The British Isles
Today I delve into the history of The British Isles. Why are there so many names? What’s the difference between England and Britain? What about The UK? Let’s learn about it all together today!
A Brief History
Roman control of the island ended in 410.
One reason the roman’s left was because of constant invasions from the Angles and the Saxons (Denmark/German border region).
The Angles and Saxons took control in around the year 450.
In 927, the country was united as the Kingdom of England. That’s when England first became a country.
Wales was conquered in the 13th Century,
In the 1530s, King Henry VIII made Wales have the same laws as England, making it more official.
Ireland became a kingdom of England in the 1540s.
Scotland and England eventually became one country in 1707 under Queen Anne.
1801 was the creation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
The Irish War of Independence ended with the separation of Ireland into northern and southern regions in 1922.
The northern region remained a part of the UK. The southern region became the Irish Free State.
In 2014, Scotland voted to leave the UK but lost by 55%. Brexit also made relations tricky, as the majority of Leave voters were from England, while Scotland and Northern Ireland largely voted to remain.
Today, you can freely travel between Wales, Scotland and England. The culture is fantastic to see as you travel through such a small country with such big differences. I highly recommend visiting these regions if you come to the island!
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