Istorija Velsa obuhvata period od paleolita do danas. Pisana istorija Velsa obuhvata period od rimske okupacije 70-ih godina 1. veka, preko sitnih kelstkih kraljevina u srednjem veku, do Velsa u sastavu Engleske (od 1284) i Velike Britanije (od 1707).
Rimska okupacija
Rimljani, koji su započeli osvajanje Britanije 43. godine, prvo su se borili u sadašnjem severoistočnom Velsu 48. godine protiv Deseangla i stekli potpunu kontrolu nad regionom porazom Ordovikija 79. godine.
Keltske kraljevine
Rimljani su napustili Britaniju u 5. veku, otvarajući vrata za anglosaksonsku invaziju. Nakon toga britonski jezik i kultura počeli su se raspadati i formiralo se nekoliko različitih grupa. Velšani su bili najveća od ovih grupa i o njima se generalno govori nezavisno od ostalih preživelih naroda koji govore britonske jezike nakon 11. veka.[3]
Formirana su brojna kraljevstva u današnjem Velsu u postrimskom periodu. Dok je najmoćniji vladar priznat kao kralj Britonaca (kasnije Tivisog Kimri: vođa ili princ od Velsa), i neki od vladara su proširili svoju kontrolu nad drugim velškim teritorijama i zapadnom Engleskom, dugo vremena ni jedan nije mogao da ujedini Vels. Međusobne borbe i spoljni pritisak Engleza i kasnije, normanskih osvajača Engleske, doveli su do toga da su velška kraljevstva postepeno došla pod uticaj engleske krune.
Engleska okupacija
Godine 1282. smrt Luelina ap Grifida dovela je do osvajanja Velške kneževine engleskog kralja Edvarda ; nakon toga, naslednik engleske monarhije je nosio titulu „Princ od Velsa”. Velšani su podigli nekoliko pobuna protiv engleske vladavine, pri čemu je poslednju značajnu pobunu vodio Oven Glendover početkom 15. veka.
Pripajanje Engleskoj
U 16. veku Henri , koji je i sam bio velškog porekla kao praunuk Ovena Tudora, doneo je Zakone o Velškom statusu sa ciljem potpune inkorporacije Velsa u Kraljevinu Engleske. Pod vlašću Engleske, Vels je postao deo Kraljevine Velike Britanije 1707, a potom Ujedinjene Kraljevine 1801. godine. Ipak, Velšani su zadržali svoj jezik i kulturu uprkos velikoj engleskoj dominaciji. Objavljivanje izuzetno značajnog prvog kompletnog Velškog prevoda Biblije od strane Vilijama Morgana 1588. godine uveliko je poboljšalo položaj velškog jezika kao književnog jezika.[4]
U 18. veku su počele dve promene koje će u velikoj meri uticati na Vels, velški metodistički preporod, koji je doveo do toga da se zemlja preokretala ka nekonformističkoj religij i industrijska revolucija. Tokom uspona Britanskog carstva, jugoistočni Vels je u 19. veku doživeo naročito brzu industrijalizaciju i dramatičan porast stanovništva kao rezultat eksplozije industrije uglja i gvožđa.[5] Vels je igrao punu i voljnu ulogu u Prvom svetskom ratu. Industrije carstva u Velsu su opadale u 20. veku s krajem Britanskog carstva nakon Drugog svetskog rata, dok su nacionalistički osećaji i interesovanje za samoopredeljenje porasli. Laburistička stranka zamenila je Liberalnu stranku kao dominantnu političku silu 1920-ih. Vels je igrao značajnu ulogu tokom Drugog svetskog rata, zajedno sa ostatkom Ujedinjenog Kraljevstva Velike Britanije i Severne Irske i Saveznicima, a njegovi gradovi su bombardovani tokom nacističkog blica. Nacionalistička stranka Plejd Kimri dobila je zamah od 1960-ih. Na referendumu 1997. velški glasači odobrili su prenošenje odgovornosti vlade na Nacionalnu skupštinu Velsa, koja je prvi put zasedala 1999. godine.
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