Практична робота № 3

Тема: Британія у XVIII столітті. Об'єднання з Шотландією. Встановлення

династії Гануверів. Промислова революція. Об'єднання з Ірландією. Суспільне

і культурне життя в XVIII столітті.

Мета: систематизувати вивчений матеріал, проаналізувати основні історичні події століття, діяльність визначних особистостей того часу.

Procedure

Task 1. Finish the sentences.

1. The 18^th century in Britain saw another "Hundred Years War" — the wars were carried _____________________________________________________________

2. The age of Queen Anne is called "Augustan Age" — the age of prosperity, because ____________________________________________________________________

3. The hostility and enmity between England and Scotland were the result of different factors:_________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________

4. The main рurposе of the Act of Union was________________________________

________________________________________________________________

5. The Hanover Dynasty was started by ____________________________________

6. King George let the Cabinet Government System shape because ______________

____________________________________________________________________

7. As the result of the War of Independence in American colonies, Britain__________

____________________________________________________________________

8. The main causes of the Industrial Revolution were _________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

9. The main changes caused by the Industrial Revolution in Britain were__________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10. The Union with Ireland was the result of _______________________________

____________________________________________________________________

11. The movement of Enlightenment was aimed at____________________________

____________________________________________________________________

Task 2. Here are the most important events of the 18^th century in Britain. Rank them in importance and explain your choice.

___________Union with Scotland

___________Loss of American colonies

___________The Industrial Revolution

___________Union with Ireland

___________Formation of the Cabinet Government System

The 19^th century HO

BRITAIN IN THE 19^ти CENTURY

Fighting for Workers' Rights. Chartism. Beginning from the 1820s English workers joined together in unions to straggle for their rights and better wages. The first workers' unions appeared. The cheap postage system, when a letter could be sent for one penny to any part of Britain, helped much to organise workers' unions all over the country. In 1834, the Grand National Consolidated Trades Union was formed to unite different trade unions in the country. It organised petitions and mass demonstrations of workers. So, step by step English workers were learning how to defend their economic and social rights. In 1838, the workers' unions worked out a document called a People's Charter. It was produced to formulate the rights that are now accepted by everyone: the vote for adults, the right for a man without property to become an MP, secret voting, payment for MPs, general parliamentary election every year and equal electoral districts. Chartism as a movement was not unanimous — there were revolutionists who called for physical violence, other people were for agrarian reform or the control of industry. Chartism spread like fire, bringing strikers and riots in Lancashire, Yorkshire and the Midlands. Many trade unions, joined the national Chartist Association, there were more than 50,000 people in it. The movement became more and more radical.

The Victorian Age

In 1837, King William IV was succeeded by his 18-year-old niece Victoria, who reigned for the longest period in English history — from 1837 to 1901. Her reigned coincided with great changes in the lives of the British — Britain developed the biggest empire the world had ever seen, social and economic conditions in the country changed, the power of monarchy declined. At the same time Victoria symbolised British suc­cess in the world and embodied all popular morals of the time — she was religious, hardworking, a devoted wife of Prince Albert and caring mother of nine children. Victoria became an example to her people in different matters and the period of her reign — "the Victorian Age" still remains an example of success and stability. Government. During Victoria's reign the government became more independent — Prime Ministers were chosen without Queen's approval and royal influence on government matters lessened. The development of two-party system led to the new method of forming the govern­ment — now it was formed by the party, who won the elections. The limitation of royal power at home directed Queen's influence more to foreign affairs, where she often mediated political crises. In Do­minions, where self-government was established, she remained the Head of the State. Social Life. The Victorian Age changed life conditions of British people — partially because of increasing wealth in the country, par­tially due to provided reforms. The increasing wealth let apply science to practical uses — trains and electric telegraphs changed the speed of communication. The number of people belonging to the middle class greatly increased. They constituted a bulk of the British society and included people working in the Church, the law, medicine, the civil service, banks, army and navy. These self-made men believed in hard work and regular style of life — everything which was embodied in Queen Victoria! The reforms of the period provided new changes in the town life. In 1829, a regular police force was established in London and during the next thirty years it spread all over the country, making life safer. In dirty towns specially appointed health-officers kept an eye on sewerage and clean water. These measures helped to reduce the level of disease. Parliamentary reforms also increased the number of voters from 20 % to 70 % including the representatives of the working class. This fact and the growth of newspaper publishing strengthened the importance of public opinion and led to the growth of democracy. The time in general was very remarkable because of the change in thinking — more and more attention was given to the well-being of the community and ordinary people. Science and Arts in the Victorian Age. This second part of the 19^th cen­tury was a period of scientific discoveries and inventions, which changed lives of people: Joseph Lister developed antiseptic surgery; J. J. Thompson probed the structure of the atom; Charles Darwin developed a theory of evolution; Organic Chemistry was transformed into biochemistry. Changes in science and society structure affected the way of think­ing—in literature new names as Bernard Shaw, Charles Dickens, Charlotte and Emily Bronte, Thomas Hardy appeared. They depicted strengths and weaknesses of the period.

Britain - "the Workshop of the World"

By the 1850s, Britain established a dominant position in the world trade and industry. British industry produced iron, coal, textiles, iron goods and many other items that couldn't be rivaled by other developed nations as Prussia, France and the USA. By 1850, Britain's volume of external trade was greater than that of Germany, France and Italy put together and three times greater than that of the USA. The pride of Britain and example of her economic growth was the system of railways which had no analogues in the world at that time. By 1840, the railways connected all parts of Great Britain — they reached not only important industrial centres, but also economically unimportant towns. In 1851, the British government organised the first world exhibition called the Great Exhibition. It included show-pieces of industrial progress from many nations, but chief among them were things made in Britain — "the workshop of the world". This exhibition displayed British supremacy and manufacturing achievements from all over the world. Till the 1890s, Britain remained the most developed industrial country in the world until she lost this supremacy — first to the United State and then to Germany. Free trade policy of laisser-fair made British goods really cheap, so they spread all over the world.

British Empire

The second half of the 19^th century saw the immense growth and rise of the British Empire, which continued to the middle of the 20th century. The Empire began its development from the Tudor times, when the great Queen Elizabeth I supported merchant adventurers and new colonists, who settled overseas territories by migration.The new colonies across the Atlantic Ocean became a source of real profit for England — they supplied raw materials necessary for developing industry and got British goods in exchange. The Tudor and Stuart monar­chies kept a tight hold on the colonies, regarding them as a direct source of wealth for the home country. While the old colonies like Canada and Australia were starting to develop their own economies to become the virtually independent Dominions, the new countries were conquered and enslaved. India, the West Indies and the African colonies became subordinate to Britain; they served as a source of cheap raw materials and as markets for British goods. These goods ruined the native handicraft industries.Colonial aggression changed the attitude of the British towards the empire builders. If before colonies were regarded as places for settlement, beginning from the middle of the 19^th century, they became a matter of destiny. The British now governed the bigger part of the world, their culture and civilisation became a model. By the eve of World War II protectorates and dependencies of the British Empire covered one-quarter of the earth surface and population.