HISTORY39 - England before the Empire
This article is about the history of England up to 1707, when the British Empire started with the combining of the English and Scottish kingdoms into the United Kingdom. My previous blog covered the history of the British Empire from its start in 1707 through today. There were no principal sources for this article; I used numerous online sources. There is much confusion about the meaning and use of the terms, “Great Britain,” “England,” “United Kingdom,” and “Britain.” I will use the term “Great Britain” to mean, firstly, the geographical Island of Great Britain, between Ireland and French coast. Later, “Great Britain” will also be used politically to refer to whole of England, Scotland, and Wales in combination. “England” is a country on the Island of Great Britain. The “United Kingdom” (commonly abbreviated UK) includes (today) England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, but began as the joining of England and Scotland in 1707. “Britain” is widely used as a co