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The Leading Facts of History Series
The Leading Facts of English History
by D. H. Montgomery
"Nothing in the past is dead to the man who would learn how thepresent came to be what it is." — Stubbs, "Constitutional History ofEngland"
Revised Edition
Ginn and Company
Boston - New York - Chicago - London
Copyright, 1887, 1889, 1898, 1901, 1912, by D.H. Montgomery
Entered at Stationers' Hall
All Rights Reserved
313.8
The Athenaeum Press
Ginn and Company - Proprietors - Boston - U.S.A.
I dedicate this bookto the memory of my friendJ.J.M.who generously gave time, laborand valuable suggestionstoward the preparation of the first editionfor the press
Preface
Most of the materials for this book were gathered by the writer duringseveral years' residence in England.
The attempt is here made to present them in a manner that shallillustrate the law of national growth, in the light thrown upon it bythe foremost English historians. The present edition has beencarefully revised throughout, and, to a considerable extent,rewritten.
The authorities for the different periods will be found in theClassified List of Books in the Appendix; but the author desires toparticularly acknowledge his indebtedness to the works of Bright,Brewer, Gardiner, Guest, Green, Lingard, Oman, and Traill; to thesource books of Lee and of Kendall; and to the constitutionalhistories of Stubbs, Hallam, May, and Taswell-Langmead.
The author's hearty thanks are due to the late Professor W. F. Allen,of The University of Wisconsin; Professor Philip Van Ness Myers, ofCollege Hill, Ohio; Professor George W. Knight, of Ohio StateUniversity; and to a number of teachers and friends for many valuablesuggestions which they have kindly made.
David H. Montgomery
Contents
Leading Dates xviii
Period
I. Britain before Written History began
II. The Geography of England in Relation to its History
III. Roman Britain; A Civilization which did not civilize
IV. The Coming of the Saxons[1]; the Coming of the Normans
V. The Norman Sovereigns[1]
VI. The Angevins, or Plantagenets; Rise of the English Nation[1]
VII. The Self-Destruction of Feudalism
VIII. Absolutism of the Crown; the Reformation; the New Learning[1]
IX. The Stuart Period; the Divine Right of Kings versus the Divine
Right of the People
X. India gained; America lost—Parliamentary Reform—Government by the
People
A General Summary of English Constitutional History
Constitutional Documents
Genealogical Descent of the English Sovereigns[2]
A Classified List of Books
Special Reading References on Topics of English History
[1] Each of these six Periods is followed by a General ReferenceSummary of that period. See pp. 43, 71, 141, 174, 230, 316[2] For special Genealogical Tables see pp. 124, 140, 161, 172, 179,207, 323
Suggestions to Teachers
The writer of this brief manual is convinced that no hard-and-fastrules can be laid down for the use of a textbook in history. Hebelieves that every teacher will naturally pursue a system of his own,and that by so doing he will get better results than if he attempt tofollow a rigid mechanical course which makes no allowance forindividual judgment and gives no scope to originality of method.