1603 1660

In 1603, Elizabeth I. died, James IV. of Scotland becomes James I. of England and Scotland was united with England. James I. was a Scotish Catolic who believed in the "Divine Right" to rule as he pleased. This brought him into conflict with the English Parliament. The failed Catholic Gunpowder Plot to blow up Parliament in 1605 led to anti-catholic riots. The failure of both James and his son Charles I. to understand the English tradition of parliamentary liberty led eventually to civil war (1642 1649). When James I. died in 1625, Charles I. came into conflict with Parliament and he tried to rule without summoning Parliament for 11 years. When he run out of Money, he summoned Parliament but they refused him money and country split between supporters of the king and supporters of Parliament. When Charles I. in 1642 failed in attempt to arrest five members of Parliament Civil War begins with battle of Edgehill between Royalists and Parliamentarians. The victorious Army of Parliament was led by Oliver Cromwell. When the Republic was established, Charles I. was beheaded. In 1650, Charles II. is proclaimed a king and Oliver Cromwell becomes Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland.When he died in 1658, he was suceeded by his son Richard who sent Charles II to exil.

1660 1715
Cromwell's failure to put in place a workable alternative to the monarchy, resulted in the country bringing back from exile the monarchy in the form of Charles II, son of the beheaded Charles I. Soon after Charles succession Britain had two major catastrophes - the Plague in 1665 and the Great Fire of London (right) the following year. In 1666, a big part of London was destroyed by the great fire which swept through the central parts of London. The great fire started at the bakery of Thomas Farriner on Pudding Lane, shortly after midnight on Sunday, 2 September, and it spread rapidly west across the City of London. The fire gutted the medieval City of London. It threatened but not reach the aristocratic district of Westminster. It also consumed 13,200 houses, 87 parish churches, St. Paul's Cathedral, and most of the buildings of the City authorities. It is estimated that it destroyed the homes of 70,000 of the City's ca. 80,000 inhabitants. In 1689 William III and Mary II become monarchs of England and Scotland. When Mary died in 1694, King William ruled alone. In this year, a Bank of England has been founded. In 1702 king William dies too in a riding accident. He is succeeded by his sister-in-law, Queen Anne. England declares war on France as part of the War of the Spanish Succession. The Act of Union from 1707 united the kingdoms of England and Scotland. In 1714 Queen Anne died at Kensington Palace and new parliament was elected with a strong Whig majority.

1715 1815
In 1716 The Septennial Act set General Elections to be held every seven years. In 1717 there was a split of the Whig party. In 1726 was opened the firs library in Britain (in Edinburgh). Jonathan Swift published his 'Gulliver's Travels'. Year after that, British scientist Isaac Newton died. Year 1752 is very important because of adoption of the Gregorian calendar in Britain. The Gregorian calendar reform contained two parts, a reform of the Julian calendar as used up to Pope Gregory's time, together with a reform of the lunar cycle used by the Church along with the Julian calendar for calculating dates of Easter. In 1756 another war begun and it was called The Seven Years War which ended by the Peace of Paris. Next years are full of very important discoveries, for example James Watt and his patent of a Steam Engine, Captain James Cook's first voyage to explore the Pacific or that The Encyclopedia Britannica is first published. On 4th July 1776 the American Congress passed their Declaration of Independence from Britain. Edward Gibbons' published his 'Decline and Fall' and Adam Smith, his 'Wealth of Nations'. In 1792 Coal gas is used for lighting for the first time. In 1803 Napoleonic wars started and Britain declared war on France. This war conflict continued to 1815 when Napoleon was defeated in Waterloo. Meanwhile, Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice' is published.

1815 1900
In 1823 The Royal Academy of Music is established in London. The British Museum is extended and extensively rebuilt to house an expanding collection. The World's first railway service, was opened in 1825. It was 26 miles (40 km) long, and was built between Darlington and Stockton-on-Tees. Then in 1830 was opened The Manchester Railway. In 1831 it was apparent that the old London Bridge by then over 600 years old needed to be replaced. It was narrow and decrepit, and blocked river traffic. The bridge was eventually replaced by a structure of five stone arches, designed by engineer John Rennie. The Slavery Abolition Act from 1833 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom abolishing slavery throughout most of the British Empire. The Act was repealed in 1998 as part of a wider rationalisation of English statute law, but later anti-slavery legislation remains in-force. In 1837 died King William IV at Windsor and he was succeeded by his niece, Victoria who became one of the most popular queens and the time of her reign is known as a Victorian era and was also the longest of any female monarch in history (63 years and 7 months) until her death in 1901. She was succeeded by her son, Prince Albert, as King Edward VII.