FROM LONDINIUM TO LONDON

FOREWORD By writing this essay,I meant to conceive an incursion into the history of London,starting from its roots up to what it is nowadays. One of the particular reasons that determined me to write about London is that I grew fond of it through the medium of books .Despite the fact that sometimes it was portrayed in a monstruous form,a swollen and dropsical giant which kills more than it breeds(P.Ackroyd,London),it was always a fascinating place,a centre for culture and a place where creativity and originality could flutter. London goes beyond any boundary or convention(P.Ackroyd),it contains whatever one may possibly wish,whether its art,culture,beautiful buildings or history.As S.Johnson put it:when a man is tired of London,he is tired of life;for there is in London all that life can afford. Another reason is that I consider that it is highly advisable that people should know the topmost events that shaped what would grow to become one of the most significant financial and cultural capitals of world(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_London). Londons history is not only long and constantly englarging in tides of improvement and determination,but also permeated by a series of devastating fires, plagues,conquests,battles such as:The Civil War,aerial bombardaments and several terrorist attacks.As Peter Ackroyd put it in his book entitledLondon, this city is is a body racked with fever,and chocked by ashes,it proceeds from plague to fire. Furthermore,it is the city that had the most forceful and lasting influence on Western Civilisation ,as delineated many of the most significant political,social,cultural and economic institutions that still exist in London nowadays.It was the capital of the British Empire,that represented one-quarter of the worlds population,the economic centre of Europe ,the headquarters of a Constitutional monarchy with the most numerous elements of democracy from all Western countries,it introduced ingenuous modern solutions( such as the metropolitan police forces )to human ills like poverty,crime or disease.Not to mention that it was not only the site of political movements such as the fight for womens souffrage,but also the home to some of historys greatest individuals,including W.Shakespeare or Queen Victoria(http://www.thegreatcourses.com/tgc/courses/course_detail.aspx?cid=8894). Whether I consider London as a young man revitalized or whether I deplore its condition as a blemished giant,I think one should regard it as a human shape with its own laws of life and growth.(P.Ackyroyd,London).

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Chapter 1.Etymology and short history 1.1.Whats in a word Over the century ,there have been different theories for the origin of the name.The name might have a Celtic origin,awkward for those who believe that there was no human settlement here before the Romans built their city .Its meaning might also be derived from Llyn-don,the town or stronghold(don)by the lake or stream (Llyn),or Laindon,long hill.An intriguing speculation owing to the reputation for violence that Londoners were later to acquire,is that the name is derived from the Celtic adjective londosmeaning fierce. One of the most speculative etymology attributes the origin of the name to King Lud ,who is supposed to have reigned in the city in the century of the Roman invasion and to have laid out the citys streets .Upon his death he was buried beside the gate which bore his name,and the city became known as Kaerlud or Kaerlundein,Luds city.(P.Ackroyd,London). However,the origin if the name remains mysterious.From where I stand ,it is curious that not even the name of the mineral correlated with the city-coal has a certain derivation.

1.2.Early history In the beginning was the sea. There was once a music-hall entitled Why cant we have sea in London?,but the question is redundant;the site of the capital ,fifty million years before,was covered by great waters.(P.Ackroyd,London). However,there is still an evidence of the waters in the stones of London.The Portland Stone and St.Pancras Old Church have a base which reproduces the currents of the ocean.Also,there are oyster shells within he texture of the British Museum and Masion House and the greysh marble of Waterloo station is still covered by seaweed. As Shelley Long wrote of London that great seastill howls on for more. The sound of Londons streets resembles the murmur from from a sea shell(P.Ackroyd,London)and in ancient times its residents thought that they were lying on the floor of the ocean.George Orwell described it as the ocean bottom,among the luminous,gliding fishes. The prehistory of London invites endless speculations related to whether there were human settlements in areas where,thousands years later,streets would be laid out and houses erected.Certaintly ,the region had been continually occupied for at least fifteen thousand years.A remarkable evidence which assumes to mark the remains of a Mesolithic

