Category: Articles

By Tim Lambert William, Duke of Normandy, was crowned King of England on 25 December 1066. However, at first, his position was by no means secure. He had only several thousand men to control a population of about 2 million. Furthermore, Swein, king of Denmark also claimed the throne of England. At first, the Normans… Continue reading A History of England in the Middle Ages

By Tim Lambert From 1704 all members of the Irish parliament and all holders of office had to be members of the Church of Ireland. (This Act excluded Presbyterians as well as Catholics. As a result, many Presbyterians left Ireland for North America during the 18th century). Another Act of 1704 stated that Catholics could… Continue reading Ireland in the 18th Century

By Tim Lambert Britain changed hugely during the 20th century. Life for ordinary people was transformed and became much more comfortable. Life was hard for the working class at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1900 surveys showed that between 15% and 20% of the population were living at subsistence (bare survival) level. Worse… Continue reading Britain in the 20th Century

By Tim Lambert In the early 17th century rich men continued to build houses west of London. The Earl of Bedford built houses at Covent Garden, on the Strand, and at Long Acre. He also obtained permission to hold a fruit and vegetable market at Covent Garden. Other rich people build houses at Lincoln Inn… Continue reading 17th Century London

By Tim Lambert The early 19th century was an era of political and social unrest in Britain. In the early 19th century a group of Evangelical Christians called the Clapham Sect were active in politics. They campaigned for an end to slavery and cruel sports. They gained their name because so many of them lived… Continue reading Britain In The 19th Century

By Tim Lambert In 1702 Queen Anne began her reign. In the same year, the war of the Spanish succession began. In 1704 the great general the Duke of Marlborough won a great victory over the French at Blenheim. Also in 1704, the British captured Gibraltar – and they have held it ever since. The… Continue reading A History of 18th Century Britain

By Tim Lambert After 10,000 BC people in China lived by hunting and gathering plants. Then, about 5,000 BC, the Chinese began farming. From about 5,000 BC rice was cultivated in southern China and millet was grown in the north. By 5,000 BC dogs and pigs were domesticated. By 3,000 BC sheep and (in the… Continue reading A Short History of Ancient China

By Tim Lambert The Revolt of the Nobles The French Revolution began as a revolt of the nobles. In theory, the king was an absolute monarch who could do as he pleased. However, after 1774 it turned out he was not as powerful as he seemed. At first resistance to the king was led by… Continue reading A History of The French Revolution