Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Henry “divorced” England from the Catholic Church, establishing the Protestant
Church of England (the Anglican Church) and setting in motion years of religious
squabbles. He also “dissolved” the monasteries (c. 1540), left just the shells of many
formerly glorious abbeys dotting the countryside, and pocketed their land and wealth for
Get It Right
Americans tend to use “England,” “Britain,” and the “United Kingdom” (or “UK”)
interchangeably, but they're not quite the same.
•
England
is the country occupying the center and southeast part of the island.
•
Britain
is the name of the island.
•
Great Britain
is the political union of the island's three countries: England, Scot-
land, and Wales.
• The
United Kingdom
(UK) adds a fourth country, Northern Ireland.
• The
British Isles
(not a political entity) also includes the independent Republic
of Ireland.
• The
British Commonwealth
is a loose association of possessions and former
colonies (including Canada, Australia, and India) that profess at least symbolic
loyalty to the Crown.
You can call the modern nation either the United Kingdom (“the UK”), “Great Bri-
tain,” or simply “Britain.”
Henry's daughter, Queen Elizabeth I, who reigned for 45 years, made England a great
trading and naval power (defeating the Spanish Armada) and presided over the Elizabeth-
an era of great writers (such as William Shakespeare) and scientists (such as Sir Francis
Bacon). But Elizabeth never married, so the English Parliament asked the Protestant ruler
to the north, Scotland's King James (Elizabeth's first cousin twice removed), if he'd like
to inherit the English throne. The two nations have been tied together, however fitfully,
ever since (though recent stirrings toward Scottish independence may indeed shake up this
long-standing union).
The enduring quarrel between England's divine-right kings and Parliament's nobles
finally erupted into a civil war (1643). Parliament forces under the Protestant Puritan
farmer Oliver Cromwell defeated—and beheaded—King Charles I. This civil war left its
mark on much of what you'll see in Britain. Eventually, Parliament invited Charles' son
