Lecture week 1

Introduction note:

Historiographical framing of British history;

→ debates on Birtish History, often considered seperate, unique and exceptional (= geographical determinism), many

see this as an isolation from the rest of European History (mainland Europe)

Though there is a distinct pattern, Brittish Isles being ahead of mainland Europe a lot of the times — though not always— there is most certainly not a disconnect. They are interloced on cultural, societal changes in pattern.

The North Sea is a bridge, rather than a border (“shield“), that is used as a means of communication and connection.

• pre-industrial revolution era: superiority of water transportation over land

  • buy boat once, small crew and cary more product => less expensive

  • build cart, feed horses, wage for workers, more carriges same amount product => more expensive

The legacy of the History of the British Isles up to 1066¹

¹battle of Hastings

Most notable developments:

• Languages

  • Pre- and Post-Roman Legacy

• States

  • Post-Roman Legacy

• Urban Society

  • Post-Roman Legacy

General Overview:

• The Celtic and Roman Era

  • Ca. 10 000 BCE - 400 CE

  • Languages: Celtic; Scottish, Welsh, Irish and Cornish Gaelic

• The “Dark Ages”

  • 5^th- 6^th century CE

  • Languages: Germanic; English

• The Early Middle Ages²

  • 7^th - 11^th century CE

  • State formation

  • Urbanization

²In older works refered to as “Anglo-Saxon era