Wales Becomes Part of England
Wales, a country on the western coast of Great Britain, became politically and legally united with England on April 14, 1536, through the Act of Union. This act marked the formal integration of Wales into the English legal and administrative framework, with Welsh regions being incorporated into newly established counties and granted representation in the English Parliament. Historically, Wales was inhabited by Celtic tribes and experienced invasions by the Romans and later by Germanic tribes. The Welsh maintained a degree of isolation due to their rugged terrain, with significant uprisings against English rule occurring over the centuries. Edward I of England notably subdued Wales in the late 13th century, establishing the title of Prince of Wales to acknowledge the region's distinct identity. Despite the unification, the Welsh people have retained a strong sense of cultural identity and pride in their heritage. The late 20th century saw a revival of Welsh nationalism, leading to the establishment of a Welsh assembly in 1999, which allowed for limited self-governance within the context of the United Kingdom.
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Wales Becomes Part of England
Wales Becomes Part of England
Wales is a small country on the western coast of England. It occupies a peninsular region of the island of Britain, situated across a narrow body of water from Ireland, and is just over 8,000 square miles in area. On April 14, 1536, the Act of Union of 1536 united Wales legally, politically, and administratively with neighboring England. Wales is still joined to England today, but both countries are now part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The population of Wales is approximately 3 million, and the largest city is Cardiff; other important cities include Swansea and Newport.
The Celts occupied Wales in ancient times, and their distinctive language can still be seen in the names of both Welsh people and Welsh places. The Romans arrived in 55 b.c. but had left by the fifth century a.d. Then Germanic tribes, including the Anglo-Saxons, invaded Britain. Some of these newcomers settled in Wales and intermarried with the local Celtic population, but for the most part the Welsh remained isolated from goings-on in England, protected as they were by their rugged terrain and their warlike ways. Harold II of England was the first king of England to subdue Wales, shortly before the Norman Conquest in 1066. Beginning with William the Conqueror, the Norman kings appointed lords for the Welsh frontier, known as the Welsh Marches. These Marcher Lords were given considerable autonomy in exchange for maintaining control over the region and over the rebellious Welsh nobles, who periodically rose up to fight for independence without conclusive success. In 1284 Edward I of England crushed a lengthy Welsh uprising led by the princes of Gwynedd, and in 1301 he bestowed the title of Prince of Wales on his oldest son, the crown prince who would later become King Edward II. The title served to mollify Welsh pride and became the customary title for English crown princes, up to the present day.
The last Welsh uprising, under Owen Glen-dower, ended in 1416, and in 1485 the Welsh welcomed the Tudor line of English kings, beginning with Henry VII, because the Tudor family had roots in Wales. Henry VII's son, Henry VIII, inherited a Wales largely assimilated into English culture. With the passage of the Act of Union of 1536 during Henry VIII's reign, England and Wales were united and the old Welsh Marches were incorporated into new or existing counties. These counties and other Welsh jurisdictions were given representation in the English parliament, and the English legal system was extended to cover Wales. The people of Wales were given the same legal rights as English subjects, but any Welsh laws or legal customs in conflict with those of England were abolished.
Wales has been integrated with England ever since. However, the Welsh people have never lost their sense of a separate identity or their pride in their land and heritage, and in the 20th century there have been various nationalist revival movements. As part of the British government's new policy of permitting more local control in Scotland and Wales, a Welsh assembly with limited autonomy was elected in 1999 and convened that same year in Cardiff.