Early modern times

Early modern times
Painting of large bearded man with fur trimmed cloak , wearing a hat .
King Henry VIII becomes Head of Church of England High .

During the Tudor period , the Renaissance reached England through Italian culture , who introduced the art as well as educational and scholarly debate from classical antiquity . ] During this period , England began to develop naval skills , and exploration of the ocean to establish colonies .

Henry VIII broke away from communion with the Catholic Church , he adopted the Act of Supremacy in 1534 which states that the king is the head of the Church of England . In contrast to most other European Protestantism , the roots of the separation of England from the Catholic Church towards more political than theological reasons . [ Note 4 ] Henry also legally incorporate ancestral land , Wales , became part of the British Empire by enacting Wales Act 1535 -1542 . There are some internal religious conflicts that occurred during the reign of Henry 's daughter , Mary I and Elizabeth I. Mary deliver England back into the arms of the Catholic , while Elizabeth separates once again , and then assert the supremacy of the Church of England even stronger by forming an Anglican .

The British fleet under the command of Francis Drake defeated the Spanish fleet in the Elizabethan period . After a long battle with Spain , the first English colony in the Americas was founded in 1585 finally succeeded by explorer Walter Raleigh in Virginia and named Roanoke . Utilization of the Roanoke colony failed and is known as the " lost colony " , this colony was later abandoned due to lack of food supplies . Along the East India Company , England also compete with the Dutch and French in the East . British political structure changed in 1603 when the House of Stuart , the king James VI of Scotland , a kingdom which became old enemy the United Kingdom , inherited the throne of England . James then created a personal union between the Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland  James crowned himself King of Great Britain , although it is not recognized by British law . [ 64 ] Under his reign , the King James Version of the Bible published in 1611 . the Bible is not only defeating the works of Shakespeare as the greatest literary works in the English language , but also a standard version of the Bible 's most widely read by Christians for four hundred years .
Painting of seated male figure , with long black hair wearing a white cape and Breeches .
Restoration England in the time of King Charles II managed to bring back the monarchy and peace after the English Civil War .

Due to the position of political, religious and social conflicting , the English Civil War took place between the supporters of Parliament and supporters of King Charles I , each of which is known as Roundhead and Cavalier . This war is part of an ongoing series of wars known as the Wars of the Three Kingdoms , which also involves Scotland and Ireland . In the end , Parliament managed to win , Charles I was executed and the royal government later changed to British Commonwealth . Leader of the Parliament forces , Oliver Cromwell , established him as Lord Protector in 1653. ] After Cromwell 's death , his son , Richard , and not willing resigned served as Lord Protector . Later , Charles II was recalled for the post of King of England in 1660 . During Charles II , through Restoration England , constitutional monarchy overhauled . The new Constitution states that King and Parliament should rule England together, despite the fact that the parliament will have more real power . This policy is endorsed in the Declaration of Rights Act 1689 . This Act also states that the law could only be made by Parliament and could not be suspended by the King , and the King is not allowed to levy taxes or add to the army without the consent of parliament .  with the establishment of the Royal Society in 1660 , science in the UK is also experiencing rapid growth .

Great Fire of London, which occurred in 1666 destroyed most of the city of London , but it was rebuilt shortly afterwards . In Parliament , two factions emerged as a major force , the Tory and Whig . Tory is a royalist ( royalist ) , while the classical liberal Whig wing . Tory faction initially supported James II . However , with the Whig , the two factions then turned to overthrow the throne of James in the Glorious Revolution in 1688 . Upon the fall of the throne of James , prince of the Netherlands , William III , was invited to continue the throne as King of England . In Scotland , emerging movements that call themselves Jacobites . This movement rejected the leadership of William and wants the throne still held by descendants of James II . Having held negotiations , the British Parliament and the Scottish Parliament agreed to combine their respective kingdoms in a political union called the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707 .  In order to demonstrate " political union " is, institutions such as the law and national church in their respective kingdoms remain separate