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The barons rose up against King John due to his taxes and abuse of power, which led to the Magna Carta in 1215. This document regulated feudal obligations, limited the king’s authority by forcing him to seek advice, particularly on taxes, and protected individuals from imprisonment without trial. -
King Henry VIII broke with the Pope after his request to divorce Catherine of Aragon was refused, and the Act of Supremacy made him head of the Church of England, initiating the major religious change in England. He became one of England’s most famous and emblematic kings.
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Indulgences were strongly criticized by Protestant reformers, especially Martin Luther, a German monk and professor of theology. In 1517, he published The Ninety-Five Theses, in which he criticized the Doctrine of Purgatory and indulgences, and in 1521, he was excommunicated and declared a heretic. -
Henry VIII broke away from the Roman Catholic Church by declaring himself head of the Church of England. Rejecting the Pope’s authority, he established a separate national church under his control through the Act of Supremacy. -
In the late 13th century, King Edward I of England conquered Wales. Between 1536 and 1543, the Act of Union under Henry VIII extended English laws to Wales, granted it representation in the English Parliament, and established English as the official language of courts and administration.
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Mary I, daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, became queen at the age of 37. Married to the devoutly Catholic Philip II of Spain, she restored Catholicism in England within 18 months and repealed the Protestant laws established by her father and half-brother.
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Mary I drove Protestantism underground, executing over 200 Protestants by burning them at the stake between 1555 and 1558. Those who refused to recant and return to Catholicism were condemned as “heretics,” earning her the nickname “Bloody Mary.”
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Before 1570, small secret Catholic communities in England were largely tolerated. However, as Protestantism became associated with English patriotism, Catholics faced increasing persecution, and the Pope excommunicated Elizabeth I. This led to the emergence of several Catholic plots against the Queen. -
Great Britain was heavily involved in the Transatlantic Slave Trade, playing a central role in its development and expansion. British merchants, ships, and ports were key in transporting enslaved Africans to the Americas, and the trade generated immense wealth for Britain while causing profound suffering and disruption to countless African communities.
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The Union of the Crowns occurred under James I of England. In 1707, the parliamentary Union with Scotland, imposed by England during Queen Anne’s reign, created the United Kingdom of Great Britain. -
The Civil War took place between the Royalists, led by Charles I, and the Parliamentarians, led by Oliver Cromwell and other politics. It was caused by Charles I’s illegal taxes, his disregard for the Petition of Right, and his rule without Parliament, ultimately leading to his execution in 1649.
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The Commonwealth of England was a Parliamentarian government established after the execution of Charles I. In 1653, Oliver Cromwell became Lord Protector, and after his death in 1658, he was briefly succeeded by his son, before the Stuart monarchy was restored in 1660.
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In 1655, the English invaded Jamaica, which had previously been a Spanish colony. The island was considered a strategic possession because of its location and its significance in Caribbean trade. -
In 1660, the English monarchy was restored following the Republican period established by Oliver Cromwell. Charles II ascended the throne, marking the end of the Commonwealth and the return of the Stuart dynasty. -
During his reign, James II, a Catholic, ignored Parliament’s protests. The Parliament invited his daughter Mary, who succeeded him, and her husband William of Orange to overthrow James II, which they successfully did. This “bloodless” overthrow is known as the Glorious Revolution. -
The Bill of Rights limited the king’s powers, excluded Catholics from the throne, and established Parliament’s supremacy. As a result, England became a constitutional monarchy based on a social contract, serving as a model for other European countries. -
After several rebellions, including Wolfe Tone’s in 1798, the Anglo-Irish Union of 1800 created the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Southern Ireland became independent in 1922 following the War of Independence, while Northern Ireland remained part of the UK, forming the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. -
Devolution in Northern Ireland was established by the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. It created a 108-member Northern Ireland Assembly in Belfast based on power-sharing between unionists and nationalists, bringing an end to the thirty years of sectarian violence known as the Troubles -
Brexit divided the UK, with Scotland and Northern Ireland largely voting to remain in the EU, while England and Wales voted to leave. This division has fueled political tensions and raised questions about the future unity of the country