Year 8
The English Civil War:
The English Civil War - Revison Guide on BBC Bitesize - revision guide, short video and 10 question test
King Charles I - 1600 - 1649 - a 7 minute overview video from the Channel 5 series 'Kings & Queens'
King Charles I - 1600 - 1649 - an 8 minute video of Charles' rule and reasons for the the Civil War from the above series.
King Charles I - 1600 - 1649 - an 8 minute video of the English Civil War from the above Channel 5 series
Civil War - a 7 minute overview video of the English Civil War from the BBC's Timelines series
The Trial of King Charles I - a 6 minute You Tube clip from the BBC's 'By the Sword Divided'
Oliver Cromwell - an 8 minute video from the BBC's Timelines series on the rule of Oliver Cromwell
King Charles I - 1600 - 1649 - a 7 minute overview video from the Channel 5 series 'Kings & Queens'
King Charles I - 1600 - 1649 - an 8 minute video of Charles' rule and reasons for the the Civil War from the above series.
King Charles I - 1600 - 1649 - an 8 minute video of the English Civil War from the above Channel 5 series
Civil War - a 7 minute overview video of the English Civil War from the BBC's Timelines series
The Trial of King Charles I - a 6 minute You Tube clip from the BBC's 'By the Sword Divided'
Oliver Cromwell - an 8 minute video from the BBC's Timelines series on the rule of Oliver Cromwell
The English Civil War
Definition:
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A Civil War is a fight between two groups in the same country.
The English Civil War was fought between the Royalists, supporting King Charles I, and the Parliamentarians, fighting for Parliament. In 1649 King Charles was executed by Parliament, and later Oliver Cromwell took over from Parliament and ruled England, before the monarchy (having a King or Queen) was restored with King Charles II. The period is very important for understanding how the United Kingdom's democracy came about, by reducing the power of the Monarch (King or Queen) and making Parliament more important. |
Reasons for the English Civil War:
Religion:
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Most of the people in England were Protestant Christians, however, King Charles I appeared to want to change the country's religion back towards being Catholic Christian.
King Charles married a French Catholic Princess, Henrietta Maria - the people feared that this would mean they would bring their children up to be Catholics, and so the future Kings and Queens would be Catholic. King Charles wanted the churches to be redecorated, so that rather than being plain in the Protestant style they would be colourful with statues of the Virgin Mary and the Saints, as in a Catholic Church. King Charles tried to force the people in Scotland to use the English Prayer Book, this was seen as more Catholic, than the more Protestant form of religion that Scotland was using. King Charles also believed in the 'Divine Right of Kings', that he was chosen by God to rule, and so he could choose to do whatever he liked, because this is what God wanted. We must remember that back in the 1600s religion was very important to people, and people were very concerned about what would happen in the afterlife - they feared that if they didn't follow God's teachings properly they wouldn't go to heaven - this means that changes to religion may make them angry enough to want to fight the King! |
Money:
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Charles I wanted to fight wars with Scotland and France, and so needed money - and rulers who want money to spend on such things don't do this out of their own money, they tax the people of the country.
Charles I raised taxes and found inventive ways to raise money to spend on such wars. Charles I decided that 'Ship Money', or the 'Ship Tax, should be paid by everyone in the country. Traditionally, Ship Money was only paid for by the ports who kept the ships in times of war - now everybody was having to pay it. Charles I made it law that any wealthy person visiting London would have to pay £1,000. It was also found that he used this money to give his wife a gift worth £30,000. Charles started a war with Scotland, that went badly, so much so that the Scots invaded Northern Enhgland and Charles had to pay the Scots to go back to Scotland. Charles also found other ways to fine people, for example, fines for owning property and not applying to be a Knight. These were important, because the people didn't support these wars, they were having to pay for them, and it was the people who would fight in these wars. People who were losing money, the rich becoming less wealthy, or ordinary people struggling to pay for necessities, might become so angry that they would take up arms against the King. |
Power:
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There was a struggle for power between Charles I who wanted to rule without having to listen to Parliament, and Parliament who wanted more of a say over decisions such as taxation and laws.
