Outline of the history of the British Isles
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the history of the British Isles:
History of the British Isles – history of the European island group known as the British Isles.
Political entities
[edit]Throughout history, various political entities have inhabited the British Isles, with varying degrees of power and independence over one another.
Existing political entities
[edit]- History of Ireland
- History of the United Kingdom - The United Kingdom is a union of different nations:
The British Isles also includes three Crown dependencies of the United Kingdom.
Former political entities
[edit]The following political entities all at one time existed within the British Isles.
Anglo-Saxon kingdoms
[edit]Anglo-Saxons inhabited England from the 5th Century, and formed their own kingdoms.
- Kingdom of East Anglia
- Kingdom of Essex
- Kingdom of Kent
- Kingdom of Mercia
- Kingdom of Northumbria
- Kingdom of Sussex
- Kingdom of Wessex
Irish kingdoms
[edit]Prior to the Norman invasion of Ireland many Irish Kingdoms existed. Some of the larger ones were:
Kingdoms in Scotland
[edit]The following kingdoms all existed in what is now recognised as Scotland:
Welsh kingdoms
[edit]During the medieval era several kingdoms existed in Wales.
- Brycheiniog
- Kingdom of Ceredigion
- Dogfeiling
- Dunoding
- Kingdom of Dyfed
- Glywysing
- Kingdom of Gwent
- Kingdom of Gwynedd
- Meirionnydd
- Pengwern
- Kingdom of Powys
- Rhos (North Wales)
Modern period
[edit]During the modern period the following entities have all existed, but no longer do so.
- Kingdom of England
- Kingdom of Ireland
- Kingdom of Scotland
- Confederate Ireland
- Commonwealth of England
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Time periods
[edit]Prehistoric
[edit]Classical period
[edit]The history of the British Isles in the classical era was characterised by the attempts of the Roman Empire to conquer the islands.
Medieval period
[edit]- England in the Middle Ages
- History of Ireland (800–1169)
- History of Ireland (1169–1536)
- Scotland in the Middle Ages
- Wales in the Middle Ages
Early modern period
[edit]19th Century
[edit]- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland - State as it existed from 1801 to 1922.
20th Century to present
[edit]Major events
[edit]Throughout history, there have been several events that had a lasting impact on the British Isles as a whole.
Conflicts
[edit]Conflicts within the British Isles
[edit]Historically, there have been many conflicts between the people inhabiting the British Isles which led to a lasting impact on the history of the islands.
- Wars of Scottish Independence - A series of conflicts between Scotland and England from 1296 to 1357.
- Wars of the Three Kingdoms - A series of interconnected conflicts within the British Isles from 1639 to 1653.
- Jacobite risings - A series of conflicts over the succession of the British throne from 1689 to 1745.
- Irish War of Independence - A conflict fought between the Irish Republican Army and British forces over the independence of Ireland.
Invasions from outside the British Isles
[edit]There have been several invasions of the British Isles by outside entities, some of which had a lasting impact on the history of the islands.
- Roman conquest of Britain - Roman invasion of Britain starting in 43 AD and largely completed by 87 AD.
- Norman conquest of England - 1066.
- German occupation of the Channel Islands - Occupation of Jersey and Guernsey by German forces from 1940 to 1945.
Political events
[edit]The following events had a lasting impact on the political shape of the British Isles.
- Union of the Crowns - Led to the union of England and Scotland in 1603.
- Acts of Union 1707 - Formed the Parliament of Great Britain by merging the Parliament of Scotland with the Parliament of England.
- Acts of Union 1800 - Formed the Parliament of the United Kingdom by merging the Parliament of Ireland into the Parliament of Great Britain.
- Anglo-Irish Treaty - Formally created the Irish Free State as an independent dominion of the British Empire.
Persons influential in the history of the British Isles
[edit]National leaders
[edit]Monarchs
[edit]- List of English monarchs - List of English monarchs before the Acts of Union 1707.
- List of Scottish monarchs - List of Scottish monarchs before the Acts of Union 1707.
- List of British monarchs - List of British monarchs following the Acts of Union 1707.
Elected leaders
[edit]Timeline
[edit]The following is a timeline showing the major nations within the British Isles, or which controlled parts of the islands, over time.
Miscellaneous
[edit]See also
[edit]External links
[edit]
Media from Commons
Travel information from Wikivoyage
Data from Wikidata