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manufactury is a great gathering of flint tools ,excavated in Southwark and also a pottery bowl from the Neolithic period discovered in Clapham. In the Neolithic period there arisen ,from the generally marshy soil oil on the north bank of the Thames ,twin hills covered by gravel and brick earth,surrounded by sedge and willow.They were forty to fifty feet in hight,and were divided by a valley through which flowed a stream.We know them as Cornhill and Ludgate Hill,with the now buried river Wallbrook running between them.Thus emerged London.(P.Ackroyd,London). At the beginning of any civilization there are fables and there are legends;only at the end are they to proved to be accurate. According to the legendary Historia Regnum Britanniaeof Geoffrey of Monmouth,London was founded by Brutus ,the great grandsom of Aeneas,who ,some years after the fall of Troy,led the exodus of Trojans from Greece.In the courses of his exilic wanderings he was granted a dream in which the goddess Diana spoke words of prophecy to him:an island far to the west,beyond the realm of Gaul,fitts thy people;you are to sail there ,Brutus,and establish a city which will become another Troy. This explains why the the city was then known as Caer Troia,which,according to a pseudoetimology,was corrupted to Trinovantum(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_London, from the people known as Trinovantes,who settled on the territory to the north of London region prior to the Romans. Even if it is not certain whether this first Londiniumwas primarily used as a military camp,it has definitely soon become soon a centre of supplies.As the roman historian Tacitus wrote of London only after few years after its foundation(which can be dated vetween AD 43 and 50),the city was filled with negotiatores ,men that can be described as traders or brokers and was well known for its commercial prosperity. Thus,the fascinating buildings which now stand upon the Roman Wallcontain brokers and dealers who are the descendants,direct or indirect,or those who came to London in the first century(P.Ackroyd,London). However,Londiniumdid not last long.In AD 60,barely a decade after its foundation,the Roman settlement was overrun and burnt to the ground by queen Boudicca and her tribal army wreaking vengeance upon those who were trying to sell the women and children of Iceni as slaves(P.Ackroyd,London). The Romans proved determined ,retook the city,fortified it with walls (P.Ackroyd,London),and therefore ,in the space of fifty years,London had acquired its destiny: it replaced Colchester as the capital of Roman Britain(Britannia)and it became the countrys trading centre. By around AD 200 the citys population was around 60 000
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inhabitants and it boasted major public buildings ,including an amphiteatre where the Guidhall now rests ,temples,bath houses,shops and stalls.Also,at some time between 190 and 225 AD the Romans built the defensiveLondon Wallaround the landward size of the city.The wall was about 3 km long,6 m. high and 2,5 m.thick

Chapter 2.Decline and fall of Roman London Because of the growing barbarian assault on the empire at the end of the 4 th ,Rome withdrew its troops and the Romanised population was left to fend for itself.( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_London) .As a result of the constant raids by Picts,Angles and Saxons ,the Roman city also went in rapid decline and by the end of the 9 th century it was practically abandoned. 2.1.Anglo Saxon London Even if for a long period it was believed that Anglo-Saxons avoided the area around London,the discovery of a Roman amphitheatre upon the site of the present Guildhall,which is exactly the location where the Saxons were known to hold their folkmoots(P.Ackroyd,aLondon) and of an Anglo-Saxon cementery at Covent Garden demonstrate that the incomersbegan to settle here as early as the 6 th century and possibly in the 5th (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_London). The main focus of the settlement was in the area now known as Covent Garden and it was known as Lundenwic,the wicsuffix denoting a trading settlement.( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_London).A typical Sxon community ,in other words,had grown up justbeyond the walls of the powerful city(P.Ackroyd,London). By the early 7th century the London area had been incorporated into the kingdom of the East Saxons( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_London) and it was under the overloardship of king Ethekberth of Kent that Mellitus founded the first St.Pauls cathedral.

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2.2.The early middle ages Viking attacks in the 9th century affected all England.London was a prime target and for that reason strategically even more important for the Anglo-Saxon kingdom.( http://www.download-referate.ro/referat-The-history-of-LONDON-194.html) However,the city remained in Danish hands until 886,when it was captured by the forces of King Alfred the Great of Wessex and incorporated into Mercia.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_London). Also,the name of the old focus of settlement changed from Ludenwic to ealdwic,name that survives today as Aldwych. Next,the City of London started to develop its own local government.Even though it faced competition for political dominance in the United Kingdom of England,Londons size and commercial wealth brought it a firmly importance as a focus of governmental activity. In 994,during the reign of Ethelred,London was unsuccessfully atacked by an army led by King Sweyn Forkbeard of Denmark,who died after 5 weeks after being proclaimed as king.Thereafter,Ethelred was restored to the throne ,but Sweys son Cnut returned to the attack in 1015.( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_London). After the extinction of the Cnut dynasty in 1042,the reins of England have been taken by Edward the Confessor,who founded Westminister Abbey,which from this time steadily supported the city as the centre of government(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_London). The new Norman regime established new fortresses within the city to subjugate it.Work began on three military stockades :Montfichet Tower,Baynards Castle and the Tower of London,which was by far the most important of them.