In 1629 Charles dismissed Parliament for 11 years, and apointed the Earl of Strafford as his advisor, the people hated Strafford calling him 'Black Tom Tyrant'. In 1640 when Parliament was recalled by Charles, the first thing it did was present the King with a list of demands that had to be met before they would collect taxes for the King again - they even pushed the King to execute Strafford. In 1641 and 1642 Parliament were making more demands such as the Nineteen Propositions, which would have given Parliament more power than the King, the Charles refused. Some members of Parliament such as John Pym and Oliver Cromwell were radicals, who wanted the monarchy (kings and queens) abolished (got rid of); they were also Puritans who wanted to see their strict form of Christianity throughout England. In 1642 Charles stormed into Parliament with soldiers and tried to arrest 5 MPs who had criticised him, this was against Parliamentary Privilege (the MPs having free speech in Parliament) the MPs escaped. In 1642 Charles declared war on Parliament, raising his standard (his battle flag) at Nottingham, calling on his subjects to defend the King and declaring Parliament to be traitors. |
Linking:
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A suggested link between two of these factors could be between - Religion and Power:
It was Charles' religious belief in the 'Divine Right of Kings' and that he was chosen by God, that led to him not wanting to share power and listen to Parliament when deciding laws and taxes. It was the religious beliefs of the Radical MPs in Parliament that led to them wanting to abolish the monarchy, and only Parliament deciding laws and taxes. This was so that they could get rid of a King who appeared to be wanting to make England more Catholic and then put in place laws to make the country Puritan, their strict form of Christianity. Can you find any others? |
Reasons why Parliament won the Battle of Naseby / English Civil War:
Royalist Mistakes
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Evidence 1: Prince Rupert was overconfident in the battle and allowed his cavalry to charge after a unit of Roundheads when they thought they had won and off the battlefield.
Evidence 2: King Charles went to lead his unit of men into the battle to assist the other Cavaliers, but a commander pulled him back to save him, the Royalists saw their King retreat. |
Explanation 1: Prince Rupert’s cavalry didn’t turn to fight the other Roundheads and outnumber them.
Explanation 2: The rest of the Royalists also began to retreat and gave up fighting, so they were no longer fighting as a team and could be killed one by one. |
Parliament’s Commanders were highly skilled
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Evidence 1: Cromwell ordered a group of cavalry to sneak up on Prince Rupert’s cavalry behind hedges and fire at them.
Evidence 2: Cromwell kept his cavalry unit organised, dividing them so that a part chased Royalists fleeing and the rest turned to help other Roundheads. |
Explanation 1: This reduced the number of Royalist cavalry before the battle and forced them to advance.
Explanation 2: This meant the Roundheads could surround the Cavaliers and defeat them. |
Parliament was better prepared
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Evidence 1: Parliament managed to bring more troops to the battle than Charles did. Charles nephew Prince Rupert led an army of 7,400 men against Parliament’s 13,500. The Royalists were almost outnumbered 2 to 1.
Evidence 2: They controlled the richest areas, like London, and the Navy and so controlled trade. They also controlled the area that bred the best horses. |
Explanation 1: Each Royalist was fighting against two men and likely to lose.
Explanation 2: With more money they could afford the best weaponry available and their cavalry would be stronger and quicker. |
Parliament’s New Model Army was highly organised
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Evidence 1: Parliament had great control over their troops. The New Model Army was obedient and did not suffer from any overconfidence or stubbornness. They also fought for their Protestant belief.
Evidence 2: The New Model Army was arguably the best army in Europe at the time. Its professional soldiers were too strong for the forces arranged against them. And the commanders gained their position on ability not title. |
Explanation 1: The soldiers would be determined and do as their commanders wanted.
Explanation 2: Paid soldiers keep fighting for more money. The commanders had shown they could win before and knew their military tactics. |
Linking:
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A suggested link between two of these factors could be betwen - Parliament's New Model Army was highly organised and Parliament's commanders were highly skilled.
