Jonathan's Blog: Westminster Review and things I learned

Overall i loved the do learn new things every single chance i get to. I loved the Documentary about Westminster the following is everything i learned from this Documentary

Until 1257 Kings ruled just about anywhere they lived, but Henry the 3rd decided to make Westminster his place for Parliament and that was the birth of The House of Commons.In 1547 King Edward the 6th moved it from Westminster abbey to down the street and there is a chair that has been at every coronation since about the 10th century.In the 11th century Westminster Hall inside was built the roof out of oak a astonishing thing for engineering and when it was finished it was the biggest span arch in all of Europe. A lot of people were prosecuted here for example in 1606 Guy Fawkes was tried their for almost blowing up Westminster himself with 36 barrels of gunpowder. In 1603 King James he put his people into religious turmoil and instructed his spymaster Sir Robert Cecil to banish all Catholic Priests. So a group of young Catholic Priests were ticked off and asked Guy Fawkes who was 33 years old to do the bombing. It's not the Westminster you see now it was pretty much a lot of old buildings there was a fire in 1837 that damaged them and the one you see now was built on the same spot where it was and opened in 1858 by Queen Victoria. At one end you see The House of Commons and the other The House of Lords. It is built in a way to resemble British Democracy. MP's are the British equivalent to Members of Congress. And you can see it in the central lobby one way is to the commons and the other is to the lords but only a few can see their chambers. The Reigning Monarch is never allowed into The House of Commons because King Charles the 1st because he swept through and demeaned to see five and arrest them because Parliament has attempted to resist his wishes and that they should obey him but they only obey the people. People are outraged by what he did and now their is a civil war between the Royalists and the puritans led by Oliver Cromwell and it lasted over ten years plus 190,000 people died which was a tenth of the English population and in 1651 Cromwell claimed victory and that year he tried the king for treason and found guilty and executed for treason. On January 30th is allowed to take a walk with his dog and is beheaded in front of hundreds of people for a good two years they don't have have monarch and they don't consider Cromwell one and in 1658 Cromwell died and in May of 1660 Charles the 2nd is invented to return from exile. Big Ben was built in 1854 and the hour hands are 9 feet long and the tip of each minute hand travels 118 miles a year and there is a thing called pendulum and it's 14 and a half feet long and their are 4 quarter bells that ring every quarter hour and one more the hour bell and the clock its self is not really named Big Ben but the largest bell is named Big Ben and it rings out at 117 decibels Big Ben is Named after Benjamin Caunt and he was a fighter and that was nickname and he was 6 feet tall and 4 inches. The bell cost at the time cost 2,401 pounds and the total to recast Big Ben costs about 572 pounds in 19th century money and now that would half a million dollars and it's tower was going to be called St Stephen's but renamed the Elizabeth tower. King Edward the 8th was the first Monarch in over a hundred years to step down due to him wanting to marry a woman named Wallis Simpson the reason why it was wrong because she has had two divorces . King George reigned after him from December 11, 1936 to February 6 1952 he was also Queen Elizabeth's farther and she has been Queen ever since and she is now the longest reigning queen ever since.

Overall I learned so much and this is a example of it. I love to learn about Westminster and British Politics and so much

Score 10/10