2012级第一学期英美概况复习资料.doc

Part 1 1. the Hardian’s Wall: It was one of the two great walls built by the Romans to keep the Picts out of the area they had conquered. 2. Alfred the Great Alfred was a strong king of the wisemen. It was created by the Anglo-Saxons to advise the king. It’s the basis of the Privy Council which still exists today. 3. William the Conqueror William was Duke of Normandy. He landed his army in Oct, 1066 and defeated king Harold. Then he was crowned king of England on Christams Day the same year. He established a strong Norman government and the feudal system in England. 4. the battle of Hastings In 1066, King Edward died with no heir, the Witan chose Harold as king. William, Duke of Normandy, invaded England. On October 14, the two armies met near Hasting. After a day’s battle, Harold was killed and his army completely defeated. So this battle was very important on the way of the Roman conquest. 5. the Great Charter King John’s reign caused much discontent among the barons. In 1215, he was forced to sign a document, known as Mangna Cara, or the Great Charter. It has 63 clauses. Though it has long been regarded as the foundation of English liberities, its spirit was the limitation of the king’s powers, keeping them within the bounds of the feudal law of the land. 6. the Hundred Years’ War It referred to the intermittent war between France and England that last from 1337 to 1453. The causes were partly territorial and partly economic. When Edward III claimed the French Crown but the French refused to recognize, the war broke out. At first the English were successful, but in the end, they were defeated and lost almost all their possessions in France. The expelling of the English was a blessing for both countries. 7. Joan of Arc She was a national heroine of France during the Hundred Years’ War. She successfully led the French to drive the English out of France. 8. the Black Death It was the deadly bubonic plague who spread through Europe in the 14th century. It swep