The New Model Army appointed its officers on the basis of their skill rather than their nobility and titles. So, officers had to prove themselves in numerous battles in order to rise through the ranks, rather than becoming an officer because they were the son of a Lord or the King's relative. They were veterans. This meant that officers like Cromwell were able to come up with advantageous tactics based on their experience, such as sending a cavalry unit behind the hedges, it also meant he was able to keep control of his unit after defeating a Royalist one, and turning to surround another Royalist unit. Whereas, Prince Rupert just chased a defeated Parliamentary unit off the field, and took no further part in the battle. Can you find any others? |
The Slave Trade:
The Slave Trade - Revision Guide on BBC Bitesize - revison guide, embedded videos and 10 question test
Empire and Industry:
THE BRITISH EMPIRE:
How Britain gained control of India - BBC Teach - 4 minute video by Jeremy Paxman
The East India Company - BBC Timelines video - 5 minute video from BBC Timelines series
Why India was so valuable to Britain - BBC Teach - 3 minute video by Jeremy Paxman
Legacy of the British Empire - BBC Teach - 3 minute video by Jeremy Paxman
Role of Money & Trade in the British Empire - BBC Teach - 6 minute video by Jeremy Paxman (includes section on Slave Trade)
INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION:
London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony - Video of the Opening Ceremony focusing on the Industrial Revolution.
The Industrial Revolution - BBC Teach - 7 minute video from Andrew Marr's 'History of the World'
Turning Points in History - You Tube - 4 minute video showing the changes caused by the Industrial Revolution
Life before Railways - BBC Teach - 8 minute clip from Dan Snow's BBC series 'History of Railways'
The World that Railways Made - BBC Teach - 10 minute clip from Dan Snow's BBC series 'History of the Railways'
How Britain gained control of India - BBC Teach - 4 minute video by Jeremy Paxman
The East India Company - BBC Timelines video - 5 minute video from BBC Timelines series
Why India was so valuable to Britain - BBC Teach - 3 minute video by Jeremy Paxman
Legacy of the British Empire - BBC Teach - 3 minute video by Jeremy Paxman
Role of Money & Trade in the British Empire - BBC Teach - 6 minute video by Jeremy Paxman (includes section on Slave Trade)
INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION:
London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony - Video of the Opening Ceremony focusing on the Industrial Revolution.
The Industrial Revolution - BBC Teach - 7 minute video from Andrew Marr's 'History of the World'
Turning Points in History - You Tube - 4 minute video showing the changes caused by the Industrial Revolution
Life before Railways - BBC Teach - 8 minute clip from Dan Snow's BBC series 'History of Railways'
The World that Railways Made - BBC Teach - 10 minute clip from Dan Snow's BBC series 'History of the Railways'
Rebels and Reformers:
UK:
USA:
Civil Rights - Definition and Examples - Encyclopaedia Brittanica pages
Civil Rights - Definition and More - Brittanica Kids
Civil Rights - Definition and Topic Links - US Educational website Ducksters.com
Martin Luther King, Jr.- Biography Video
Martin Luther King, Jr. Impact - 5 points from Popsugar news on a recent Martin Luther KIng Day
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Born: January 15th 1929, Atlanta Georgia.
Died: April 4th 1968, assassinated by gunshot, Memphis, Tennessee.
Married: Coretta Scott in 1953
Children: Yolanda, Martin, Dexter, Bernice
Awards: Nobel Peace Prize 1964
- Originally called Michael, however, when his father visited Germany and learned about the priest whose actions led to Protestantism, he changed his name and his son's to Martin Luther King.
- His father and grandfather were Baptist Ministers (priests/vicars of the Baptist form of Protestant Christianity)
- When his Grandmother had an accident and he thought she was dead, he blamed himself and attempted suicide by throwing himself out of an upstairs window. He heard the calls that she was alive, and he got up.
- As a young child he had a white boy as a friend, but when they had to go to different schools, and the whiye boy's parents stopped their son playing with Martin. His family explained to him about racism and slavery, he felt he had to white people, but his parents itold him it was his Christian duty to love all people.