However,the tower never belonged to London and it was considered by its citizens an affront or threat to their liberty(P.Ackroyd,London).As a consequence,after a great fire in 1077 which seems to have destroyed much of the city,the fortication has been replaced by a stone tower which was called the White Tower,which rose some ninety feet in the air to

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emphasise its power over the city.Build of alien material,cream-coloured Caen stone from Normandy,it was a visible token of foreign rule(P.Ackroyd,London). At the same time,the Norman king and his succesors brewed a plan of public works so as to emphasise the central place of London in the new politics.The cathedral of St.Paul was rebuilt and 1097 ,William Halls succesor,William Rufus,began the construction of Westmininster Hall. 1176 was the year that marked the initiation of the construction of London Bridge,a bridge that would last for 600 years and remained the only bridge across the River Thames until 1739.

Trade grew firmly during the middle ages and ,as a result,London flourished as a port and main facturing centre.( http://www.download-referate.ro/referat-The-history-of-LONDON194.html). It is remarkable that trades were localized and associated with a particular street that still survives today,for example Wood Street,Milk Street or Ironmonger( http://www.download-referate.ro/referat-The-history-of-LONDON-194.html). Londons growth was briefly affected by the Black Death in the mid -14th century ,a bubonic plague epidemic which killed at least half of its population.However,this comedown did not last long,owing to its economic and political importance (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_London) which encouraged a brisk recovery despite further epidemics.

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Starting with the 15th century,Londons government was conducted from the Guidhall,an impressive stone building that still survives nowadays

2.3.Tudor London Before the Reformation,more than half of the London area was property of religious houses such as monasteries or nunneries. Thus ,what proved to be a massive watershead in Londons history was the Reformation instigated by Henry VIII,the so-called Dissolution of the monasteries,a process which started in the mid 1530s and involved the abolition of the larger monastic houses which were turned into spectacular houses or redeveloped for commercial purposes. The result was a vigorous land market and the unleashing of a property boom ,London rising rapidly in importance amongst Europes most important commercial centres. Its trade spread to he Levant,Russia,and the Americas.This was the period of mercantilism,when trading companies such as the Muscovy Companyand East India Companywere set up by Royal Charter.The citys commercial dominance was reflected by the establishment of the Royal Exchange in 1566 as a commercial headquarters( http://www.download-referate.ro/referat-The-history-of-LONDON-194.html) and it represented Londons growing confidence as a world trading centre( http://www.download-referate.ro/referat-The-history-of-LONDON-194.html).

One of the most vivid and elaborate description of Tudor Lodon was offered by John Stow,the great sixteen-century antiquarian.He wrote of new streets and buildings continually springing up within the city itself,ofencroachments on the highways,lanes,and common
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grounds.Where once there had been sheds or shops,in one of which an old woman used to sell seeds,roots andhrbs ,there were now houses largely built on both side outward ,and also upward,some three ,for or five stories high.

This building boom was due to the populations growth.London boomed from a population of about 50 000 in 1500 to perhaps 140 000 in 1600 and to about 750 000 by 1700.Immigrants arrived in England not only from Whales,but also from abroad,often as religious refugees such as the Huguenots from France. Londons glory was highlighted by its cultural brilliance. Not only did it become a book publishing centre,but also the focus of the practice of law ,centered upon the Inns of river,Bankside( http://www.download-referate.ro/referat-The-history-of-LONDON194.html). Also ,theatres sprang up,notably The Globe,where some of Shakespeares plays were premiered.However,these theatres wer closed by the Puritans in the 1640because they were considered asthreats to public morals and order.

