British Isles

:For an explanation of often confusing terms like (Great) Britain, United Kingdom and England see also British Isles (terminology).

Subsequent political history

Thus at the time the name Priteni was first applied to it, the archipelago was inhabited by the P-Celts. By the time the Romans left in the 7th century they were differentiated into the Brythonic Celts in the lands that would become England, Cornwall, Wales and southern Scotland and the Picts in northern Scotland, while Ireland was dominated by Goidelic Celts who, as Scotti (Scots) had by then established Dalriada in western Scotland. In the following centuries Anglo-Saxons formed the kingdom of Wessex, pushing the Brythonic Celts back into Wales, Cumbria, south-west Scotland and Dumnonia later to become Kernow (or Cornwall). Angles took over Northumbria and south-east Scotland. Viking invaders formed the Danelaw in eastern England and took over Caithness, the Hebrides, the Isle of Man and north-east Ireland, forming a settlement at Dublin. The Scots amalgamated with the Picts forming a Scottish Kingdom which by the early 11th century expanded to include the area of modern Scotland and Cumbria.

Related Topics:
7th century - Brythonic - Celts - Pict - Goidelic - Scotti (Scots) - Dalriada - Anglo-Saxons - Wessex - Wales - Cumbria - South-west Scotland - Dumnonia - Kernow - Cornwall - Angles - Northumbria - South-east Scotland - Viking - Danelaw - Caithness - Hebrides - Isle of Man - Dublin - Scottish Kingdom - 11th century

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The Norman Conquest of 1066 brought England under Norman rule and their 1072 foray into Scotland left the first of a series of arguments as to whether the Scots accepted the suzerainty of the English kings. From then on Scottish kings were Anglo-Norman rather than Celtic. In 1171 King Henry II of England invaded Ireland, asuming the title Lord of Ireland. The Anglo-Normans settled as a ruling elite controlling much of Ireland, but over time the native Irish regained some territory and, outside the area of English authority around Dublin called the Pale, the Norman lords adopted the Irish language and customs and became known as the "Old English".

Related Topics:
Norman Conquest - 1066 - Norman - 1072 - 1171 - Henry II of England - Lord of Ireland - Pale - "Old English"

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In 1140 the Hebridean Islands, the Isle of Man and Antrim came under the Norse-Gael rule of the Lord of the Isles who kept a varying degree of independence until the Hebrides were forfeited to Scotland in 1493. From the early 13th century the Scots language of south east Scotland was spread throughout the Lowlands, but the Scottish Highlands remained Gaelic speaking and developed the semi-independent Scottish clan system. Wales came under English control with the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284 and became part of the Kingdom of England by the Acts of Union 1536-1543. The English Kings became Kings of Ireland as well in 1541, ruling through an Irish Parliament.

Related Topics:
1140 - Hebridean Islands - Isle of Man - Antrim - Lord of the Isles - 1493 - 13th century - Scots language - Scottish Highlands - Gaelic - Scottish clan - Statute of Rhuddlan - 1284 - Kingdom of England - Acts of Union 1536-1543 - Kings of Ireland - 1541

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Scotland was still independent despite a series of disputes and wars with England, then in 1603 King James VI of Scotland inherited the title James I of England, unifying the countries under a personal union of the crowns. While the governments of England and Scotland remained separate, King James proclaimed himself "King of Great Brittaine" on October 20th 1604, apparently with the political aim of creating a shared identity under his autocratic rule. Ireland was effectively being ruled as a colony of England and James expanded an existing policy of English settlers, adding Scots Presbyterians and creating the "Plantation of Ulster" at the expense of the existing Roman Catholics, both the native Irish and the "Old English". As the century progressed the Civil Wars of the Three Kingdoms brought Irish rebellion with massacres alienating Protestants from Catholics and making Irish Catholics embittered about the English, tensions further reinforced in the Jacobite war in Ireland.

Related Topics:
1603 - James VI of Scotland - Personal union of the crowns - 1604 - Presbyterian - Plantation of Ulster - Roman Catholic - Wars of the Three Kingdoms - Jacobite war in Ireland

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Scottish economic weakness against English protectionism lead to merger of the governments in the 1707 Act of Union when the official name became The Kingdom of Great Britain, with pro-Hanoverian Scots enthusiastically adopting the term "North Britain" as an alternative to "Scotland" for example "The Royal Regiment of Scots Dragoons" were renamed "The Royal North British Dragoons" (later examples included the North British Magazine and the North British Railway). The Scottish Highlanders were still Gaelic speaking and were derisively called "Erse" (Irish) by the Lowlanders, but to end Jacobitism the Scottish clan system was crushed and they became fully British. A French-aided rebellion in Ireland in 1798 was defeated and Ireland was brought firmly under British government control by the 1800 Act of Union in what became the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

Related Topics:
1707 - Act of Union - Hanoverian - The Royal North British Dragoons - North British Magazine - North British Railway - Scottish Highlanders - Lowlanders - Jacobitism - Scottish clan - 1798 - 1800 - Act of Union

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During the 19th century famine and emigration affected the Irish and the Scottish Highlanders. Irish nationalist attempts to win independence peaked in the early 20th century with the Anglo-Irish war of independence and the 1922 separation of the Irish Free State, later becoming the Republic of Ireland. The mostly Protestant northeast continued to be part of what was now the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, with a Northern Ireland Assembly which is at present suspended. Inspired by the Irish movement, nationalist parties developed in Scotland, Wales and Cornwall. More recently Scotland has gained Home Rule with a Scottish Parliament and Wales a degree of home administration with the Welsh Assembly, but both remain part of the unitary United Kingdom. Cornwall has not been granted any devolved power but a petition calling for a Cornish assembly has collected more than 50,000 signatures.

Related Topics:
19th century - 20th century - Anglo-Irish war of independence - 1922 - Irish Free State - Republic of Ireland - Northeast - United Kingdom - Northern Ireland Assembly - Scotland - Wales - Cornwall - Home Rule - Scottish Parliament - Welsh Assembly

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