Study notes
British history: study timeline
History is easiest when it is learned as a timeline. First learn the anchor dates, then attach people and events to each anchor.
Timeline anchors
| When | What to attach to it |
|---|---|
| Prehistory | Stonehenge, Skara Brae, Bronze Age and Iron Age |
| AD 43 to AD 410 | Roman Britain |
| 1066 | Norman Conquest |
| 1215 to 1485 | Magna Carta, Parliament, Black Death and Wars of the Roses |
| 1509 to 1689 | Tudors, Stuarts, Reformation, Civil War and Glorious Revolution |
| 1707 to 1901 | Union, empire, Industrial Revolution and voting reform |
| 1914 onwards | World wars, welfare state, migration, Europe and devolution |
Use the timeline first
The history section moves from early Britain to recent Britain. That order is the memory system.
Do not begin with every person and every battle. Begin with the big turning points: Romans, 1066, 1215, 1485, 1588, 1689, 1707, 1815, 1918, 1928, 1948 and 2016.
When a question gives you a name, ask: which period does this belong to? That usually removes two wrong answers immediately.
Test facts to know
- The history chapter is organised into Early Britain, the Middle Ages, Tudors and Stuarts, global power, the 20th century and Britain since 1945.
- The chapter moves broadly in chronological order from prehistory to recent political and social change.
How questions may test it
- Use the history chapter order as a timeline for revision.
- Recognise the main historical periods used in the official material.
Key terms
Early Britain, Middle Ages, Tudors and Stuarts, global power, 20th century, Britain since 1945.