House of Hanover
1660 – 1727 George I
After the death of Queen Anne in 1714, George succeeded to the throne despite fifty-seven other royal claims. A law which forbade Catholics from taking the English Crown allowed George to legally challenge them all. Anne herself had no surviving heirs. George I could not speak English and preferred to spend his time abroad in Hanover. He took an opposite political stance to his predecessor and appointed Whigs to most duties. Anne had previously supported the Tories. In order to pay for wars in Spain, George was forced to sell shares in the South Sea Trading Company. This was a monopoly devised to make wealth from trade in South America. At first, amidst glorious speculations, share prices rose dramatically however so many investors sold out at this time that the company was left bankrupt. This stung thousands of private investors across the land and caused accusations of corruption. This drove a feeling of mistrust towards the King and the establishment. In order to appease the public and the treasury, the Bank of England were given the keys to the English economy, thus separating government power from national finance. This arrangement still holds today. The key politician involved in the resolution of the South Sea crisis was Robert Warpole. He was given ultimate power over the treasury at the time of the crisis, which created the first Prime Minister although the term was used as abusive slang at the time.
1718 – 1868 Colonisation of America and Australia
With a growing dislike of executions as a form of punishment, the Transportation Act of 1718 permitted the state to forcibly emigrate prisoners to penal colonies in the new worlds. The prisoners could be sent to America for up to seven years to work on construction and manual labour. The American Independence put an end to this punishment, so in 1788 Britain began shipping prisoners to New South Wales in Australia instead. Around 150,000 people were exiled to this new and far away place. Most of those sent were those convicted of non-violent crime such as theft or for political issues such as supporting Irish independence. Public opinion began to shift when free people began to choose to move to the new worlds, finding business put under pressure by the free labour offered by prisoners. In 1868 the final ship load of convicts was sent to Australia, however British people have been choosing to move there and to America ever since.
1720 – 1788 Bonnie Prince Charlie (The Young Pretender)
A member of the old Stuart Dynasty, Charles Stuart had a French backed claim to the English crown. He planned an invasion and in 1745 successfully landed his forces in Scotland. Because the English army was fighting in France, they didn't have the resources to protect Scotland. This allowed Charles' forces to succeed in taking major points of power. Charles' army was named the Jacobites, which gained sympathies with many Scots. The Jacobite Army proceeded to march towards England where George's armies were waiting for them. At first they had successes but the Jacobite Army were beaten at the Battle of Culloden. This battle was the last to occur on British soil. Prince Charles was forced to flee and took exile on the Isle of Skye and then escaped to France disguised as a maid. He ended his days drinking heavily while living in Rome.
1756 – 1763 The Seven Years War
During a power and land grab between France and Britain, both sides allied with opposing European forces. This created a long series of battles in America, Africa, Asia, and Europe. William Pitt was in charge of the military proceedings during the first two years, and his choices in young inspired commanders gave rise to spectacular victories in later years. This succession of victories paved the way for the British Empire to expand and become the largest empire the world had ever seen.
1738 – 1820 George III
Grandson of George I, George III was crowned on 22nd September 1761. As he was born and educated in Britain, he never visited Hanover once during his reign. Finances became an issue in his early reign, following terrible decision making in business. This created an atmosphere of disdain in parliament in which they felt the King was guiding the nation into trouble. When George appointed William Pitt the Younger to government at the age of twenty seven, this also created a stir. However, he proved himself valuable to the nation with successes in warfare.
George III had an academic mind and was the first monarch to study science to any substantial level. He was a passionate gardener and had a fascination in agriculture which he helped to modernise. George III also began a Royal Collection of Books and founded the Royal Academy of Arts. Because of poor mental health, the King spent his final years in and out of treatment while his son ruled as Prince Regent. It was during the reign of George III that America became independent from Britain.
George III had an academic mind and was the first monarch to study science to any substantial level. He was a passionate gardener and had a fascination in agriculture which he helped to modernise. George III also began a Royal Collection of Books and founded the Royal Academy of Arts. Because of poor mental health, the King spent his final years in and out of treatment while his son ruled as Prince Regent. It was during the reign of George III that America became independent from Britain.
