HISTORY OF LONDON
ROMAN LONDON · Invasions, important people, who did they live… TUDOR LONDON · Famous people and buildings, damages… FAMOUS MONUMENTS
ROMAN LONDON: 路In what year did the Roman invade Britain? First invasion - Caesar's first raid In August 55 B.C. (55 years before Jesus was born) the Roman general, Julius Caesar invaded Britain. He took with him two Roman legions. After winning several battles against the Celtic tribes (Britons) in south-east England he returned to France. Second invasion - Caesar's second raid The following summer (in 54 B.C.) Caesar came to Britain again landing at Walmer near Deal in Kent. This time he brought with him no fewer than five legions (30,000 foot soldiers) and 2,000 cavalrymen (horse riders). This time they crossed the River Thames. After more fighting, the British tribes promised to pay tribute to Rome and were then left in peace for nearly a century.
What was the area like before the Romans came? Londinium was a settlement established on the current site of the City of London around ad 43. Its bridge over the River Thames turned the city into a road nexus and major port, serving as a major commercial centre in Roman Britain until its abandonment during the 5th century.
Why did they choose this location? The Romans used London to bring in all their vital goods from the rest of their empire particularly of course military equipment. Also of course the comforts they were used to including: Olive oil, wine, dates, figs and salted fish. They also imported bronze ornaments, pottery, glass and millstones. London would have had all the trappings of Rome at that time.
Where was the first bridge built? The first bridge was probably a Roman military pontoon type, giving a rapid overland shortcut to Camulodunum from the southern and Kentish ports, along the Roman roads of Stane Street and Watling Street.
What did the roman call this town? The Romans called London 'Londinium'. The River Thames was quick way to transport goods between Britain and the Continent. The Romans saw this and built the town of Londinium around the river's main crossing point.
LONDINIUM
Who lived there? What happened to the native Britons? Roman London was a cultural melting pot. Officials were sent from the Roman Empire to help run the new province of Britannia. Administrators, merchants, soldiers and specialised craft workers were needed. They would have brought their households along with them. Excavations of Roman cemeteries show that the town was populated by civilians rather than soldiers. The majority were probably native Britons drawn to the new town, hopeful of making their fortunes as labourers, craft workers and shopkeepers. As well as fresh food, the busy population needed clothes, shoes, pottery and tools, all of which were made locally. Citizens were at the top of the social ladder, followed by non-citizens and then slaves. However, some slaves rose to relatively high positions in government service working for the province or the treasury. This tablet uniquely shows that slaves could buy their own slaves.
Who was queen Boudica and what did she do? Boudica was a Celtic Queen who led a revolt against Roman occupation of what is now East Anglia, England. Boudica was a member of the Iceni tribe who lived in Norfolk. The Iceni were initially on good terms with the Romans who had invaded Britain in 43 AD. Boudica was married to King Prasutagus and they had two daughters. Boudica and her army first attacked Roman Colchester (Camulodunum) and they destroy Temple of Claudius and they kill all the inhabitants.
What happened when the Romas regained control of the town? In AD60 Queen Boudica of the Iceni tribe rose up against the Romans, who fled. The city was burned to the ground. However, the Romans eventually regained control and rebuilt London, this time adding a Forum (market) and Basilica (a business centre), and slowly building a wall around the city to protect it from further invasion.
What is the area inside the roman wall called today? London Wall was the defensive wall first built by the Romans around Londinium, their strategically important port town on the River Thames in what is now the United Kingdom, and subsequently maintained until the 18th century. Even today, we refer to this area as The City of London, a city within a city.
Describe the town It is interesting to see the area where Roman London was placed and compare it with the City of London nowadays. Two of the main emblematic buildings (Saint Paul Cathedral and the Tower of London) are located within the borders of the Old City. I have also observed that the Roman city had three public baths. And it was well protected by the Roman Wall. The Roman Bridge was built near the place where London Bridge stands today. I have observed that River Thames used to flow by a different route and it had a brook (Walbrook) that it doesn’t exist now. The Romans also had a Palace so I think that the city was important at the time.
TUDOR LONDON: Who was the most famous Tudor king? Henry Vlll is probably the most well known of the Tudor kings. He was a very selfish person and by the end of his life everyone was afraid of him, mainly because of his ruthless behaviour toward anyone who didn't agree with him.
What was he like and what did he do? He was tall and thickset, with blue-grey eyes, short auburn hair and a beard. Henry Vlll was handsome in his youth, but became bloated and fat (he had a 54-inch waist when he was 50). He dressed lavishly, wearing a gold collar with a diamond as big as a walnut and many jewelled rings.
Who was the last Tudor monarch? What was she like and what did she do? Elizabeth I (7 September 1533 – 24 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana or Good Queen Bess, the childless Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty.
