- •Isbn 978 – 5-7509 -1011-3
- •Введение
- •Part I British history
- •Medieval england
- •Tudor england
- •The conflict between king and parliament The Civil War
- •The levellers
- •The Agricultural Revolution
- •The restoration of the monarchy
- •The 18th century
- •The Industrial Revolution
- •Victorian britain
- •The rise of the working class
- •Britain’s decline as a world power
- •World war I
- •The years of depression
- •World war II
- •Post-war reconstruction Labour’s triumph
- •The affluent society
- •The “Swinging Sixties”
- •The seventies
- •Britain and ireland
- •The thatcher revolution
- •Climate and weather
- •Lowland britain
- •London and the home counties
- •Windsor castle
- •Did you know ?
- •Is John Smith really Britain's most common name?
- •What is the national costume of England?
- •Is it true that the kilt was invented by an Englishman?
- •Part II the united states of america the struggle begins
- •Georgia
- •The washingtons' plantation
- •George washington's boyhood
- •Washington and lord fairfax
- •Washington the young surveyor
- •The bone of contention
- •Washington's trip to the french camp
- •The french and indian war begins
- •General braddock's expedition
- •William pitt's military campaign
- •James wolfe's victory
- •Britain makes the colonists pay for the war
- •Acts on taxes
- •The youth of benjamin franklin
- •Competent scientist and diplomat
- •Franklin's favourite proverbs published in his "poor richard's almanac"
- •The townshend acts
- •Boston massacre
- •The war of independence begins
- •Independence declared
- •Thomas jefferson
- •Stars and stripes
- •Independence is won
- •It is interesting to know american celebrations
- •Wave the flag mr. President
- •George w. Bush quick quiz
- •Stars and stripes
- •How to become a us President
- •American food
- •As American As Apple Pie
- •Popcorn - a favourite american snack
- •The Story of mcdonald’s
- •Delicious and refreshing
- •The first new yorkers
- •American high school traditions
- •Homecoming
- •Did you know?
- •Thanksgiving day
- •Did you know ?
- •Test 3 How much do you know about the United Kingdom?
- •Библиографический список
- •347366, Ростовская обл.,
The conflict between king and parliament The Civil War
Convinced of the divine right of kings, the Stuart kings James I and Charles I followed the medieval notion of monarchy, ignoring Parliament. Charles I raised taxes without its permission and prevented it from meeting for 11 years until he needed its help to raise the money to fight the war against Scotland. Relations between King and Parliament became so bad that civil war eventually broke out (1642).
The majority of the nobles supported Charles and the majority of the gentry supported Parliament in this fight over who should have sovereign power. After Oliver Cromwell had led the Parliamentarian Roundheads to victory (1648), Charles I was executed for treason and Cromwell became Lord Protector. England Oliver Cromwell was now a Republic.
Exercise 6. Complete the following sentences to obtain a summary of the text.
The Stuart kings ignored Parliament because . . .
Charles I did not summon Parliament until. . .
The Civil War was really a battle to decide .. .
The monarch was replaced by . . .
The levellers
An important group on Parliament’s side were the Levellers, who presented a radical constitutional document which included strict separation between the different branches of government - the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary. Here are extracts from that document.
We the free People of England ... agree to ascertain our Government, to abolish all arbitrary Power, and to set bounds and limits both to our Supreme, and all Subordinate Authority, and remove all known Grievances.
And accordingly do declare and publish to the world, that we are agreed as followeth That the Supreme Authority of England and the territories therewith incorporate, shall be and reside henceforward in a Representative of the people consisting of four hundred persons, but no more; in the choice of whom (according to natural right) all men of the age of one and twenty years and upwards (not being servants, or receiving alms, or having served the late King in arms), shall have their voices...
That two hundred of the four hundred Members, and not less, shall be taken and esteemed for a competent Representative...
That no Member of the present Parliament shall be capable of being elected of the next Representative, nor any member of any future Representative shall be capable of being chosen for the Representative immediately succeeding ...
That... we agree that this present Parliament shall end the first Wednesday in August next 1649 ... and the next Representative may meet and sit in power ... upon the day following, namely the first Thursday of the same August, 1649. |
Exercise 7.
1. What was to be the Supreme Authority?
2. Who was allowed to vote?
3. Were Royalist supporters to be prevented from voting?
4. What differences are there between the Levellers’ ideas about parliament and the European parliaments of today?