1700s – 1800s The Enlightenment
During the Enlightenment, among the intelligencia of Europe, rational thought had begun to emerge as fundamental to wisdom. Only when scientific method could be applied to an aspect of life and the universe could it be observed and tested. This pivotal shift in the way society viewed the world allowed huge advances in science and technology which were no longer held back by superstitious beliefs. It meant that the Church of England became separated from the politics of power and knowledge, pushing faith aside as apart from other more tangible activities.
1750 – 1830 The First Industrial Revolution
Following an agricultural revolution instigated by George III, industry followed suit soon after. New methods and techniques were capitalised upon which resulted in a large population build up in the urban areas. New machineries and mills allowed more jobs to be created which in turn attracted more people. Within the period of eighty years, Britain had established itself as a manufacturing world power. With the invention of the steam engine in 1769, this allowed a greater infrastructure for trade and resourcing. It also gave people more freedom to travel around the country. One engineer named Isambard Kingdom Brunel was particularly famous for building huge constructions according to scientific logic. His faith in the formula and calculations allowed him to take huge risks in building some of the largest bridges and ships ever seen.
1773 – The Boston Tea Party
Colonists in North America were unhappy about paying tax to Westminster without having representation there. In a protest, the local government established high taxes for imported tea, crippling the British India Trading Company, which controlled a large proportion of tea exports. In response, parliament issued a new law which allowed Britain to undercut all the other merchants and even smugglers within the tea industry. The colonists were not happy with this move and in Boston it came to a head when a group of colonists dressed as Native Americans boarded three tea ships and emptied all their tea overboard. The great financial losses were enough to end British taxations in thirteen colonies. The Boston Tea Party became a group of freedom fighters who would take part in various unpatriotic acts.
1775 – 1783 American Independence
The Boston Tea Party secured a feeling of anti-British control in America which combined with large social changes in the country, leading to a desire to be independent completely. The British increased military forces in America which eventually were met with armed resistance in 1775. After around a year of fighting, with no hope of resolution on the horizon, a group of 13 British colonies declared independence on the 4th of July 1776. With the support of the French and an insider's knowledge of local geography, separatists were able to out manoeuvre the better equipped and larger forces of the loyalists. After Spain and France allied with the separatists, Britain were unable to regain control in the colonies. Decisive victories were won in major cities against loyalist forces and after a major loss in Virginia's Yorktown in 1781, Britain were forced to withdraw.
1792 – 1802 The French Revolution
The Enlightenment had reached the mass consciousness of the French people and at this time their King, Louis XVI, was oppressive and greedy. The people disliked this form of government and in protest an armed group set free the prisoners in the Bastille, a famously cruel prison. This proved to be the spark which sent the nation into complete revolution. The King was executed in 1793 and the majority of the aristocracy followed. Named The Terror, anyone who was thought to be a supporter of the King's regime was sent to the guillotine. Tens of thousands lost their lives either in conflict or through executions. During this time, Napoleon Bonaparte rose through the ranks to become a successful young general. Britain formed various coalitions with European powers to halt the growth of the French Empire.
1st January 1801 – Union With Ireland
England had been seeking to control Ireland since 1169 and had established military control since 1653. There was strong resistance however which created revolts and uprisings. Independence of America and the French Revolution had given the Irish a taste for separation. George III was forced to take direct action to settle the disagreements. In order to secure a political union with Britain, many Irish peers were bribed into agreeing. Ireland's affairs were then governed in Westminster for the next one hundred years.
25th March 1807 – Abolition of the Slave Trade
During the 16th Century, a trading triangle was established with Britain that took slaves from Africa which were exchanged for crops grown in the New World, now America and the Caribbean. These crops were taken back to Britain where they were exchanged for goods manufactured there. These were then taken to Africa which were used to acquire more slaves. The system was was lucrative for all involved barring the slaves themselves, who were treated very badly. Public opinion had turned against the use of slaves and British people didn't want to have wealth made from this so political pressure was applied to stop. A Bill was first put forward by William Wilberforce MP but was rejected by the House of Lords in 1805. Two years later, under a newly elected Whig government, the Bill was finally pushed through. 16 MPs still voted against it. The British Empire still benefited from slavery for the next thirty years and in America, where most of the slaves were sold, slavery was legal until 1862.
