London. Контрольная работа.

Introduction

The subject of my discussion is «London». I’ve chosen this topic because it is actual, cognitive and very interesting. I have never been to England. My dream is to visit this remarkable country and to see all sights of London.
London is the capital of the United Kingdom. It is among the oldest of the world’s great cities—its history spanning nearly two millennia - and one of the most cosmopolitan. By far Britain’s largest metropolis, it is also the country’s economic, transportation, and cultural centre.
It is the most populous region of the country. Its history dates back over 2,000 years. During this time the city has underwent numerous outbreaks of plague, civil war, devastating fire, terrorist attacks and bombardments. Nevertheless, it has become one of the most beautiful, financially and culturally significant capitals in the world.

History of London

The official history of London begins around AD 43. At that time, it was a civilian town (Londinium), established by the Romans shortly after their invasion. In around AD 60 London was destroyed by the Iceni tribe. The city continued to grow normally after this conquest and soon Londinium’s population was almost 30,000. During the 2nd century the city was at its height. With the population of 60,000 it became the capital of Brittania. The Roman occupation of London became to an end by the 5th century.
The latter part of the first century saw a series of sackings before London became the center of Roman Britannia in 100 AD. The history of London England shows that by the seventh century the Anglo Saxons had established a new settlement called Ludenwic, close to where Londinium was situated.
In the year 1016 Canute the Great, a Viking king of England, Denmark, and several other countries, assumed control of the English throne. After his death in 1035 Edward the Confessor led a reversion back to Anglo Saxon control. Edward the Confessor, who was known as a pious king, established Westminster Abbey and the Palace of Westminster at this time in London. William the Conqueror, at the time the Duke of Normandy, ultimately took over the throne in 1066 after a victory at the Battle of Hastings. The oldest part of the Tower of London, the White Tower, was constructed in 1078 at William's request, both to protect London from outsiders and to protect the Normans from the London residents [5].
Many remarkable constructions were built during Norman and Medieval periods. For example, in 1097 the son of William the Conqueror started the building of Westminster Palace. The first bridge through the river Thames was built in 1176. Middle Age London was marked by a steady trade growth.
In 1216, Louis of France was crowned King of England during the First Barons’ War when the rebel forces pledged allegiance to him against King John. When John died, however, the rebels began to support his son Henry III and Louis withdrew from England. During these years there were several violent acts committed against London’s Jewish population and ended with them being exiled from the city by Edward I in 1290.
Despite strong cultural and linguistic influences, the development of early modern English allowed the population to form a separate culture that would eventually set the English culture apart from French culture in the coming medieval period. Due to the increase of trade in the Middle Ages, London rapidly grew as due to its location on the River Thames being ideal for commerce.
In 1485, Henry Tudor became King of England as Henry VII. When the second Tudor monarch, Henry VIII, came to power in 1491, there were some major changes in London as well as England as a whole through the significant event known as the English Reformation [2].
The English Reformation is the name given to the changes and events that took place in the country after the Church of England broke away from the Roman Catholic Church and the authority of the Pope. It is often believed that Henry VIII was provoked to make these changes after Pope Clement VII decided not to allow his annulment with Catherine of Aragon in 1534. Henry VIII then declared himself “Supreme Head on Earth of the Church of England” and the country then became largely Protestant.
Henry VIII died in 1547. In 1553, Edward VI died and Mary I became queen. In between Edwards’s death and Mary coming to the throne, Lady Jane Grey reigned for just nine days but was removed by Mary who had her beheaded.
In 1558, Elizabeth I, who was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, became the queen and brought the country into what historians like to call the golden age of English history and the peak of the English Renaissance. She was the last of the five Tudor monarchs.