| Best known for being one of the heartlands of | | | | known for making motor-cycles and still has a |
| the industrial revolution of the 18th century | | | | factory in the Small Heath district manufacturing |
| Birmingham has a history dating back to the | | | | firearms. |
| Bronze Age 4000 years ago. Evidence of Bronze | | | | In 1715 St Phillip's church was built in the city |
| Age burial mounds had been found in the Kings | | | | centre, on Colmore Row. Later, the famous |
| Norton district, but there was no accompanying | | | | pre-Raphaelite painter Burne-Jones designed the |
| evidence of any settlements. During 2005, when | | | | stained glass windows, which still adorn it. In 1905 |
| work began on a relief road around the nearby | | | | it became the Church of England cathedral in |
| suburb of Northfield, that evidence emerged | | | | Birmingham. The first Roman Catholic cathedral to |
| setting a starting point for the history of the city. | | | | be built in England for 300 years, since the |
| It is also known that the area around Selly Oak | | | | Reformation, was built in Birmingham in 1841. |
| has connections with the Romans, possibly having | | | | Designed by Augustus Pugin, St Chad's is a classic |
| been a junction between Roman military roads. | | | | example of revivalist Gothic architecture |
| One explanation of Selly Oak is that there was an | | | | During the 18th century, fuelled by the industrial |
| Oak tree under which the soldiers would be 'paid' | | | | revolution the population of Birmingham boomed. |
| their salt. | | | | By 1750 it was 23,000 and by the end of the |
| Although the site of Weoley Castle, the manor | | | | century it was 73,000. Business also boomed as |
| house of Northfield, is mentioned in the | | | | the demand for metal products continued to rise. |
| Doomsday book as being the property of one | | | | In 1769 the first canal in Birmingham was opened |
| William Fitz Ansculf, the recorded history of | | | | linking the town with Wednesbury, in the Black |
| Birmingham only goes back about 1000 years and | | | | Country. It is around this time that the city also |
| started when the city began to grow out of the | | | | started to become famous for its jewellery and a |
| various Anglo-Saxon settlements in the area. In | | | | flourishing glass trade was also developing. Linking |
| 1166 King Henry II granted Peter De Bermingham, | | | | back to the well established metal working trades |
| Lord of the Manor, permission to hold a weekly | | | | in the town was the rise to prominence of |
| market which established Birmingham as a town. | | | | Birmingham as a producer of pen nibs. |
| By 1250 the town had the right to hold an annual | | | | Throughout the 19th century the town council |
| fair in the summer making it a regional centre of | | | | started to spend money from the wealth |
| its time, attracting traders from all over the | | | | generated by the towns industries on civic |
| Midlands. During this time wool dyeing and weaving | | | | projects. The Botanical Gardens opened in 1832, |
| became a speciality of the town. | | | | the new Town Hall was built in 1834, and public |
| Leather work from Birmingham also became | | | | baths in 1852. 1861 saw the first Birmingham |
| popular and it was in the 14th century that | | | | public library and the Museum and Art Gallery |
| Birmingham first started to develop a reputation in | | | | opened in 1885. |
| metal working. In 1500 Birmingham was still a | | | | The years between 1873-1875 saw the great |
| small market town with a population of around | | | | civic leader, Joseph Chamberlain, as the Mayor. He |
| 1,500 people. However, in the following years the | | | | went on to make Birmingham a role model for |
| population expanded rapidly. By 1560 it was 2000 | | | | how a town council should provide for its citizens. |
| and by 1650 had reached 5000 making it a large | | | | By 1837 Birmingham was connected to Liverpool |
| and important town to the Midlands. Its reputation | | | | by a railway line and a year later it was |
| for the quality of workmanship from its cutlers, | | | | connected to London. These events again caused |
| nailors and Blacksmiths was well established with | | | | a boom in trade giving Birmingham rapid access to |
| Birmingham being able to take advantage of the | | | | the port of Liverpool to export goods and rapid |
| three natural resources; coal, iron ore and | | | | communications with the capital city, London, |
| limestone from the nearby Black Country and the | | | | helping commerce in the city to develop. With the |
| watermills by the streams which powered the | | | | population exceeding 500,000, in 1889 Birmingham |
| bellows for the forges. | | | | was granted City status by a Royal Charter. |
| During the English Civil War Birmingham was | | | | At the dawn of the 20th century new industries |
| staunchly Parliamentarian. However, it was sacked | | | | developed in the city: bicycle making, tyre |
| several times by the Royalists. It was at this time | | | | manufacturing, electrical engineering and motor |
| that Birmingham first became noted for the | | | | vehicle manufacturing companies all started up to |
| production of small arms, producing thousands of | | | | provide the goods being demanded as the |
| swords for Cromwell's army. As the arms trade | | | | industrial age began to change to the technological |
| developed the area of the city where most of | | | | age. In the 1930s the population hit the 1,000,000 |
| the manufacturing took place became known as | | | | mark and the city boundaries were expanded to |
| the Birmingham Gun Quarter. At its peak it was | | | | allow more council homes to be built. Heavily |
| producing thousands of firearms a week, including | | | | bombed during World War II, the city was able to |
| famous names such as Farmer & Galton and | | | | quickly demolish any remaining slum areas and |
| Webley & Scott. The Birmingham Small Arms | | | | provide housing more in keeping with the 20th |
| Company (BSA) was not formed until 1861. In the | | | | century. |
| 20th century it also went on to become well | | | | |