What famous playwright lived during this time? The Playwrights and Authors who lived during William Shakespeare's life were truly groundbreaking. This was the Renaissance. The time of new ideas and new learning. The World was opening up and people were travelling and in particular the English.
What famous theatre was built? The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, on land owned by Thomas Brend and inherited by his son, Nicholas Brend and grandson Sir Matthew Brend, and was destroyed by fire on 29 June 1613.
Who were two Stuart Kings? The Stuarts were the first kings of the United Kingdom. King James I of England who began the period was also King James VI of Scotland, thus combining the two thrones for the first time. The Stuart dynasty reigned in England and Scotland from 1603 to 1714, a period which saw a flourishing Court culture but also much upheaval and instability, of plague, fire and war. There was a short-lived republic, the first time that the country had experienced such an event.
What was the Gunpowder Plot? The Gunpowder Plot was a failed attempt to blow up England’s King James I (1566-1625) and the Parliament on November 5, 1605. The plot was organized by Robert Catesby (c.1572-1605) in an effort to end the persecution of Roman Catholics by the English government. Catesby and others hoped to replace the country’s Protestant government with Catholic leadership. Around midnight on November 4, 1605, one of the conspirators, Guy Fawkes (1570-1606), was discovered in the cellar of the Parliament building with barrels of gunpowder. Fawkes and other men involved in the plot were tried and executed for treason. Every November 5, the British celebrate Guy Fawkes Day by burning Fawkes in effigy.
What cause the Great Plague in 1665? How many people died? The Great Plague, lasting from 1665 to 1666, was the last major epidemic of the bubonic plague to occur in England. It happened within the centuries-long time period of the Second Pandemic, an extended period of intermittent bubonic plague epidemics which began in Europe in 1347, the first year of the Black Death, an outbreak which included other forms such aspneumonic plague, and lasted until 1750. The Great Plague killed an estimated 100,000 people, almost a quarter of London's population. Plague is caused by the Yersinia pestis bacterium, which is usually transmitted through the bite of an infected rat flea.
Why was there a big fire risk in the city? Why was the damage bad? The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of the English city of London, from Sunday, 2 September to Wednesday, 5 September 1666.[1] The fire gutted the medieval City of London inside the old Roman city wall. It threatened, but did not reach, the aristocratic district of Westminster, Charles II's Palace of Whitehall, and most of the suburban slums.[2] It consumed 13,200 houses, 87 parish churches, St Paul's Cathedral and most of the buildings of the City authorities. It is estimated to have destroyed the homes of 70,000 of the City's 80,000 inhabitants.
What cathedral was built by Cristopher Wren? Christopher Wren (20 de october to 1632-25 of february of 1723) he was a cientist and architect of XVII. He is famous of his Works of reconstraction of churches in London after the fire in 1666. Was a member of Royal Society. Wren is known about his model of St Paul's Cathedral in London, one of the less cathedrals in Englan built after the medieval age and the only one whith an renaissance style de of all the country.
FAMOUS MONUMENTS: Tower Bridge: Tower Bridge has stood over the River Thames in London since 1894 and is one of the finest, most recognisable bridges in the World. It is the London bridge you tend to see in movies and on advertising literature for London.
The Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament): The Palace of Westminster, known also as the Houses of Parliament or just Westminster, is where the twoHouses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (the House of Lords and the House of Commons) conduct their sittings. It is the place where laws governing British life are debated and passed. From the middle of the 11th century until 1512 the Palace of Westminster was the royal home to the Kings and Queens of England, hence the name.
Tower of London: For over 900 years, The Tower of London has been standing guard over the capital. As a Royal Palace, fortress, prison, place of execution, arsenal, Royal Mint, Royal Zoo and jewel house, it has witnessed many great events in British history. The Tower of London was originally built by William the Conqueror, following his successful invasion of England in1066.
St Paul's Cathedral: St Paul's Cathedral seen today was built between 1675 and 1711 by Sir Christopher Wren. The foudation stone was laid in 1675 when Wren was 43 years old, and the last stone was put in lace by his son 35 years later. The original Norman cathedral, destoyed in the Great Fire of London of 1666, was even larger than Wren's new building and must have dwarfed the medieval city. Inside, St. Paul's is packed with memorials to notable Britons including Christopher Wren, Wellington and Admiral Nelson, hero of Trafalgar.
Admiralty Arch: Admiralty Arch, commissioned by King Edward VII in memory of his mother Queen Victoria. It was designed by Sir Aston Webb (who also worked on Buckingham Palace and the Victoria and Albert Museum) and was completed in 1911.
Westminster Abbey
Buckingham Palace
Royal Exchange
St Paul's Cathedral
Shakespeare Globe