Chapter 3.Londons destruction and expansion 3.1.17 th century London The 17th century unquestionably marked Londons expansion beyond the boundaries of the city. Nonetheless,the immediate surroundings of the City were still considered not conducive to health( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_London). Nobody is healthy in London,Mr.Woodhouse laments in Emma. Given the unsanitary conditions in the City , immediately after the restauration of the monarchy in 1660,plague broke out.There have been revelations of the cataclysm .Walter Costello wrote (in 1658)that if fire make not ashes of the city,and thy bones also,consider me a liar for ever. Plague erupted in the summer of 1665 ,peaking up in Septemeber,whenthousands were taken in dead carts and dumped in the loose soil(P.Ackroyd,London).The cold winter weather finally put down the plague ,but not before it had killed up to 80 000 Londoners( http://www.download-referate.ro/referat-The-history-of-LONDON-194.html). In this account of the Great Plague Defoe highlights the self delusion of the Londoners for whom it was common custom to cut off some of the hair of a sick child.The hair was placed in a sandwich,and given to the first dog that was encountered;the illness than left the child and entered the body of the unfortunate animal.

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3.2.The Great Fire of London.Londons brilliant commerce and buildings On 2 September 1666, the Great Fire of London broke out in a bakers shop in Pudding Lane in the Southern Part of the city The fire destroyed about 60% of the old city,including Old St.Pauls Cathedral,Royal Exchange,87 parish churches and 13 200 houses.Notably,the number of the lives lost was surprisingly small,16 at most. Flame can not only recreate,but also destroy.It is perhaps suggestive that ,in London folklore,a dream of fire denotes health and happiness or marriage with the object of the affections.(P.Ackroyd,London). In the rush to get the city operational again( http://www.download-referate.ro/referat-Thehistory-of-LONDON-194.html), landowners were hearteded to get the city operational agaian( http://www.download-referate.ro/referat-The-history-of-LONDON-194.html). Therefore,new modern districts such as St.James were built,until it was destroyed by fire in the 1690s.( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_London). In the next period,due to Charles IIs restoration and the growth of the empire,commerce boomed in London.In 1700 London s quays handled 80% of Englands imports,69% of its exports and 86%of its re-exports.( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_London) Many of the goods came in the city such as: tea,sugar,silk and tobacco not only for domestic demand,but also for re-export throughout Europe and beyond(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_London), which propelled London into the forefront of financial centres,rivaled only by Amsterdam( http://www.downloadreferate.ro/referat-The-history-of-LONDON-194.html).

The Bank of England was founded at about 1694,a period when the Stock Exchangeand British East India Companywere also expanding their influence.

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Londons port activities attracted to the east numerous working people who lived in poor neighborhoods such as Whitechapel or Limehouse,all those people involved within the processing and distributive trades (http://www.download-referate.ro/referat-The-history-ofLONDON-194.html). Therefore,the area became soon the chore of the Classic East End,notably after Londons artificial docks have been constructed.

On the other hand,the freeholds to the environs of the West of the Old city were mainly owned by the elite :city bankers and merchantswho wished to live away from the smoke,dirt and bustle of the city( http://www.download-referate.ro/referat-The-history-ofLONDON-194.html) and to be near Parliament and the royal court at St.Jamess. The West End was also a place that provided not only entertainment,but also pleasure centres such as Hyde Park and other clubs,taverns,clubs or theatres where the rich could enjoy themselves or mingle in chic company( http://www.download-referate.ro/referat-Thehistory-of-LONDON-194.html). It has been observed that the West End had the money ,and he East End had the dirtthere was leisure to the West,and labour to the East,noted P.Ackroyd in his book entitled London. The 17th century was swayed by a series of developments such as:the Covent Garden,Bloombury Square which was the most fashionable residencial area of town( ( http://www.download-referate.ro/referat-The-history-of-LONDON-194.html) ,Hanover Square,Cavendish Square and numerous sylish streets and shops of Marylebone,Picaddily or Mayfair.

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Covent Garden

3.3.Londons growth of population during the 18th century 18th century London was decisively influenced by a massive growth of population. Thomas de Quincey highlighted remarkably the citys image in the 18th century in his essay entitled The Nation of London :is of a vast magnetic rangedrawing all the forces of the world towards its centre. One typical phrase ,London conquers most who enter in it is perhaps now a truism. Londons golden age is also pointed out in an early nineteenths century cartoon wehere two men met beside a Londons milestone.One of them ,returning from the city ,is bowed and pulled down,while the other ,advancing up to him,full of liveliness and determination,asks him:Is is paved with gold?. In the first half of the eighteen century the capital accommodated 10% of the population,the number of inhabitants reaching a record number of one million inhabitants, which reinforced Defoes remark thatthis whole Kingdom,as well as the people,as the land,and even the sea,in every part of it,are employd to furnish something,and I may add the best of every thing ,to supply the city of London with provisions. Owing to Britains victory in the 7 years War,the countrys international standing increased and new markets were opened to British trade.By the early eighteenth century London had become the centre of world commerce. As P.Ackroyd remarked in his bookLondon,everything was for sale political office ,religious preferment,landed heiressesand ,said Swift,Power,which according to the old Maxim,was used to follow Land is now gone over to Money. What did prove to be a phenomenon of the 18th century was the coffee house,which became a popular place to debate ideas,as the literacy was growing and news became widely available.
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The 18th century not only saw the breakaway of the American colonies ,but also great chance in Enlightenment,which led to the beginning of moldern times,the 19th century.

