British History: A Story of Struggles and Perseverance
Summary:
The history of Britain is the story of ongoing religious, social, and political struggles and the measures and perseverance of the British people in overcoming those struggles. In doing so, the people in Britain have enriched their culture.
For centuries, the British people have defined themselves by overcoming various struggles. Religious turmoil such as the Easter conflict and the various conflicts during the Tudor dynasties have plagued these people throughout history. British society has been reshaped by the fall of trifunctionalism and the rise of the four-tiered social structure during the nineteenth century. Political struggles include the fight for the crown in the War of the Roses and the Civil War. British history is the story of ongoing religious, social, and political struggles and the measures the people took to overcome them.
Religious controversy such as the debate over the true date of Easter and the reshaping of the church of England during the Tudor dynasty is a defining aspect of British history. In early Britain, the Christian church developed differently in England and Ireland. The most obvious difference between these two churches was the date on which they celebrated Easter. The Irish church followed the teachings of St. John, while the English church followed the teachings of St. Peter along with the rest of the "universal church." This controversy threatened to destroy the unifying power of the church, so in the year A.D. 664,the two sides met at the Synod of Whitby to determine which practice the British church would follow. Ultimately, King Oswy decided in favor of the teachings of St. Peter who had been given "the keys of the kingdom of heaven" (Bede, 186, 192). This began a long tradition of adopting the faith of the monarch as truth. This is also evident in the various changes of the English church during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I of the house of Tudor. When Henry VIII comes to the throne in 1509, England is a Roman Catholic kingdom under a distinctively Roman Catholic king. In his early youth, Henry believed that he would enter the church, but when his brother Arthur died, his life turned in a completely different direction. Because of his early preparations for entering the church, Henry became a fairly good amateur theologian. In fact, he is accredited with writing Assertio Septem Sacramentorum, and was given the title of Fidei Defensor by the pope. However, this "defender of the faith" abandoned the Catholic church when he was refused a divorce from his first wife, Katherine of Aragon. In 1534, the Act of Supremacy was passed, making Henry the Supreme Head of the church of England. When his son Edward VI ascended the throne in 1547, he continued his father's reform, but to an even greater extent. When Mary I becomes queen in 1553, the fickleness of the English people appears when many of them immediately revert back to Catholicism. In 1558, Elizabeth I is crowned and the majority of the people switch back to Protestantism. For the most part, the English people have always been led by the faith of their monarchs.
The social structure of Britain has also undergone many social struggles that resulted in the fall of trifunctionalism and the rise of a four-tiered class system. Before the Black Death, society was arranged in a way that serfs were under the barons who were, in turn, under the monarch. The Black Death caused such severe depopulation that the manorial system no longer worked, and the barons' power was weakened. This gave greater social status to the common person, who no longer "belonged" to a baron and his manor. They could now go from manor to manor and a system of copyhold was developed. Under this system, the common man could simply pay the landlord rent instead of living a slave-like existence (Gottfried, 136-7, 145). Another distinct social system arose in the nineteenth century as a result of the new opportunities that arose during the period known as the Industrial Revolution. The top-tier of this system, the aristocracy, remained much the same as it had always been. Since their status was hereditary, the aristocrats were not greatly affected by the changes taking place in the economy of Britain. The next tier was the propertied class. These were bankers, lawyers, and large merchants who had earned their fortunes. They greatly benefited from the rise of capital. The merchants used this to extend their markets and the bankers benefited from the new need for loans and market for stocks and bonds. The middle class was the next rung down in this system. They usually owned a house or a flat and were skilled craftsmen. Their standard of living rose two fold during this time due to a fall in the birth rate and a greater time for leisure. The bottom rung of this system was the working classes. These people actually suffered from the changes occurring at the time. The gap between the poor and the rich widened considerably because of the Laissez Faire attitude the government had taken towards the economy. These people were the factory workers who were generally not educated and in poor health. Throughout history, Britain's social structure has conformed to fit the struggles and changes of the time.
The British people have also endured many political struggles including the War of the Roses and the Civil War. Between the years 1453 and 1485, England had six different kings. Henry VI's throne was usurped in 1460 by his Lord Protector Richard of York. Richard died in the battle of Wakefield later that year. Richard's son Edward IV was then crowned by parliament only to be exiled in 1470 when Henry VI was put back on the throne. Edward IV returned and defeated Henry VI at the Battle of Barnet in 1471. When Edward IV died in 1483, Edward V was crowned, but his throne was usurped by his Lord Protector, Richard of Gloucester. Richard III was finally defeated by Henry Tudor in the Battle of Bosworth field in 1485. Henry VII then married Elizabeth of York to end the War of the Roses. During the Civil war, the country was split between those loyal to the crown and those loyal to parliament. The Parliamentarians defeated Charles I and executed him in 1649. From 1649 to 1669, England was actually a republic. The House of Lords and the Anglican Church were abolished, and Oliver Cromwell took charge. Cromwell became Lord Protector of England and actually refused the throne. When Cromwell died in 1658, the republic was in shambles. Parliament asked Charles II to come back and be their king, and the kingdom was restored to the way it had been before the Civil War. Though the British people have suffered through political turmoil throughout history, the nation has always endured.
British history is defined by the perseverance of the British people to overcome the religious, social, and political struggles they have faced. They survived the religious turmoil of the Tudor reigns by being willing to adapt to the changing church. New social structures were established to coincide with the changing world. The political system always eventually balanced out, no matter how many kings reigned in a year. The history of England is the history of a resilient, determined, group of people who have always survived against the odds.
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