The foundation of England

England emerged as a unified kingdom in the early 10th century, when the Anglo‑Saxon kingdoms were consolidated under King Æthelstan, traditionally dated to 927 CE. [1][3][4] Later, this medieval kingdom became part of the larger British state through unions in 1707 and 1801. [5][6]

Pre‑English background

- After the end of Roman rule in Britain (5th century), Germanic groups—Angles, Saxons, and Jutes—settled and formed several small kingdoms. [7][8]

- These kingdoms, known as the Heptarchy (Wessex, Mercia, Northumbria, East Anglia, Kent, Essex, Sussex), competed for dominance over the territory that is now England. [1][9]

Unification under the Anglo‑Saxons

- In the 9th century, Viking invasions led to the Danelaw in the north and east, while Wessex under Alfred the Great emerged as the main English power and began reconquest. [1][10][11]

- By 927, Æthelstan—Alfred’s grandson—had taken York and brought all major Anglo‑Saxon and Viking territories under his rule, making him widely regarded as the first king of a unified England. [1][11][9][4]

From kingdom to part of Britain

- Through the later Middle Ages and early modern period, the Kingdom of England absorbed Wales (Laws in Wales Acts 1535–1542) and shared a monarch with Scotland from 1603 in a personal union. [5][12]

- The Acts of Union 1707 then legally united the Kingdoms of England (including Wales) and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Acts of Union 1800 later created the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. [5][4][12]

Citations:

[1] Kingdom of England https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_England

[2] England https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England

[3] History of England https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_England

[4] How The Anglo-Saxons Created England - History Insights https://historyinsights.com/how-the-anglo-saxons-created-england/

[5] Formation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formation_of_the_United_Kingdom

[6] Kingdom of Great Britain - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Great_Britain

[7] Formation of Nation States: England Speaker- Dr. Dimpy Das http://www.hgcollege.edu.in/uploadfiles/England%20as%20a%20Nation%20State%204th%20Sem%20CBCS.pdf

[8] History of Anglo-Saxon England | Research Starters - EBSCO https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/history-anglo-saxon-england

[9] History of Anglo-Saxon England - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Anglo-Saxon_England

[10] Origins of the Kingdom of the English (Chapter 5) https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/writing-kingship-and-power-in-anglosaxon-england/origins-of-the-kingdom-of-the-english/02EA5266C0D391AD15C6A7E314DAF681

[11] Unification of the Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms - globhistory.org https://globhistory.org/en/article/korolevstvo_angliya/obedinenie_korolevstv_anglosaksov

[12] United Kingdom | History, Population, Map, Flag, Capital, & Facts https://www.britannica.com/place/United-Kingdom

[13] Kingdom of England | All About History of Kingdom of England https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soPsX7lvsaQ

[14] The Development of England https://historyguild.org/the-development-of-england/

[15] State Formation in Early Modern England, c.1550–1700 https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/state-formation-in-early-modern-england-c15501700/5FEE0091CF93C201C806F0A5B05056E7

[16] Early Tribes of England | World History | General Studies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nPseR1LqUI

[17] At what point did the separate An Anglo Saxon kingdoms (Wessex, Mercia, etc) become unified? https://www.reddit.com/r/MedievalHistory/comments/jnlvrx/at_what_point_did_the_separate_an_anglo_saxon/

[18] UNIT 17 FORMATION OF NATION-STATES -1 https://egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/20504/1/Unit-17.pdf

[19] How was England formed? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWPLjg10D2A

[20] State Formation and Social Change in Early Modern England https://www.jstor.org/stable/4285899