3.4.Let there be light! During the 19th ,the city experienced a phenomenon of overcrowding which transformed it into the Worlds largest city and capital of the British Empire.Its population expanded from 1 million in 1800 to roughly 6,7 million a century later.London then became a global,political,financial and trading capital(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_London). Despite the fact that the city grew prosperous owing to the expansion of Britains holdings,poverty did not bypass the city.Life of the millions of poor people that lived in overcrowded and unsanitary slums( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_London) was immortalised by C.Dickens in such novels as Oliver Twist. However,the 18th century was to bring many changes in London. In 1829 Robert Peel created the Metropolitain Police asa police for covering the entire urban area( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_London) . The policemen were named bobbiesorpeelersnamed after Robert Peel. What did represent a significant change during the 18th century was the employment of electric light upon the Embankment in 1878 followed by the illumination of Bilingsgate and the Holborn Viaduct as well as a few theatres.It was the period when certain public buildings were illuminated by floodlighting for the first time.So great was the interest and exciteme nt that the streets were filled with spectators.It is as if London is always revealing itself anew,remarked P.Ackroyd in his book entitledLondon. As the city continued to expand,so did other forms of traffic emerge to steer a way through its immensity.19th century London was radically transformed by the coming of the railways . 3.5.Londons means of transport A new network of metropolitan railways ensured that the working classes could commute from the suburbs to the centre. Together with the electric telegraph,the railways defined and maintained the supremacy of London.It became the great conduit of commerce in a world in which railway time set the standard of the general hury. But railways were not the only forms of transportation within the capital.Among these means of transport there were omnibuses,hansoms,carts ,trams,horses,motor buses,taxis and victorias,all somehow managing to manoeuvre through the crowded granite streets. The greatest revolution layed in the underground railway whose first lines were constructed in 1863 with the Metropolitan Line between Paddlington and Farringdon.Initially these wereshallow tunnels buil on a cut-and over system with carriages hauled by steam
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locomotives.( http://www.download-referate.ro/referat-The-history-of-LONDON-194.html). It was only in the 1890s that a deep tube system becam feasible.The underground railways were extremely important for the traffic within the city as owing to them the commuters and shoppers could get rapidly into the very heart of London. In 1855,due to the citys unceasing development ,Londons antiquated government consisting of parishes and vestries could not provide anymore an adequate infrastructure to cope with its growth.Therefore,in 1885 the Metropolitan Board of Works was created,whose first priority was addressing Londons sanitation problems.The engineer put in charge of building the MBW was Joseph Bazalgette.Completed in 1875,his drainage system connected every household to main drains that emptied into the Thames (http://www.downloadreferate.ro/referat-The-history-of-LONDON-194.html) .Thanks to the vision of sir Joseph Bazalgette,epidemics of cholera and other diseases were cut short.In fact,Bazalgettes system is still in use today. Nonetheless,in 1888,the Metropolitan Board of Works was replaced by London County Council ,which was the first elected-London wide administrative body.This,the London County Council(LCC) was responsible for Londons schools,hospitals,transport system and sanitation.It also ensured the preservation of Londons parks,open spaces,in the consolidation of Londons hospitals and in the improvement of public education.