- He saw his father resist segragation in small private ways and more publicly by leadiing African-Americans in a march to end Voting Rights discrimination at the City Hall.
- He learned hymns and verses from the Bible, and gained a large vocabulary by learning from dictionaries.
- He attempted suicide for a second time when his Grandmother died, whilst he had snuck away to see a parade - again blaming his own actions.
- As a teenager he resents whites for the discrimination his family faces.
- He becomes known for his public-speaking ability and becomes a member of his school's debate team. He wins an award with a speech on racism, and on the way home the bus driver tells him to give up his seat for whites he refuses but his teacher says it is breaking the law. It said it was the angriest he had ever been.
- He began to doubt his Faith.
- At college he reconciled himself to his Faith, deciding to become a Baptist Minister as the way to fulfil his urge to serve humanity. He gradated from college with a B.A. in Sociology - later gaininh his Bachelor of Divinity degree in 1951 (for studies into Christianity)., before gaining a d Doctorate, PhD in 1955.
- He had hoped to marry a white woman, but he was advised against it due to the repercussions it would bring fromboth white and black communities, and prevent him from beginning a Minister - heartbroken he called off the relationship.
- Though Coreatta Scott who became his wife had been an activist at Univeristy, Martin limited her role in the Civil Rights Movement, to being a supportive housewife and mother.
- Montgomery Bus Boycott, 1955 - Martin led the Bus Boycott that was sparked by the refusal of Rosa Parks to give up her seat on a bus, a similar action had been carried out by teeange Claudette Colvin months before though Martin and others decided not to act at that point. The people of Montgomery, refused to use the buses for 385 days, and in the end the local courts ended the racial segragation on the buses. It was a campaign that made Martin Luther king a national figure, and leader of the Civil Rights movement. During the campaign his house was fire-bombed and he was arrested.
- Martin became the leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, where he began to speak to national audiencees.
- In 1958 whilst signing books he was stabbed by a mentally ill woman, and had to spend weeks in hospital.
- King called upon President Kennedy, to issue a Second Emancipation Proclamation, to follow in the footsteps of Abraham Lincoln, to end segregation, as Lincoln did for slavery. Kennedy refused calling for King to break off the campaign's links with Communists for fear they would undermine his policies. Kennedy authorised the FBI to wire-tap the Civil Rights leaders including King, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover tried to use the details discovered to discredit Martin.
- Martin chose to use Non-Violent tactics for both moral and tactical reasons, morally to follow the principles of Mahatma Gandhi's faith based protest in India, and tactically to gain media coverage and support from African-Americans and Whites. He deliberately chose peaceful protests in locations that would lead to intense stand-offs with segregationist officials that could turn violent, to gain more coverage, and demonstrate the nature of a lack of Civil Rights.
- He was criticised by other Civil Roights leaders, such as Malcolm X, for losing touch with ordinary African Americans when he began to have contacts with wealthy Whites and politicians, as well as for his message of integration, with Malcolm X saw as denying African-American culture.
- March on Washington 1963 - with over 250,000 protestors from all ethnicities, Martin Luther King Jr, made his 'I Have a Dream' speech at the Lincoln Memorial to crowds fanning along the National Mall and the Reflecting Pool. The march focused on racial harmony, and was backed by President Kennedy who also worked for the march to be a success. The 'I Have a Dream' speech, though not necessarily whar Martin was originally going to say is one of the most famous speeches ever made. It aided the profile of Civil Rights in America, as was instrumental in the achievement of the Civil Rights Act in 1964, following the death of President Kennedy, and passed by President Lyndon B. Johnson.
- In 1965 King led the march on Selma's State Capital (Parliament Building) for equal Voting Rights - this is seen in the film Selma. In 1965 President Johnson signed into law the 1965 Voting Rights Act - preventing discrimination in state voting laws.
- King widened out his protests from Civil Rights for African Americans to the concerns of all Poor Americans, with marches for housing and the 1968 Poor People's Campaign, as well as opposition to the Vietnam War.
