Difference between revisions of "BM2-3 Anglophone Expansion:Timeline"

Revision as of 18:17, 24 October 2008

Global anglophone culture

• Origin of English words

Prehistoric Times

• 700,000 years ago: human settlements on later British soil, the later British Islands still part of the continental shelf. Several several glacial and interglacial periods in which hunter-gatherers appear and reappear
• 70,000 and 10,000 years ago: last ice age, extreme cold snap between 22,000 and 13,000 years ago
• 7500 to 6000 years ago: Meltwater causes see level rise of 120 m, and separation of Ireland from Britsh mainland, and of British isles from continental shelf
• Stone age settlements by peoples who might have sopken an early version of modern Basque (genetic evidence, megalith culture)
• 3100-1600 BC Stonehenge in use. Similar constructs of megalith culture can be found all over western Europe
• Prehistoric hill figures like the Uffington White Horse (1400 and 600 BC)

Celts

• 500-50 BC predominance of Celtic culture. map, distribution till 50 BC. Different theories based on linguistic and genetic evidence:

• Invasions of early iron age tribes of the Hallstatt culture, or
• Gradual cultural development following western and central European developments

• 50 BC celitic language(s) spoken throughout the British isles
• 43-410 Romanisation of Celts in modern England
• 410-600 Retreat of Celts under pressure of Anglo-Saxon tribes to Wales and French Brittany, see Wikipedia article on Breton language (alternative theory: Brittany developed as part of the western Celtic culture).

Romans

• 51 BC Julius Caesar tries to invade Britsih isles
• 41 AD second Roman attempt to set foot on British isles
• 43 Roman 4-5 legions (40,000 soldiers) led by Aulus Plautius invade British mainland (called for military support by Britsih tribes against northern Picts. Londinium (London) founded that year
• Roman infrastructure, fortified towns connected by roads, exploitation of Gold and silver mines as lucrative target.
• 122 Hadrian’s wall begun, with 12 fortresses
• 142 Antonine's wall map
• 3rd century first Christian communities
• 360 period of instability begins with attacks of Picts, Scots and Saxons
• 408-410 Romans leave Great Britain, power vacuum

Angels, Saxons, Jutes

• Invasion theory according to Bede’s Chronicle (731)

• 360-410 Germanic mercenaries in Britain
• 449 Vortigern calls Saxon leaders to protect his kingdom against Picts
• Waves of Saxons, Angels and Jutes found kingdoms on British soil
• Celtic tribes retreat to Wales and settle in French Brittany
• 597 Begin of Christianisation under St. Augustin
• conflicts between Anglo-Saxon kingdoms over supremacy Heptarchy
• Wessex gains supremacy under Alfred the Great (871-899)

• Alternative theory: History of long standing contacts with presence of germanisc culture and (generally peaceful) mix of populations. Debate based on discussion of written sources, language analysis, archaeology , and (since the 1990s) genetics.
• See Wikipedia articles Anglo-Saxon, Old English

Roman Catholicism

Vikings, Danes

• Viking raids of monestaries and towns that can be reached throgh rivers
• Viking settlements in northern England (cultural integration, so language evidence)
• 1014-1042 Danish Rule, Aethelred forced to flee to France, succession ends with son of Canute the Great
• 1042 Aethered‘s son – married into Franco-Norman family – seizes throne (hence later French claims on English crown)
• Vikings occupy Orkney and Shetland, strong ties between Scotland, Ireland and Scandinavia
• Words of Old Norse origin

Franco-Norman and French Influence

• English words of French origin

The British as Naval Power

Great Britain and North American Colonies

Great Britain and Westindies

Great Britain and Africa

Great Britain and India

Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand

Great Britain and Canada

USA and Latin America

USA and Europe

USA and East Asia

USA and Middle East