Chapter 4.London between the 20th and 21st century

During the 20th century ,London continued to flourish and to extend and was at theheight of its influence as the capital of the largest empire in history. Along with Londons population growth ,its means of transport expanded considerably. A large network of electronic trams,,the motorbus and the car ownership led to the mushrooming of outer suburban dormitory areas 15 to 25 km from the centre.( http://www.download-referate.ro/referat-The-history-of-LONDON-194.html) not to mention that air travel led to the construction ofLondon Airport,which definitively improved West Londons economy. Also,Londons overground and underground rail network were progressively improved. During WWII,London was severely ataked by German airships.The Blitz from 1940 to 1941 ,a priod when London was subjected to 71 separate raid, caused enormous damages ,as it affected almost a third of all Londons housing , killed up to 700 hundred people. However.this was only a foretaste of what was to come.In the autumn of 1944,Vengeance Two-the V2 was targeted upon the capital. As P.Ackroyd remarqued,for the first time in history of warfare,a city came under attack from long distance rockets which travelled approximately three thousand miles per hour.As recorded one resident of IslingtonTheir
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power was so great that whole streets were flattened as they landed.I thought the end of the world had come.,the last phrase being constantly repeated during Londons moments of crisis throughout its history. And then,suddenly,it was all over.At the end of March 1945 the raids ceased,the battle of London was finally won.(P.Ackroyd,London). Almost 30 000 Londoners had been killed and other 50 000 were injured,more than 100 000 buildings were destroyed ,a third of the City of London had been razed. Post-war London,especially the 1960s was a period when London became the centre for the worldwide Youth culture and had the reputation of Swinging London.,due partly to its associations with film industry or succesfull UK musicians such asThe BeatlesandThe Rolling Stones. From 1950s ,London was transformed into one of Europes most diverse cities,due to the incoming of a large number of immigrants largerly from Commonwealth Countries such as India,Pakistan or Jamaica. Yet danger signals were flashing.The ending of the Empire determined the collapse of many of the capitals traditional industries ,imports and exports ,with foreign containerization.Therefore,the post war decades determined a dramatic breakdown of Londons major ports.The Dockland area had become derelict by the 1980s but was redeveloped into flats and offices from the mid 1980s onwards.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_London). The early 1980s were marked by the political disputes between the GlC run by Ken Livigstone and the Conservative Government of Margarest Thatcher.These caused the abolition of the GLC in 1986 by Prime Minister M.Thatcher,and act read asas a partypolitical manoeuvre, irrelevant to the real needs and interests of London as such, an act widely read as a party-political manoeuvre, irrelevant to the real needs and interests of London as such( http://www.download-referate.ro/referat-The-history-of-LONDON194.html).This left London as the only large metropolis in the world not to have its own elected mayor or assembly. In 2000,the Greater London authority was created by Tony Blairs government.The difference between the old GLC and the GLA consisted in the fact that the new GLA was made up of a London Assembly and a directly elected Mayor. Around the start of the 21st century, London hosted the much derided Millennium Dome at Greenwich, which marked the new century.However,other Millennium projects were more successful. One was the largest observation wheel in the world, the "Millennium Wheel", or the London Eye, which was erected as a temporary structure, but soon became a fixture, and draws four million visitors every year. The National Lottery also released a flood of funds for major enhancements to existing attractions, for example the roofing of the Great Court at the British Museum.( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_London).

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Conclusion Even though people live in t he present,plan or worry about the future,I strongly believe that not only studying the history of a city like London ,that has experienced so many events,but also studying history in general,must serve as a guide for our existence,as it is commonly known that an understanding of the past is fundamental to an understanding of the present. Seen from this perspective,studying the history of a city like London give one an evidential base of how a society functions .Furthermore,it also contributes to moral understanding ,as it teaches people some valuable lessons ,such as not to give up and always revive from ones own ashes. Also ,an illustrative example to support the idea that the history London teaches one some valuable lessons for todays society is the Great Fire of London.If such mystakes would be repeated,the entire civilization could potentially collapse and life is too short to always go wrong.As one once said,those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.

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Table of contents

FOREWORD1

Chapter1.Etymology and short history 1.1.Whats in a word2 1.2.Early history.2,3 Chapter 2.Decline and fall of Roman London 2.1.Anglo Saxon London.4 2.2..The early middle ages5,6 2.3.Tudor London.7,8 Chapter 3.Londons destruction and expansion 3.1.17 th century London..8 3.2.The Great Fire of London.Londons brilliant commerce and buildings9,10 3.3Londons growth of population during the 18th century..11 3.4.Let there be light!............................................................................................................12 3.5.Londons means of transport..12,13 Chapter 4.London between the 20th and 21st century13,14 Conclusion ..15

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Bibliography Peter Ackroyd-London http://www.download-referate.ro/referat-The-history-of-LONDON-194.html). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_London http://www.thegreatcourses.com/tgc/courses/course_detail.aspx?cid=8894

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18