1811 – 1812 The Luddites
Wars against Napoleon, failed harvests, low wages, high unemployment, and modernisation of industry and agriculture had all put strains on society. Prices were high and opportunity was low which left many struggling. A group of angry labourers called Luddites broke into factories with new mechanised looms to destroy them. Seeing the machines as the cause of unemployment, as they could do the work of many people at once, the Luddites felt it necessary to put them out of action. Riots continued to grow throughout the North of England where many followed suit. Government responded by making it a capital crime to break mechanical looms which eventually subdued the crowds into accepting them. The army was called to quell resistance and executions were handed out to those responsible.
1803 – 1815 Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte rose to power during the French Revolution. He ran a successful military campaign as a general and soon became France's regent. Austria, Russia, and Sweden were all at war with France and in 1805 Britain joined after Napoleon crowned himself Emperor of France.
At the beginning of the war with Napoleon, he attempted to invade Britain. The Battle of Trafalgar took place in 1805 in which Horatio Nelson led a fleet of ships which repelled Napoleons invasion. The invading ships were forced to flee to the Cape of Trafalgar where they were eventually beaten in a sea battle.
Napoleon attempted to manipulate the Spanish throne which caused rebellions in Spain and Portugal who along with British support pushed back French control. Napoleon then attempted to invade Russia but his entire army fell to the cold weather forcing an eventual surrender.
After being exiled, Napoleon returned to raise an army. Allied European forces gathered to stop him. The British commander was the Duke of Wellington. The British army, supported by the Dutch, met Napoleon in Belgium at Waterloo in 1815. The French forces were forced back and then defeated once more by Prussian forces. Napoleon surrendered again where upon he was once again exiled.
At the beginning of the war with Napoleon, he attempted to invade Britain. The Battle of Trafalgar took place in 1805 in which Horatio Nelson led a fleet of ships which repelled Napoleons invasion. The invading ships were forced to flee to the Cape of Trafalgar where they were eventually beaten in a sea battle.
Napoleon attempted to manipulate the Spanish throne which caused rebellions in Spain and Portugal who along with British support pushed back French control. Napoleon then attempted to invade Russia but his entire army fell to the cold weather forcing an eventual surrender.
After being exiled, Napoleon returned to raise an army. Allied European forces gathered to stop him. The British commander was the Duke of Wellington. The British army, supported by the Dutch, met Napoleon in Belgium at Waterloo in 1815. The French forces were forced back and then defeated once more by Prussian forces. Napoleon surrendered again where upon he was once again exiled.
16th August 1819 – The Massacre at St. Peter's Field
Because of the long war with France, taxation had risen to high levels. People were beginning to express their discomfort and were gathering to elect non-government MPs in protest. One such mass gathering of around sixty-thousand formed at St. Peter's Fields in Manchester. A main speaker, Henry Hunt, was arrested before taking the podium. This caused a large disturbance in the crowd which soldiers were called upon to respond to with force. Several people died and many more were wounded, likely to die soon after. Because of the military response to a civilian problem the event was nicknamed the Peterloo Massacre, reminiscent of the Battle of Waterloo in which Napoleon was defeated
19th July 1821 – George IV
George IV had been running the nation as regent for many years before he was crowned in 1821 on the 19th of July. He visited Scotland and Ireland, the first time a monarch had done so for a century. Although he refused to support Catholic Emancipation, parliament were able to bring it through as law in 1829. He was not particularly popular as King as Britain was struggling with money through long periods of war. Having become overweight though an excessive lifestyle, he became the image of gluttony and greed.
1829 – Robert Peel
Following the Massacre at St. Peter's Fields in Manchester, serious concerns were raised about social control. Sir Robert Peel had successfully established a police constabulary in Ireland and when he took office in England, he took his idea to London. The first Metropolitan Police Force was born in 1829 and were nicknamed peelers or bobbies after their inventor. To this day the Metropolitan Police are have their headquarters at Scotland Yard. Peel was also responsible for wide prison reforms which earned him respect for his strong social conscience.
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