1. History of London

2. Roman London
• Londinium was established as a civilian town by the
Romans about seven years after the invasion of AD 43.
• During the 2nd century Londinium was at its height
and replaced Colchester as the capital of Roman Britain
(Britannia).
– Its population was around 60,000 inhabitants
• At some time between 190 and 225 AD the Romans
built the defensive London Wall
– The wall would survive for another 1,600 years and define
London's perimeter for centuries to come.
• By the 5th century the Roman Empire was in rapid
decline, and in 410 AD the Roman occupation of Britain
came to an end. Following this, London also went into
rapid decline and by the end of the century was
practically abandoned.

3. Anglo-Saxon London
• It was a trading settlement for the Anglo-Saxons
and only had a population of 12000.
• Became a very important city in many battles for
control of England during this time period.
• It was attacked many times by invading armies
– Such as the Danish and the Normans
• Was the site of a major defeat of the English to
the Normans and signaled the beginning of the
Norman occupation/control of England.
– William the Conqueror was crowned King of England
in London

4. Norman London
• The new Norman regime established new
fortresses within the city to dominate the native
population.
– By far the most important of these was the Tower of
London
• In 1176 construction began of the most famous
incarnation of London Bridge (completed in 1209)
• Was the capital for the new Norman Kings.
• The city would figure heavily in the development
of Early Modern English.
• Medieval London was made up of narrow and
twisting streets, and most of the buildings were
made from materials such as wood and straw,
which made fire a constant threat, while
sanitation in cities was poor.

5. Tudor London (1485-1603)
• During the Reformation London was the main
early center of Protestantism in England.
– The English Reformation was the series of events
in 16th-century England by which the Church of
England broke away from the authority of the
Pope and the Roman Catholic Church.
• The period saw London was rapidly rising in
importance amongst Europe's commercial
centres. Trade expanded beyond Western
Europe to Russia, the Levant, and the
Americas.

6. Tutors London Continued
• Immigrants arrived in London from abroad.
The population rose from an estimated 50,000
in 1530 to about 225,000 in 1605 .The growth
of the population and wealth of London was
fuelled by a vast expansion in the use of
coastal shipping.
• The late 16th and early 17th century saw the
great flourishing of drama in London whose
preeminent figure was William Shakespeare.

7. 18th century
• The 18th century was a period of rapid growth
for London, reflecting an increasing national
population, the early stirrings of the Industrial
Revolution, and London's role at the centre of
the evolving British Empire.
• In 1707 an Act of Union was passed merging
the Scottish and the English Parliaments, thus
establishing The Kingdom of Great Britain.

8. 19th century
• During the 19th century, London was
transformed into the world's largest city and
capital of the British Empire.
• Its population expanded from 1 million in 1800
to 6.7 million a century later. During this period,
London became a global political, financial, and
trading capital.
– In this position, it was largely unrivalled until the
latter part of the century, when Paris and New York
began to threaten its dominance.
• Was a center for the Enlightenment era in
Western Europe

9. 19th Century Con.
• Many famous buildings and landmarks of
London were constructed during the 19th
century including:
• Trafalgar Square
• Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament
• The Royal Albert Hall
• The Victoria and Albert Museum
• Tower Bridge

10. London’s Importance on Youth Culture
• Starting in the mid-1960s, and partly as a result
of the success of such UK musicians as the
Beatles and the Rolling Stones, London became a
centre for the worldwide youth culture,
exemplified by the Swinging London subculture
which made Carnaby Street a household name of
youth fashion around the world.
• London's role as a trendsetter for youth fashion
was revived strongly in the 1980s during the New
Wave and Punk eras. In the mid-1990s this was
revived to some extent with the emergence of
the Britpop era.