- On April 4th 1968, Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated. The day before he had given a speech 'I Have been to the Mountaintop', his flight from Memphis had been delayed due to a bomb threat - the speech is seen as prophetic as he spoke about the threats against him, and that he may not make it to the 'promised land' but he had been allowed by God to see it.
Malcolm X - Biography Video
Malcolm X Impact - Spelling Errors but still useful
Malcolm X
Born: May 19th 1925, Omaha, Nebraska..
Died: February 21st, 1965 assinated by gunshot, New York City.
Married: Betty Shabazz. 1958
Children: Attallah, Qubilah, Ilyasah, Gamilah Lumumba, Malikah and Malaak
- Originally named Malcolm Litlle.
- Father was a Baptist Minister, and his mother and father were admirers of the Pan-African Movement's leader Marcus Garvey. Both took roles in the United Negro Improvement Association, and passed the idea of Black pride and self-reliance onto their children.
- His family was affected by white racist violence, from the Ku Klux Klan and other groups, with the family's home being burned, and leading to moves across the country. He later said four of his father's brothers, his uncles had been killed by white violence.
- When Malcolm was 6 his father was killed in a streetcar accident, which his mother believed was due to a Whit racist group. His mother had a nervous breakdown, and was admitted to the local state hoispital, and Malcolm and his siblings were separated and put in foster homes.
- Malcolm did well at Junior School, but dropped out of High School, after a teacher had told him to be 'realistic' about his wish to be a lawyer, as it wasn't a job for a black person.
- From 14-21 he held down a variety of jobs, before moving to New York, where he became a petty criminal . He avoided conscription in World War Two, by feigning mental disturbance. He was sent to prison for criminal activity ifor 8 to 10 years.
- In prison Malcolm began to read widely. His sblings encouraged him to join the Nation of Islam, led by Elijah Muhammad. He became a member of the group, whose beliefs were in line with his experience of White people as 'devils', also taught Black self-reliance and a return to Africa. Malcolm kept in contact with the group's leader by mail.
- Malcolm changed his name from Malcolm Little, to Malcolm X, as Little was a name given by a White slave-owner to his fore-fathers instead of their original African name, which Malcolm could not know.
- Out of prison he became actively involved in the Nation of Islam, leading and establishing Temples, and expanding their memberships - as a good speaker.
- Marries Betty Sanders in January 1958.
- Malcolm X gained national attention in 1957, with the Hinton Johsnon Incident, after he led a crowd to see and speak to a member of the Nation of Islam, who had been beaten by police after intervening to try and stop the New York police trying to beat another African American. After police reluctance, the police allowed Malcolm to see the man and arrange for him to go to hospital. The large crowd dispersed peacefully when Malcolm gave a signal to.
- By the end of the 1950s he was gaining television coverage, and in 1960 he was invited to meet African leaders, ad th leader of Cuba at the headquarters of the United Nationa in New York.
- Malcolm called for a separation from White society for African Americans, and a return to Africa. He also taught that Black people should be proud of who they are, and not accept the teaching of White society that they are inferior. He argued that this could be done 'By Any Means Necessary',, going against non-violent protest.
- Malcolm became disillusioned with the Nation of Islam and broke away from it, He disagreed with a strategy tht didn't respond to police violence in Los Angeles, the leader of the Nation of Islam having affairs. In 1964 he left the group.
- Malcolm then converted to Sunni Islam and went on the Hajj, the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca. At Mecca he saw Muslims of all different colours interacting, as equals, and then believd that Islam could be the way to overcome racial problems.
- On his visits to Africa he had met most of the key African leaders. On his visits to the UK he spoke at the Oxford Union, with links to Oxford University, with the debate broadcast on the BBC.
- Aware of threats aginst his life, Malcolm was assassinated by members of the Nation of Islam in 1965, upset at his influence and moves towards more traditional Islam.
- Malcolm X was important to raising the self-belief of African Americans, in themselves as people and their African heritage.