Table of contents

1 Early History 2 Industrial expansion 3 20th Century 3.1 Diversity 3.2 Regeneration

Early History

Small farming settlements existed in the Birmingham area since the Bronze Age. In Roman times, the Ryknild Street Roman road passed through what is now the Birmingham area, and a large military fort and marching camp existed at Metchley in what is now southern Birmingham. Remains of pottery kilns dating from the Roman period have also been found in the Birmingham area.

Until the Middle Ages, due to poor quality soil which made agriculture unproductive, the Birmingham area was for centuries a sparsely populated backwater. Much of the area now covered by Birmingham was covered by the once vast Forest of Arden.

The name 'Birmingham' existed as a local placename since Saxon times. Ham meaning hamlet of Beorma's people. Beorma probably being a local tribal leader.

After the Norman conquest of Britain the area passed into the hands of the De Birmingham family (sometimes spelt De Bermingham) who established a farming estate. The De Birmingham estate was mentioned in the Domesday Book, and was valued at 20 shillings.

A settlement at Birmingham came into existence in the year 1154 when lord of the estate Peter de Birmingham obtained a charter to hold a market, a settlement soon grew up around this market.

The market was called the Bull Ring and was the centre of all activity in what was then a village. Located at a crossing point on the River Rea Birmingham was at a focal point for local trackways in the area, and for this reason attracted much trade, due to it's busy market Birmingham attracted skilled craftsmen to set up business in the village. Birmingham became a Borough in the early 13th century.

The De Birmingham's retained control of the area until 1527, when John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland gained control of the town.

From the 16th century onwards Birmingham became a centre of many metalworking industries, with a skilled population of ironmongers. Birmingham also became a centre of arms manufacturing, with guns and swords being produced in the town.

Birmingham's inland location, away from any major transport links, meant that Birmingham manufacturers had to produce goods of high quality and value to compensate the high cost of transport. This gave Birmingham made goods a reputation for quality.

The armarments trade was greatly helped by the English Civil War: Birmingham manufacturers supplied the Roundheads with much of their weaponry. Reputedly, 15,000 swords were produced in Birmingham for Oliver Cromwell's forces. In 1643 Birmingham was sacked by the royalist forces lead by Prince Rupert.

Industrial expansion

Birmingham's skilled workforce, and the fact that Birmingham was located near the coalfields of northern Warwickshire and Staffordshire, meant that the town grew rapidly during the Industrial revolution. By the mid 18th century Birmingham had become the largest town in Warwickshire.

Population Growth in Birmingham by year

• 1550 pop 1,500
• 1650 pop 5,000
• 1750 pop 24,000
• 1800 pop 75,000
• 1900 pop 650,000
• 1981 pop 1,013,431
• 2001 pop 977,000

During this time Birmingham was home to Matthew Boulton, James Watt, William Murdoch, Joseph Priestley and others, who, together, were known as the Lunar Society.

In the 1830s the Grand Junction Railway (linking onwards to Liverpool and Manchester) and the London and Birmingham Railway were built and Birmingham New Street station soon became the hub of the railway network.

During the 19th century Birmingham's population mushroomed and by the middle of that century Birmingham had become the second largest population centre in Britain. Due to the large number of goods manufactured in Birmingham it became known as the "city of a thousand trades". It was also during the 19th century that Birmingham gained its reputation (which continues to this day amongst many of those uninformed of recent changes) as a grim industrial city.

In 1873 Joseph Chamberlain became mayor of the city. Under his leadership, the council introduced many innovative civic improvements, including municipal gas and water works which improved the lighting and provided clean drinking water to the city; and opened numerous public parks. The improvements introduced by Chamberlain were to prove the blueprint for municipal government, and were soon copied by other cities.

Birmingham became a county borough in 1889, and a city in 1896.

20th Century

During the 20th century Birmingham's population continued to rise. An important industrial centre, the city was heavily bombed by the German Luftwaffe during World War II, in a failed attempt to break the morale of the city's workers. In total, 2,441 Birmingham residents were killed by German bombs during the war.

In the postwar years a massive program of slum clearances took place, and vast areas of the city were re-built, with overcrowded "back to back" housing being replaced by high rise blocks of flats (the last remaining block of four back to backs are to become a museum). The city centre was also extensively re-built, especially the Bull Ring Shopping Centre. Birmingham also became a centre of the national motorway network, with Spaghetti Junction.

In 1974, two city-centre pubs were bombed by the IRA.

Diversity

Since the early 1980s Birmingham has seen a new wave of migration, this time from communities which do not have Commonwealth roots, including people from Kosovo and Somalia. Birmingham's reputation as a city built on migration looks to continue. If Birmingham ended the 19th century as a Commonwealth city, the future diversity of the City is set to be global.

Disputes between ethnic groups and the authorities culminated in the Handsworth Riots in 1985.

Regeneration

The International Convention Centre (ICC) opened in central Birmingham in the early 1990s.

The area around Broad Street, including Centenary Square, the ICC and Brindleyplace, was extensively renovated at the turn of the Millennium.

In 1998 a G8 summit was held in Birmingham, and US president Bill Clinton was reputedly impressed by the city. He famously had a drink in a canalside pub - though he never paid for his beer!.