Western Europe today
Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom includes:
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England
Scotland
Wales
Northern Ireland
Each country has its own history and culture but
are ruled by the same government.
** Official name: United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland
** Often referred to as Britain or Great Britain
A Democratic History
The United Kingdom’s government is a
constitutional monarchy headed by a king
or queen. During the middle ages, British
kings couldn’t make actions without the
approval or rich nobles. The nobles’ power
grew over time, and in 1215 the British
monarch, King John, was forced to sign
the Magna Carta. The Magna Carta
strengthened the power of the nobles and
limited the power of the king.
Parliament
Over time the group of
nobles became known
as Parliament. They
continued to gain power
and make decisions
about what taxes
citizens would pay. They
elected representatives
from the country to be in
Parliament. Over time,
citizens elected the
representatives.
Limited Power
Queen Elizabeth II was crowned
in 1953, but has limited power.
She may approve or reject laws
passed by Parliament, but does
not have the power to make
laws or collect taxes because
Britain is a constitutional
monarchy. A constitution is a
set of laws describes how govt.
works. In a constitutional
monarchy, British laws are
made by Parliament, not by
Kings or Queens.
Ireland - One Island, Two Nations
Ireland was originally divided into small
settlements controlled at different times by
Irish chiefs, Catholic bishops, Viking
invaders, Norman conquerors, and British
planters. There was no unified central
government making these settlements
easy prey. At the same time scattered
settlements make it hard for an outside
force to take complete control over the
island.
King Henry VIII
Declared himself King
of Ireland and head of
the Church of England
in 1541 as a means to
break away from the
Pope and the Roman
Catholic church. The
colonization of Ireland
by the English began.
Religious Conflict
Because of their religious belief in the Roman
Catholic church, Catholics in Ireland were often
persecuted, or mistreated, by the government
and the settlers sent over from England to
establish plantations. They were driven from
their land and fought back demanding equal
rights, political independence, and religious
freedom. In 1801, England passed the Act of
Union, joining Ireland to England.
Political conflict
Home Rule (Irish govt. that would govern
Irish affairs) efforts were opposed by
Protestant land owners who held the
majority and didn’t want to break away
from the Great Britain. Cutting ties to the
British Parliament was not in their best
interest because, in a unified Irish nation,
they would be outnumbered and voted out
of power. The movement led to peaceful
opposition, political force, and war.
In 1922, a treaty was signed that said Northern
Ireland, where the Protestants held power,
would remain part of Great Britain. It granted
independence to most of the rest of Ireland,
which became the Irish Republic in 1949.
In 1998, the Good Friday Agreement was
approved in Northern Ireland in the Irish
Republic. It gave Catholics in Northern Ireland a
stronger voice in their government but did not
cut their ties to Britain