England. -
Settlement Act 1701
Further limitation to monarchal power. -
Emergence of Prime Minister
Queen Anne doesn't give royal assent to a bill passed by Parliament, and King George I stops attending cabinet meetings, so people call Sir Robert Walpole "prime minister." -
Imperialism/Colonial Merchantilism
Fueled by the industrial revolution, imperialism and capitalism produced wealth for the country, but poor, urbanized, working conditions for the labourers. -
Great Reform Act
300,000 more men gained suffrage, but the aristocracy continued to dominate. -
Reform Act (Second)
It doubled the size of the electorate to almost three million. -
Reform of House of Lords
House of Lords was stripped of its remaining power, completing the evolution of British parliamentary democracy. -
TUC General Strike
Trades Union Congress called for a general strike, so British workers walked off en masse. -
Universal Suffrage
All men and women were enfranchised. -
The Great Depression
Politically, Parliament had no clear majorities, and weak Conservative and Labor governments could not quell economic woes or the Nazi Germany threat. -
Beveridge Report
To guarantee all citizens at least a subsistence income, it called for a social insurance program including health, unemployment, pension, and other benefits. -
Golden Era of British Politics
Until the mid 1970's, leaders from both parties agreed on numerous goals including full employment, social services, cooperation with labour unions, and government intervention to promote economic growth. -
Period: to
Collectivist Conceensus
A period of general agreement among the British that the government should help its less fortunate through a welfare state -
National Health Service Created
It represents three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems. -
Margaret Thatcher elected Prime Minister
The "Iron Lady" leads the country towards a free-market economy and rejects many collectivist policies. -
Period: to
Thatcher Years
The conservative Margaret Thatcher returns privitization to Great Britain under right-wing politics -
Gang of Four creates SDP
The splintering of four politicans from the Labour Party splinter off into the SDP, the leading third party in UK politics -
Period: to
Miner's Strike
A stalement between the miners' union and the Conservative government ends in the miners' capitulation -
Blair/Labour Victory
After a general period of Conservative domination, Blair and the Labour party are elected in a landslide victory -
Failed Terrorist Attack on Glasgow International Airport
Terrorism is becoming an urgent issue in the UK. -
Cameron becomes PM
After 13 years of Labour control, the Conservatives finally take back Parliament -
Invasions by Jutes, Angles and Saxons
The racial identity of the island is changed from that of Celtic culture to those of the Vikings from Scandanavia; a warrior culture is esablished -
Romans Leave Brtiain
Removal of formalized structure of government from Britain.
